July

Dates for your diary

Padel fit has dropped at Daylesford’s Bamford Club! Kick-start your mornings with high-energy cardio-driven drills, point play and expert coaching. Scheduled for the first Friday of the month, the next session takes place on Friday, 3 July. Each 1.5-hour session is limited to 12 players. Bookings open 12 days in advance via Nettla.co and cost £25 per person, including an organic breakfast roll and coffee. There’s no need to be a Bamford Club member to take part, email them directly to book your slot here. See you on the court!

Gather the family, pack a picnic and your pooch and head over to Cotswolds Lavender, to catch a glimpse of 45-impressive-acres of lavender in its full bloomin’ glory. Open every day from 11 June 10-5pm until 5 August. Adults £7.75, children £3.50, under 5s go free.

If this is up your street, do make note that on 18 July, the Summer Flower Fields at Cotswolds farm park open; pick your own wildflowers to take home and enjoy all week long. Open daily 2-6pm. Free entry on Wednesdays.

If you’re a keen watercolourist, Paul Weaver is running a 1-day painting masterclass on 8 July, in the beautiful Windrush Village. There’s only space for 11 in the class. £95 includes a delicious lunch and tea and cake in the former home of artist James Fletcher-Watson. Book your place here.

If that’s got you feeling creative, why not get your hands dirty at an introductory pot-throwing class at Honeybourne Pottery in Evesham? Designed for complete beginners, ages 7+, £65 pp for 1.5 hours, classes run Friday – Sunday. 

Because it’s very important to be good to yourself, book a restorative slot at Northleach’s Scenic Sauna. Do stay tuned with their online schedule of brilliant wellness events and workshops – they sell out fast. Post ommmm – why not treat yourself to a delicious al fresco dinner from the Wheatsheaf Inn’s new summer menu? The terrace was made for memorable sunshine-y evenings (just a 6-minute drive).

On Saturday, 18 July, be part of history and show up at the Stroud Country Show. Running since 1870, it’s a celebration of local community and tradition. You’ll find agricultural displays, live music, children’s entertainers, a funfair, birds of prey, a charity dog show, local food and drink, welly-wanging and brick throwin’ – £1 entry for adults, children go free. 

If you go down to the woods Daylesford today (18 July), you’ll never believe your eyes – Carole Bamford is having a Teddy Bear’s picnic from 10 to 230pm. Tickets from £35 – expect magic, crafts, storytelling and a delicious picnic, of course. Suitable for children up to 8 years old. To avoid disappointment, book well in advance here. 

July is peak strawberry season (yummy); Check out Primrose Vale PYO for daily crop updates and picking availability. Also, see Over Farm PYO – this family have been growing strawberries for over 35 years. Makes for a glorious afternoon for all. 

The long-running, FREE (!) volunteer-led arts and music festival, Charlbury Riverside Festival, draws in a low-key, culturally attuned crowd each summer. For its 30th year, you’ll find a host of live music acts across 18 & 19 July…Did we mention it’s FREE?

On 21 July, head over to Cowley Manor for an immersive sound bath meditation. If you’ve never tried it, we’d highly recommend. Promoting deep relaxation, stress relief, emotional balance and better sleep, the gentle sound vibrations help shift the brain to alpha/theta states. Accessible to all. The session is a glorious 45 minutes for £12. Book your space here.

If you’re a foodie, the Three Counties Food & Drink Festival will already be on your radar, bringing together TV talent and master-chefs galore for a fun-packed, learning and feasting extravaganza. 25-26 July. Get your tickets here. 

If you’re near Tetbury, do make a point of snaffling out The Egypt Mill. The 16th-century Inn, restaurant and bar is open to the public, and its secret waterside garden is a perfect spot for a peaceful tipple or two. Plus, on Sundays, there is live music from 4 to 6pm and sometimes a BBQ; check before you visit. Relaxed, family and dog friendly, it’s an ideal place to enjoy a summer’s afternoon.

Don’t forget!
Next month is Wilderness Festival – bringing global talent to the heart of the Cotswolds(!!) get your tickets here.