The stunning Mughal Indian-style building built in 1805 offers guests a slice of India — right in the heart of Gloucestershire’s picturesque Cotswolds countryside
You have to see it to believe it(Image: Getty Images)
What if we told you that a 200-year-old Indian-style palace, reminiscent of the Taj Mahal, is tucked away in the heart of Gloucestershire?
While the Cotswolds are typically associated with charming cottages, chocolate-box homes, and honey-hued mansions that seem frozen in time, nestled in the idyllic Cotswolds countryside — Sezincote House and its estate offer a taste of India just outside Moreton-in-Marsh.
This traditional family-run estate spans approximately 3,500 acres of undulating countryside, complete with waterfalls, canals, grottoes, and temples. The house and garden welcome visitors at specific times throughout the year, and the unique location hosts six weddings each summer in its breathtaking grounds.
Perched roughly 600 feet above sea level in the North Cotswolds, Sezincote House remains privately owned and operates a thriving agricultural estate. This provides resources to support both the intricate rural life in the region and the maintenance of the house. A brother-sister team manage the home and the estate, with assistance from the older generation and keen interest from the younger ones.
Operating in line with traditional English practices, the estate boasts a mixed farming enterprise, ensuring proper fencing and permanent grassland. This is complemented by woodlands that provide an ideal habitat for local wildlife and a source of timber, reports Gloucestershire Live.
However, Sezincote House is far from ‘traditionally English’. Designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell, this historic edifice was built in 1805 and stands as a stellar example of Neo-Mughal architecture, offering a 19th-century take on 16th and 17th century Mughal design.
John Cockerell initially purchased the vast country estate as a display of his wealth. However, it was his brother Charles Cockerell who truly transformed the property after inheriting it three years later following John’s demise.
Charles then sought the expertise of his architect brother Samuel and artist Thomas Daniell, renowned for his sketches of Indian properties, to design a house inspired by a fusion of Hindu and Muslim architecture — something he had seen plenty of during his travels.
Samuel had previously experimented with subtle Indian features at Daylesford House in the Cotswolds, but he fully embraced the style at Sezincote, incorporating peacock-tail windows, jali-work railings, and pavilions. George IV, while still Prince Regent, visited Sezincote and is said to have been so smitten with the design that he instructed his architects to incorporate similar elements into the Brighton Pavilion that was being built for him.
The grand building has the red sandstone look that’s typical of Mughal architecture and instead of the famed white marble (as seen in the likes of popular structures like the Taj Mahal), this building features a large copper-covered, onion-shaped dome instead.
The home’s fenestration features a series of oversized windows crowned with arch-shaped tops. However, these arches depart from conventional forms, taking the shape of shell-like fans that reveal a distinctly Mughal influence. In contrast, the interior design adheres more closely to European stylistic traditions.
The estate’s landscape, designed by Humphry Repton, reflects a Renaissance-style garden interwoven with elements of Hindu architecture – most notably expressed through the crescent bridge supported by intricate columns. Minarets and a temple dedicated to Surya, the Hindu Sun God, also lend to its Indian heritage and influence. A Persian Garden of Paradise adds to its breathtaking charm.
While Sezincote Garden continues to welcome visitors on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between October and November, both the Sezincote House and the Orangery Tearoom have shut their doors for the season, with plans to reopen in 2026.
Entry to the Sezincote Garden will set adults back by £9, while children aged 16 and under can get in for £3. A visit to the Sezincote House, which includes a house tour and garden entry, is priced at £15 for adults and £9 for children aged 16 and under.
Stanton in Tewkesbury Borough, Gloucestershire, is a quintessential English village with thatched cottages, an ancient church and a stunning manor house
All of the homes are built out of Cotswolds stone(Image: Getty)
Stepping into Stanton in Tewkesbury Borough, Gloucestershire conjures up images of a quintessential English countryside village.
The settlement sits on the edge of the Cotswolds Hills, roughly three miles southwest of Broadway in the adjacent county of Worcestershire.
Whilst Stanton officially lies within Gloucestershire boundaries, it’s frequently mistakenly assigned to Worcestershire since Broadway serves as its postal town.
