We arrived late the night before, following a busy week-long work trip in London, having retreated to the Cotswolds for some much-needed respite. A reconditioned 1950s milk float welcomes us and takes us through the grounds to our lakeside timber cabin.
Set within 100 acres of rolling countryside, on the outskirts of the tranquil town of Chipping Norton, Soho Farmhouse offers us a much-needed escape.
Inside we’re met with the familiarity of home comforts and ambient lighting casting a warm glow on the furnishings around the room. Soft radio plays from the Marshall speaker rested on the desk.
We awake the next day to a typically grey English morning, we sink into the deep armchairs around the log burning stove and wait for the morning fog to clear outside. We share crumbling pastries and sipped coffee, our mugs filled high with the fresh milk retrieved from the doorstep.
Mint-coloured push bikes, two pairs of wellington boots and glass bottled milk with a handwritten dated swing tag sit at the entrance to our cabin.
As the haze clears and the sun streams over the veranda into our wooden-clad kitchenette, we opt for one last caffeine fix before swapping our socks for wellies in preparation for an afternoon of exploration around the grounds.
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
On our gentle pedal around the estate, we pass other like-minded cyclists also ambling along the wide paths and surrounding pastures. The boating lake is a welcome pitstop, we pause and perch on our saddles watching as the rowing boats bob at the edge of the water.
As the afternoon sun begins to drop, we pedal back along the trail in search of the warmth of our cabin.
Back in the cosiness of our cabin, we take a well-deserved rest underneath the wooden beams as gentle jazz dances around the room.
We manage to indulge in an hour of reading by the flickering embers of the fire before changing attire for our dinner reservation. Popping on our knits, we brace the short walk over to the main barn, the heart of the estate, easily recognisable by the hum of activity and warm glow emanating from the windows.
The main barn is a vast space with brick walls, armchairs, open fires and all-day dining. The soft clattering of cutlery and muffled discussions is a warm welcome as we pass under the giant shades above, past the central cocktail island and up to our table located on one of the two mezzanines.
Although tempted by the famous Mac n Cheese, a roast dinner is the decider for our Sunday, washed down effortlessly with a glass or two of Rioja. The hands of the central clock wind closer to twelve and so we retire from our nightcap by the farms main fireplace, bundling up back in our room for the night.
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