Woody and I rarely leave Cornwall. With so many beaches, woodlands and walks to explore here, there’s plenty of adventures to keep us occupied! Nevertheless, we recently took a trip up country. Our fluffy friend Marcel le Corgi invited us to join him for a few days in The Cotswolds, an opportunity we simply couldn’t refuse!
DOGSCLOSURE: Marcel le Corgi invited us to join him on his trip with Log House Holidays and Visit Wiltshire. We received a complimentary stay at Log House Holidays, along with a tour with Anne from Tour and Explore in return for this blogpost.
We stayed in a beautiful Scandanavian cabin at Log House Holidays in Pool Keynes. Moondara boasts 4 double bedrooms, 3 bath rooms, a private beach and jetty overlooking the lake. A 19 ft Irish row boat, along with paddle boards, kayaks and bicycles were all at our disposal, along with a hot tub for the humans heated all year round. Log House Holidays pride themselves on their sustainability, using renewable energy sources including their own solar tracking station and heat pumps based on the lake.
The cabins are situated on one of the many lakes in Cotswold Water Park. The area is rich in Cornbrash gravel, a mixture of sand, limestone and clay. The gravel deposits have been extracted in the area for over 50 years, with natural water refilling the lakes once the process is complete. The owners of Log House Holidays continue to work hard to maintain their local ecosystem. Since purchasing the 130 acre lake in 1980 they have planted over 44,000 trees and became a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1993 thanks to its unusual flora and fauna.
The Thames Path was high on our agenda and one of the first walks we explored with Marcel. Admittedly, I never knew the Thames stretched so far west. I always thought its source was somewhere in Oxford but what do I know?! The Thames Head is actually located in Trewsbury Mead, a 10 minute drive from Log House Holidays!
The boys enjoyed splashing in the river, as we walked. The water was incredibly clear, so far removed from the Thames in London I grew up with! The walk took us through a few farmer’s fields, one of which was full of sheep. It’s safe to say the dogs were securely on their leads when while we passed!
We stopped of at The Wild Duck Inn in Ewen for a bite to eat. The pub was highly recommended by the owners of Log House Holidays and rightly so! The food was delicious, with plenty of choices on the menu. The dogs enjoyed drying off by the open log fire, while waiting for our food. Of course Woody couldn’t help but taste test my burger with me, quality control and all that…
The Thames Path was well signposted, however we did get a little lost on the way back. That might have something to do with us walking home in the dark though, thank goodness for phone torches! It’s also a great place for Geocaching, with plenty of logbooks hidden throughout the route. If you’re exploring the path during winter, we highly recommend wearing wellies, as it gets very muddy in places!
As part of our trip, we were treated to a tour of South Cerney, a small village 3 miles from Cirencester. This was Woody and I’s first trip to The Cotswolds and I was excited to see the traditional cottages for myself. Cotswold Stone is a golden Jurassic limestone. In Cornwall, we’re used to granite cottages, which are usually grey. You can’t help but smile when you’re surrounded by a beautiful village!
Anne, our tour guide, took us on a walking tour from Bulrushes to Bow Wow. We followed alongside the canal, spotting remnants of the old railway as we walked. Marcel even visited a Norman church in the village. Woody was far too soggy after swimming in the river Churn, so we waited patiently outside.
Another pub we visited and highly recommend is The Potting Shed in Malesbury. It’s very dog friendly, with old Bonio and Sprat metal signage on display as you walk in. Naturally we chose a table close to the log burner and enjoyed a tasty 3 course meal.
On our last day Woody and I decided to take a mini road trip. The weather wasn’t the best but I was eager to explore more of The Cotswolds before heading back to Cornwall. We passed through Tetbury and Doughton before stopping off in Castle Combe for lunch. Woody enjoyed a walk on the bridleway above the village before jumping in the Bybrook river just as I was taking his photo. To think, this spaniel hated water a year ago!
We really enjoyed our trip to The Cotswolds. It was a great escape from the Duchy, only 3 and a half hours by car. I can’t wait to return to the area soon. We’ve already got our hearts set on exploring The Cotswold Way!
Have you visited The Cotswolds with your dog before? Where’s your favourite dog friendly holiday destination?
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Thanks for letting us see your trip to the Cotswolds, it looks lovely and I don’t know why we’ve not been there before. We’re going back to Deerpark in Cornwall again very soon, but maybe next time we’ll try the Cotswolds. Marcel is very cute, I haven’t met a pup like him since I was really young when we used to see one that was very similar but built more like a little coffee table 🙂
You’re more than welcome, we hope you enjoyed reading! Marcel is a lovely dog, him and Woody are great friends. Enjoy Deerpark, we hope you get up to all sorts of fun adventures!