The village also neighbours Stanway, Gloucestershire, which houses the notable Stanway estate.
The Cotswold Way passes directly through the settlement, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, reports Gloucestershire Live.
Among the village’s most striking characteristics is that nearly every dwelling is constructed from traditional Cotswold stone.
The Mount pub serves as the village’s main hub, positioned at the terminus of the high street.
Pevsner described it as ‘architecturally, the most distinguished of the smaller villages in the North Cotswolds’.
Additional notable structures include St Michael’s Church, with origins tracing back to Norman times, Stanton Court (Jacobean era) and The Manor (alternatively known as “Warren House”), constructed in 1577.
The village’s heritage stretches back to the era of Kenulf, king of Mercia, who bestowed the tithes and patronage of Stanton upon Winchcombe’s Benedictine Abbey in 811.
Sir Philip Sidney Stott, an English architect, civil engineer and surveyor, is recognised for saving Stanton village from decline in 1906.
Sir Philip invested his wealth and expertise into renovating Stanton Court alongside other heritage structures. The village boasts several remarkable buildings, including Sheppey Corner.
This Grade II listed thatched cottage, constructed around 1650 and perched at the top of the High Street, is a favourite feature on Cotswolds’ calendars and postcards. Originally a large house and barn, it’s now split into three charming cottages: the Cloisters, Sheppey Cottage, and Pixie Cottage.
Cotswolds Tours recommends a visit to Stanton Court, another popular attraction. This Grade II listed Jacobean Manor House was erected for the Izod family in the early part of the 17th Century.
It later passed to their relatives, the Wynniatt family, in the early 18th Century, who expanded the house by adding a wing with a Georgian sitting room.
The Mount, aptly named, sits atop the mount at the end of the high street and serves as the village’s local pub. Its unique location offers breathtaking panoramic views across the Vale of Evesham towards the Malvern Hills.
On a clear day, you can even spot the Black Welsh mountains in the distance. It’s the perfect spot to watch the sunset on a summer’s evening, enjoy a cold beer, and have a chat with your loved ones.
There are views of the Firth of Forth from the top of Dumyat in the Ochils
When a cherished loved one dies, relatives often decide to scatter their ashes at a significant landmark – a mountain, a cliff top, a riverbank.
But some hillwalkers are concerned that they are increasingly coming across piles of ashes during their treks in the countryside.
Beth Todd, 46, said she was “horrified” recently when she came across mounds of ashes at the top of Dumyat hill, near Stirling.
The John Muir Trust said it asks people not to scatter ashes on its land, which includes the summits of Ben Nevis at Fort William and Schiehallion in Perthshire, due to the detrimental impact it has on fragile habitats.
David Fleetwood, its director of land and policy, said they are often asked by relatives if ashes can be scattered on their land.
“There is the potential for alpine flora and soils to be adversely affected by the addition of ashes to a nutrient-poor environment,” he said.
“In addition, unexpectedly finding cremated ashes detracts from the enjoyment of others in a wild place and may be deeply upsetting.”
Ashes on summit
Mrs Todd said she realised she was surrounded by human ashes shortly after sitting on the ground and getting out her packed lunch at the summit of Dumyat.
“It was all around me and I was worried it might have blown into my sandwiches,” she said.
“It was all over the soles of our shoes and on my friend’s knee, it was disgusting and upset us all the way home,” the mother-of-two added.
A climber, who wishes to remain anonymous, told BBC Scotland News: “I see piles of ashes all the time.
“They scatter it at cliff tops at places where you are topping out when you are climbing,” he added.
This white shale-like substance at the top of Dumyat hill in Stirlingshire is understood to be cremated ashes
Dan Maltby, the chief operating officer of Future Forest Company, which owns Dumyat, said they understand why people choose to scatter ashes on their land.
“We understand that places like Dumyat hold deep personal meaning to people and why people choose Scotland’s hills to commemorate their loved ones,” he said.
“As custodians, we ask that it’s done with care for the environment and others who share it.
“We’d love to hear from people about how we can create thoughtful, living ways to remember those who’ve passed in the landscapes we steward.”
westend61/Getty Images
The John Muir Trust said they often received requests to scatter ashes on their land including the summits of Ben Nevis
Mountaineering Scotland said many more hillwalkers and mountaineers were now requesting their ashes be scattered on the top of their favourite mountains.
