Itinerary
Day 1
After a transfer arranged by us from the Oxford train station, you’ll arrive at our chic design boutique hotel on the high street of a great little town in the Cotswolds.
Next, we’ll get to know each other and go over logistics for the week while chatting and sipping drinks. B and Eva will have a thoughtfully curated gift bag in hand for each of you.
Afterwards, B will take us on a stroll to familiarize us with “our” little town, including visits to a 12th century church and a peacefully meandering river.
After a little free time to rest and freshen up, we’ll eat a simple supper of flatbreads, salads, and wine on the terrace downstairs.
Day 2
This morning, as with every morning of the trip, a delicious English breakfast (along with other options!) will be waiting for you downstairs.
Then we’ll get a private tour of an Arts & Crafts English manor that’s been cared for by the same family for 5 generations. It’s one of the last country houses to be built and furnished in the old traditional style when everything was done by hand with local stone, local timber and local craftsmen.
Next, we’ll experience the charm of a hearty lunch and a pint in a local pub.
In the afternoon, we’ll tour a 7 acre garden that’s been elegantly designed to combine formal elements like a box parterre and croquet lawn with a wildly romantic wildflower meadow and orchard. To top it all off? Tea and cake in the garden. We’re living the dream!
For supper tonight, we’ll change it up with the flavorful cuisine at a lovely local Indian restaurant.
Day 3
Today we’ll have the immense privilege of spending the day with a renowned local artist, who also happens to be a very charming host.
First up, he’ll take us to the home of William Morris, the legendary Arts & Crafts era artist and designer. We’ll tour the home, learn about this fascinating artist, and soak in all the beauty.
Next, we’ll head to our local artist’s home for a light lunch in the garden.
After lunch, we’ll take a botanical drawing workshop that will get our creative juices flowing (all drawing levels welcome, of course!)
Then we’ll have a chance to peruse all of our local host’s beautiful designs, books, and original art——the perfect place to look for unique gifts and souvenirs to take home.
Before supper, we’ll tour our host’s garden (this is the Cotswolds after all! ;) and have a chance to relax in the beguiling world he’s created there.
To end this very special day, we’ll sit down to cocktails and supper in the garden. What a treat!
Day 4
Today, we’ll begin with a floral arranging workshop with a local gardener. The blossoms will all come from her very own cutting garden, which we’ll have a chance to see firsthand.
Next, we’ll eat a farm fresh lunch on a stunning property in the countryside.
This afternoon we’ll head to a nearby village that’s known for its antiques shops. Never a by Design trip without a bit of treasure hunting! Whether you’re on the lookout for a certain kind of English pottery, a brass lamp fit for Downton Abbey, or an engraving of the local countryside, chances are you’ll find it here.
After a bit of free time at the hotel to rest and freshen up, it’s off to an art exhibition by a talented English sculptor who just so happens to be B’s sister! What a delightful chance to get to meet and hear her story, while taking in her lyrical creations. The gallery will be open just for us and this special event, which will include tasty canapés and drinks.
Day 5
Oh, today is a fun one! We’ll get our hands dirty at a local organic farm as we learn how to cook a fresh, British style summer meal, using produce from the garden on site. As part of the workshop, we’ll have a private tour of the garden, get a folder of recipes to take home, and of course sit down to enjoy the fruits of our labors.
After our workshop, we’ll have time to visit the farm’s fantastic shop that’s a weekend destination for posh Londoners.
After heading back to our own lovely village, we’ll have free time for the rest of the day to explore all it has to offer.
Day 6
This morning, we’ll have free time to get pack and/or explore the town one more time.
From there, we’ll continue on to a summer lunch in the garden room of a beautiful country estate.
Next, we’ll have a chance to go on a private tour of the hidden garden, which has been created over the course of 40 years. Weeping mulberry trees, fountains, magnolias, a pond, and even a canal have been carefully added and nurtured over the years to glorious effect.
For our final visit of the trip, we'll explore a world famous Arts and Crafts-inspired garden made by the same designer who created Serre de la Madone in Menton, France. It’s known for lovely, intimate “garden rooms” created around the centuries-old house.
Tonight we’ll enjoy dinner and drinks around a communal table, watching as locally sourced meats and vegetables are cooked on the open grill. As we say our goodbyes, you might be surprised at how much we’ve all bonded over the course of the week——there really is a special alchemy that happens on these trips, and it’s always a little bittersweet to go our separate ways.
Day 7
As with every other morning of our trip, a beautiful breakfast spread will be waiting downstairs. We’ll come away feeling inspired and replenished for whatever comes next!
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Eva Jorgensen reserves the right to change the itinerary because of local schedules, weather, or if something new and delightful becomes available.
If you have any food allergies, please let us know as soon as you apply so we can make arrangements to accommodate you as best we can. Reach out to hello@evajorgensen.com with any questions.
