Postcards: Cotswolds
Daylesford, Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and everywhere in between.
Welcome to Postcards, the photography and travel side of Sunday Scaries. After upgrading my film camera in 2023, film has overtaken my iPhone as my camera of choice. Here you’ll find photos from travels, home, and anywhere in between. To see more, check out the Postcards section of this Substack.
You never want a long drive after a wedding. But when your destination is the picturesque Cotswolds countryside, it makes things far easier to digest.
For three nights, we’d be staying at Daylesford Farm — a working organic farm turned boutique hotel that had everything we’d need at our fingertips. It had been atop my list of places to visit for the last few years while toying with an England trip, and being able to stay there in an old pottery studio was a dream.
In an effort to slow down after a busy 24 hours in London followed by a late-night wedding celebration, it offered everything we could’ve imagined for an ideal Sunday: a market where we bought food to cook that night, a fireplace with extra wood around the corner, and a selection of locally-made beer that I tasted my way through during that night’s World Cup matches.
As you’ll see from the film, our stay was filled with everything you’d want out of a visit to the Cotswolds: cozy pubs, picturesque gardens, incredible food, long walks, and plenty of time to breathe in the fresh English air.
For some photos that didn’t make this edition of Postcards, I also put a few others on Instagram.
Outside of the time we spent at our cottage in Daylesford, we also took several quick day trips to neighboring towns and villages. The first on my list was Burford, a place I stayed with my family when I was in fifth grade. While there was nothing in particular about Burford that I was yearning to see again, I really just wanted to feel the nostalgia of returning so many years later.
After wandering around, feeding some ducks, and buying a new book to start on the trip, the nostalgia was felt in full-force.
Each night, we’d try to walk around the area near wherever we ate dinner. One of my favorites was Stow-on-the-Wold. With an influx of travelers in the area, we found that post-dinner walks were the best way to see new areas. Fewer people, better light, and a more local feel. If you ever visit during a similar time, I would highly recommend that strategy.
The one day trip we did was to the very-busy Bourton-on-the-Water. While I’m glad we still did it, we probably should have deployed the post-dinner strategy here more than anywhere. With bridges going over the river that runs through the town, it was incredibly busy compared to everywhere else we jaunted to.
And finally, our closing ceremonies — The Three Horseshoes in Asthall. It was a windy drive there due to a missed turn, but those drives were some of my favorites. Once we arrived, we found ourselves with a somewhat ideal pub scenario: a bit of rain, a cozy corner table, and some of my favorite food we ate throughout the trip. While I don’t have any specific reasoning behind it being my favorite pub of the trip, it soon turned into just that.
Admittedly, I had built up our Cotswolds leg of the trip in many ways. I wanted it to feel like when I was there with my family in 5th grade — and in a lot of ways, it did.
On our final drive back to Daylesford, I put on a playlist that I’d deem “dangerous” for situations like that. Filled with several songs that tug at my heart strings, I found myself getting a bit misty eyed while Sally drove us through the countryside.
It was a place I didn’t want to leave. But also a place that I can guarantee a return to.
Love 🥹
I absolutely love this series. Thanks for sharing!