“We would encourage people who wish to be remembered in this way to think about their chosen spot and try to avoid the summits of very popular mountain tops and consider alternative locations such as a corrie or a particular point on a ridge or on the lower slopes,” a spokeswoman told BBC Scotland News.
She said it also reduced the ecological impact on the surrounding area if ashes were buried instead of being scattered.
Fragile habitats
Human ashes are heavy and shale-like due to their bone content so often land in one spot rather than being blown away by the wind.
A Forestry and Land Scotland spokesperson said it was important to ensure ashes were not left in heaps on the ground.
“We understand that our forests and land mean a great deal to many people and that family and friends may want to scatter ashes in a special location they can visit whenever they choose,” they said.
“However, as some of the habitats we manage are particularly fragile, containing rare plants and wildlife, we respectfully ask that anyone looking to scatter ashes seek advice from the relevant regional office before doing so.
“If permission is granted to scatter ashes, we again respectfully ask that they are not left in a pile.
“This will ensure no one else comes into contact with the ashes and will minimise any impact on the soil.”
What does the law say about scattering ashes?
There are no UK-wide laws against scattering ashes, but permission from the landowner is required for public or private land, and environmental guidelines must be followed.
Landowner’s permission: You need permission from the landowner for scattering ashes on private land, including farmland and beaches. Ask permission from the local council if it is public land like a park.
Your own land: You can scatter ashes on your own land.
Environmental guidelines: Avoid scattering ashes within one kilometre (0.6 miles) of a drinking water supply and be mindful of sensitive areas like marinas, fishing spots, or nature reserves.
Respect for others: Sepa suggests that when scattering ashes in a public place like a beach or park, consider other users and choose a quiet time of day , while Forestry and Land Scotland ask people not to leave piles of ashes.
Local authorities: Check with your local authority for specific bylaws or guidelines in certain areas, such as national parks or coastal zones.
A hamlet of restored rural buildings in the Ortolo valley in Corsica reopened in June as A Mandria di Murtoli. Guests can stay in a former sheepfold, stable or barn, or one of five rooms in the main house. Three of the smaller properties have private pools, all rooms have terraces and there is a big shared pool. The buildings have been refurbished by Corsican craftspeople in a minimalist Mediterranean style, using local materials.
The neighbouring farm has also been revived around a model of subsistence farming: raising livestock, market gardening and growing traditional crops. The restaurant serves Sardinian-influenced food made with the ingredients grown on the estate and sourced from other local farms. There are just 30 seats, some on a terrace with a fire pit under olive and orange trees.
The hamlet is part of the wider Domaine de Murtoli, which has three other places to eat – a traditional Corsican restaurant, a beachfront spot and the Michelin-starred La Table de la Ferme – and offers wine-tasting. It is about 9 miles north to Sartène, an ancient hill town, a few miles south to Erbaju beach, and a little further to the fortress town of Bonifacio. Doubles from £229 B&B, amandriadimurtoli.com
Rastrello, Umbria, Italy
A meal at Rastrello in Umbria, a boutique hotel in a 500-year-old palazzo
This boutique hotel is set in the renovated remains of a 500-year-old palazzo, surrounded by its own olive groves (which are hand-raked at harvest time; rastrello means rake in Italian). The palazzo is in the medieval village of Panicale, above Lake Trasimeno. This summer, the hotel opened a new garden annex, increasing the rooms from nine to 16, plus a dipping pool and wellness area. Rooms have wooden floors, stone walls and beams; some have lake views and balconies.
The restaurant, Cucina & Giardino, serves the farm’s award-winning extra-virgin olive oil, ingredients from its organic vegetable gardens and surrounding producers, and Umbrian wines. It has a terrace overlooking the lake and its own cookbook, also featuring villagers’ recipes. Guests can take olive oil-tasting workshops and cooking classes, and go on truffle-hunting walks and wine-tasting tours. The homegrown produce is also used in the spa treatments, with scrubs made from olive oil and crushed olive stones mixed with herbs and citrus, and in herbal teas such as lavender, lemon balm and wildflowers.
