Hey everyone, today I am back with a new travel series this time it’s a solo staycation in the Cotswolds. I had a week’s annual leave booked in September for a while so I decided to go glamping as I wasn’t comfortable going abroad just yet. I had never been to the Cotswolds so it was definitely on my list of places to visit here in the UK. I decided that I wanted to do this by myself instead of going with anyone as I just wanted to be able to do what I wanted when I wanted and not have to follow a schedule. Therefore, I was in charge of packing and making sure that I had everything that I would need.
Some of the main things that I packed are:
- Summer clothes but also some warmer ones as well
- A rain jacket
- A hat and scarf
- My laptop
- My vlogging camera
- Some magazines and books
- Some makeup (Which I never ended up using)
- Face masks (A very 2020 thing to say)
- Bathroom products
Although, quite a lot of the things I didn’t end up using I was glad that I packed it all as I wanted to be prepared for any situation. As I was staying in a glamping pod I knew that it wouldn’t be warm in the evenings so I made sure to pack lots of layers as well as clothing items if it rained during the day. The majority of the items I had at home so I mostly spent money on food & petrol as I had already paid for the accommodation.
The Cotswolds is about an hour and forty-five minutes from where I live and is mostly motorway so it was a really easy drive. I left my house at around 12pm as check-in was at 15:00pm but I wanted to stop off on the way to get some lunch and then pick up some food nearer to my accommodation before I checked in. I just stopped off at a petrol station and got a duck wrap with a smoothie as I wasn’t too hungry but I definitely needed to eat something.
The accommodation that I stayed at was the Notgrove Glamping Pods. Notgrove is based in the north of the Cotswolds. You can fit up to four people in the pods as the sofa turns into a bed as well however, I think two is enough as it’s quite small inside and the bathroom is even smaller. The pod I stayed in was called Periwinkle as they all have different names. Each pod has its own driveway and small garden space with a firepit. I paid extra for the firewood, bedding and towels, and kitchen package.
Each glamping pod comes with the following:
- Double bed and sofa bed
- En-suite shower and WC
- Kitchenette with fridge, microwave oven, and hob
- Flat-screen Freeview TV
- Dining table and chairs
- Outdoor seating and fire pit
- Heating, lighting, and electrical points
- Wi-Fi
- Kettle and Toaster
- Cutlery and cooking utensils
- Linen pack available at extra cost
However, when I went the wi-fi and heating were a bit temperamental unless I was just doing following the instructions wrong for the heater which is quite possible. My accommodation was £150 for the four nights and then the cooking pack was £35, the fire pack was £10, and the linen pack was £30.
The cooking pack included:
- 4 x mugs, glasses, tumblers
- 4 x cereal bowls, side plates, dinner plates
- 4 x knives, forks, dessert spoons, teaspoons
- 2 x microwave bowls, 1 x serving spoon, frying pan,
- Small saucepan, medium saucepan, colander,
- Chopping board, bottle opener, cooking spoon
- Vegetable peeler, scissors, masher, tin opener
- Large & small kitchen knives, tea towel, BBQ tong,
The linen pack included:
- 1 x double fitted sheet
- 1 x double duvet and cover
- 2 x pillows and covers
- 2 x large towels
- 2 x hand towels
The fire pack included:
- 1 x bag of logs
- 1 x bundle of kindling
- 1 x box of firelighters
- 1 x box of matches
After I arrived at the campsite I dropped off my things quickly and then headed to the nearest village where they had a big Co-Op. I had a few things that I needed to pick up as I mainly only brought with me cupboard bits and not any food that was fresh. I knew that I would be able to take anything that I didn’t finish with me back home so I wouldn’t be wasting anything. I just picked up a few basic things like milk, eggs, butter, bread, and then some things for dinner and for treats.
The glamping pods were situated in the Notgrove estate which is a small village. However, the company that runs the glamping pods is called Notgrove Holidays and they are a working farm. Directly opposite the glamping pods are various paddocks where they keep alpacas, cows, sheep, donkeys, pigs, and goats. It was so lovely to wake up each morning and go and visit the animals it sort of became a daily thing to do because it was just so lovely. The donkeys were my favourite as I just think they are such cute animals and you can actually pet them if they come up close enough to the fence.
As it was quite a long day with the drive I decided to make something quick and easy for dinner. I made myself a ham sandwich with some tomatoes, olives, crisps, and a creme caramel. It was quite hot that evening so I fancied a cold dinner as well which I could sit on the sofa and eat whilst looking out on to the beautiful view. One thing I loved immediately and grew to love even more was the view from my pod when the sun was setting it was just beautiful. For the rest of the evening, I tidied up the pod as it had gotten quite messy from where I had just dumped all of my things. I then settled down for the evening and watched some TV before heading to bed. My first day in the Cotswolds was a great one and I was very excited to see what the next few days would bring.
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