Escape to the Costwolds

The half term holiday heralds a few days off for S and an opportunity for us to escape from home, emails and work to a little bolthole where we can hide for a few days.

In the past week or so we have, very excitedly, booked a few international getaways; but for this week we have secured ourselves a lovely little cottage nestled away in the Costwolds.

This is Peter's Nest. It is hidden away in the top corner of Owlpen Manor Estate, in the village of Owlpen, just between Stroud and Dursley. It is the sort of place which you will get lost en route to if you rely on satnav alone. Trust me, I found that out the hard way.

The estate itself is a rolling landscape of fields and woods, still overseen by Sir Nicholas and Lady Mander.

While the building work on the neighbouring house is not quite the picture of rural tranquility, Peter's Nest is still a beautiful spot from which to explore and just enjoy a few days breathing in the country air.

So yesterday, we did just that.

The rolling countryside brings to life the clichéd "green and pleasant land" and (so far) the efforts of Storm Dudley have not impacted too much on our peace and quiet - though these streams are a little more full than normal, I suspect.

But that just makes the walking (and wading) that much more exciting.