Panicale has a grape festival in September. There is a 40-mile walking and cycling path around the lake, which is the fourth biggest in Italy, with cafe stops at waterfront towns such as Passignano. Perugia, the capital of Umbria, is about 35km away – it has an enormous chocolate festival in November. Doubles from £240 B&B, rastrello.com
Sibbjäns, Gotland, Sweden
Sibbjäns, on Gotland, is a foodie hotspot and has a yoga bar, outdoor gym and a natural pool. Photograph: Mike Karlsson Lundgre
This small, family-run farm on the southern tip of Gotland opened a farm‑to-fork restaurant and hotel this summer. Guests stay in the 19th-century farmhouse, which has nine bedrooms, a library, a natural pool and a garden; there are simpler rooms in the adjacent farmstead. By next summer, there will be a sauna, outdoor gym and yoga barn. Visitors can help harvest tomatoes, learn about organic growing and composting, and meet the resident rabbits, chickens, pigs and sheep.
The restaurant serves a four-course set menu year-round and an additional a la carte menu in summer, featuring the farm’s own vegetables, meat and berries, plus local cheese and seafood. Dishes might include kohlrabi with lumpfish roe and a dill and butter sauce; grilled lamb with leeks, legumes and fresh garlic; and raspberries with emmer sponge cake and marigold ice-cream.
Gotland is a foodie hotspot whose specialities include saffron pancakes with dewberry jam, black truffles and purple asparagus, and juniper-flavoured ale. There is a food festival in late September and a truffle festival each November; microbreweries and a vineyard to visit; and more excellent restaurants such as Lilla Bjers, about 4 miles (7km) south of medieval Visby, the capital. The island has sandy beaches, sea stacks, ivy forests and more than 100 nature reserves. Doubles from £210 B&B, dinner £62pp, sibbjans.se
Stone Barn, County Cork, Ireland
Breakfast at Stone Barn, a B&B with strong Nordic influences
A restored farm building near Skibbereen in West Cork is now a small B&B with two double bedrooms and a converted wagon. The co-owner, Stuart Kearney, is from Northern Ireland but trained as a chef in Stockholm and serves Nordic‑influenced Irish food. Breakfast could be freshly baked bread and pastries, porridge with whiskey-soaked prunes, and home-smoked bacon with eggs laid by his own hens. Kearney cooks a seven-course tasting menu (every night except Wednesdays and Sundays) showcasing his own vegetables and produce from neighbours and local farmers. The menu changes daily but could include Skeaghanore duck breast or miso-cured cod.
The rooms also have a Scandi style; there is a cosy sitting room with a wood burner; and a hot tub. Guests can take walks along the Sheep’s Head Way, and Kearney can recommend cycling routes. Skibbereen, a 12-minute drive away, has pubs and restaurants, a Saturday market and Fields, which opened in 1935 and is said to be the best supermarket in Ireland. Just beyond is Lough Hyne, a salt-water lake – its bioluminescent algae can be seen on a night kayaking trip. Other day trip options include nearby fishing villages such as Baltimore, which has ferries to Sherkin Island and Cape Clear Island. Doubles from £142 B&B, dinner £65pp, sawdays.co.uk
Quinta Camarena is an eco retreat that reflects its owners’ backgrounds in the visual arts
Vera and Cam Camarena have turned a farmhouse in Cercal, a coastal town in Costa Vicentina, south-west Portugal, into an eco retreat. They have backgrounds in fashion (Vera, from Porto) and photography (Cam, from Los Angeles), and the restoration looks great: original features, calming colour schemes and locally made textiles and artworks. Food and wine is part of the package – the couple serve healthy brunches and dinners made with Alentejo produce, run cheese- and jam-making workshops and cooking classes, and organise visits to artisanal bakeries, wineries, organic farms and local markets. They also run a three-night sustainable food and wine retreat, and a “not so serious” surf, yoga and wine retreat.
The newest rooms are in the forest, a few minutes’ walk away from the communal areas, and are multilevel with terraces for sunset views. There are also rooms and apartments in the old country houses; the whole property sleeps 23 (no children under 12) and is pet-friendly.
