Last Sunday my mum and I hot footed it to the station to catch our train to Cheltenham so we could visit the wonderful Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds. We stayed for two nights at the gorgeous manor house in a little village called Cowley to celebrate a special birthday my mum recently enjoyed (it rhymes with nifty guys!) On arrival we were greeted with hot towels and shot glasses full of traditional lemonade. As we were full of excitement for the break we arrived well before the 3pm check in time so we thought it would be rude not to participate in afternoon tea, with a glass of champagne naturally. Cowley Manor is steeped in history, built in 1855 the manor was once owned by Sir James Horlick of the popular malted hot drink company. Lewis Carroll was even said to have been inspired by Cowley Manor and it's grounds to write his classic, Alice in Wonderland.

After a perusal of the beautiful manor house, the juxtaposition of Grade II tradition combined with the modern decor is like no other, we made our way over to the stable block where our room was waiting. My was it worth the wait! The mini town house room I chose with my mum in mind was set over three floors- a living room on the ground, a bathroom on the first and the bedroom on the top. All around the room were quirky touches from chupa chup lollies to a huge DVD and CD catalogue to full size Green & Spring bathing products which are made with spring water from Cowley Manor.










On settling into our mini town house we did what any self respecting women staying in a manor house would do....hit the spa and village shop! The village shop at Cowley is like no other stocking everything from J Brand jeans, Equipment shirts, Anya Hindmarch bags to Heidi Klein bikinis, you certainly need to be restrained when saving for a house or just get your credit card at the ready! The shop is run by the most delightful yet stylish woman who has ensured anything from gifts to children's ware can be easily purchased. 

Once we made a mental list of everything we wanted we made our way over to the C-Side spa and found ourselves swimming in the outdoor heated pool whilst it was raining- definitely a must experience. Inside the spa the modern aesthetic continues with changing rooms full of Elnett hairspray (great idea), a sauna, a steam room and another huge indoor heated pool. During our stay my mum and I enjoyed a massage each and I also went for an Essie pedicure. Even during your treatment the attention to detail doesn't end with the therapist asking you which music you'd like to listen to, choices ranged from Goldfrapp to Norah Jones and Coldplay (I went with Goldfrapp!)

Although the weather wasn't exactly the best during our stay we wanted to make the most of the beautiful grounds Cowley Manor is set in. We borrowed Hunter wellies from outside the reception and with huge black golfing umbrellas in hand we went to explore. The grounds are bloomin beautiful full of secret gardens, hidden lakes and even a 12th century church called St Mary's and all housed in the 55 acres. I bet Cowley Manor would be the perfect setting for a wedding. When the rain continued to persist we'd chill in our townhouse or relax in the main house playing pool or one of the many board games on offer, anyone for Cluedo?







When Tuesday finally reared it's ugly head I felt incredibly sad to have to leave Cowley Manor and if i'm honest I was already envisaging my next visit, probably with the boy- I'm sure he'd love it as much as me. Feeling suitably relaxed and about half a stone heavier (the food is out of this world) we packed up our bags and headed to the station to begin our journey home.

 If you're after a completely chilled out and relaxing get-away-from-everything break then Cowley Manor is your man and the beauty of English country breaks is you can visit all year round. Whether you choose to snuggle up in front of one of the log fires in Winter or enjoy a picnic in the Spring, Cowley Manor is the perfect destination. Just don't forget your Barbour!