There are gardens with vegetable plots; a pool, gym, yoga studio and sauna; and hiking trails. Cercal is a short walk away, and it is a 15-minute drive to surf beaches. Lisbon is two hours by car. Doubles from £95 B&B, quintacamarena.com
Penrhiw Farm, Pembrokeshire
The farm’s four bedrooms feature furniture repurposed from London’s Dorchester hotel
Chef Alan Latter was born and raised on Penrhiw Farm, near Goodwick in north Pembrokeshire, and, after years working in hotels and restaurants, he has returned to run the farm with his partner, Philip. The 17th-century farmhouse is now a four-bedroom B&B, and there is a glamping option in a converted horsebox.
Latter cooks a Welsh breakfast every morning, and offers a fixed two-course kitchen supper every other evening (May to September; on request, October to April). Ingredients are homegrown or locally sourced, including vegetables from the garden; eggs, milk and cheese from the 80-hectare (200-acre) organic farm; and Pembrokeshire meat and seafood.
The menu changes daily – perhaps hake fillet with a herb crust, crushed peas, runner beans, pommes anna and hollandaise sauce, followed by a vanilla Basque cheesecake with blood orange and rhubarb compote. There is a small selection of wines and Welsh beers, or guests are welcome to bring their own.
The rooms are furnished with furniture repurposed from the Dorchester hotel in London, and decorated with Welsh artworks, blankets and ceramics. The big sitting room has an open fire and lots of books, there are beautiful gardens and the farm is on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Sustainable energy comes from an air-source heat pump, solar panels and a wind turbine. Doubles from £115 B&B, dinner £28pp, penrhiwfarm.co.uk
Syria’s foreign minister accuses Israel of violating a 1974 agreement to advance its ‘expansionist and partition plans’.
Syria has condemned a new “military incursion” by Israel in the southwestern Damascus countryside area outside the capital, calling it a “grave threat to regional peace”, in the wake of the two sides recently holding talks in Paris on de-escalating the conflict in southern Syria.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani accused Israel on Monday of violating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement by establishing intelligence facilities and military posts in demilitarised areas to advance its “expansionist and partition plans”.
Al-Shaibani made the remarks at an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) foreign ministers to discuss Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
The latest Israeli military action in Syria follows deadly clashes in the Druze-majority Syrian province of Suwayda, where a week of sectarian violence in July killed 1,400 people before a ceasefire put an end to the bloodshed. Israel carried out strikes on Syrian troops and also bombed the heart of the capital, Damascus, under the pretext of protecting the Druze.
Al-Sharaa will be first Syrian leader to address UNGA
In the meantime, it was announced that Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa will speak at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, the first Syrian leader to do so in decades, as the nation seeks to rebuild and reengage with the international community after 14 years of ruinous civil war and the fall of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad.
In the more than 50 years that the al-Assad dynasty ruled Syria, neither Hafez al-Assad nor his son, Bashar, ever addressed the annual gathering of world leaders in New York.
“He will be the first Syrian president to speak at the United Nations since former President Nureddin al-Atassi (in 1967), and the first Syrian president ever to take part in the General Assembly’s high-level week,” scheduled for September 22-30, a Syrian official told the AFP news agency on Monday.
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria [Khalil Ashawi /Reuters]
Al-Sharaa, who took power in December after leading rebels on a lightning advance to Damascus that toppled al-Assad, remains under UN sanctions and a travel ban due to his past as a fighter, and must request an exemption for all foreign trips.
In April, al-Shaibani addressed the UN for the first time and raised his country’s new flag at the body’s New York headquarters.
Since taking power, Syria’s new authorities have gained regional and international support, both diplomatic and financial, securing critical economic lifelines to reconstruct the devastated country.
Damascus signed 12 agreements worth $14bn this month, including a $4bn agreement with Qatar’s UCC Holding to build a new airport and a $2bn deal to establish a subway in Damascus with the national investment corporation of the United Arab Emirates.
Al-Sharaa met United States President Donald Trump in May in Saudi Arabia, a week after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on his first trip to the West.
They will be the first to take place under the country’s new authorities after the fall of al-Assad. One-third of the 210 seats will be appointed by al-Sharaa, with the rest to be elected.
