It’s not every day you’ll chance upon Simon Cowell and his son Eric feeding a capybara, but in the Cotswolds, with its many celebrity locals, anything can happen!
Sitting just above Moreton-in-Marsh high street, Siskin is a stylishly decorated apartment for four, and makes for a great weekend pad.
Plunge into the huge copper rolltop bath, then relax in the large lounge and kitchen.
With two double en-suites, both with rainfall showers, couples won’t feel on top of one another – though you will have to fight over that bath in the master bedroom…
Head downstairs for interiors inspo in the owners’ shop Cotswold Grey, then pop a couple of doors down for delicious sweetcorn and courgette fritters with halloumi, poached egg and chilli jam, £11, at No1 Cotswolds.
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There’s also great coffee and a nook stuffed with homewares to buy (No1cotswolds.co.uk).
Or grab a mega rhubarb-cream-filled croissant, £3.50, at artisan bakery Otis & Belle across the road.
You may even be lucky enough to pick up half-price sourdough on Sunday mornings (Otisandbelle.co.uk).
Then take a wander along the high street to stock up on local gems of gooey Rollright and Windrush Valley goat’s cheese, plus Pot Of What’s beetroot and orange chutney from The Cotswold Cheese Co, to really up your picnic game (Cotswoldcheese.com).
Tree-mendous trips
Batsford Arboretum is half an hour’s walk away, with a light-filled cafe serving treats such as spinach, potato and foraged wild garlic soup with focaccia, £9.50, plus the paninis are impressively big.
In its brilliant garden centre, we defy you not to find a plant pot you love, while there are more than 1,300 different species of trees to spot in the arboretum, including giant redwoods.
Entry costs £9 for adults, £3.15 for kids (Batsarb.co.uk).
Just next door is the Cotswold Falconry Centre with its characterful secretary birds and more breeds of owls than you probably knew existed.
It’s not huge, but it does have three engaging displays each day, where the birds of prey swoop from the sky and peck at snacks just steps away from your feet.
Adult tickets cost £12, kids’ cost £6 (Cotswold-falconry.co.uk).
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Really wild show
For more exciting animal adventures, Cotswolds Wildlife Park, a half-hour drive away, is home to an incredible number of species and a favourite with celebs.
Gary Barlow, Amanda Holden and David Beckham have all visited, not forgetting – while we were there – the aforementioned Mr Cowell.
Pull out a picnic on the bench overlooking the rhino paddock for an extra-special lunch view, and make sure you don’t miss the binturongs, AKA bear cats, with their unique scent that smells like buttered popcorn.
There’s also a miniature train to ride if you have little’uns, £2 per person, and a fantastic treehouse play area – but trust us, this place really is for big kids, too.
Entry costs £16 for adults and £11 for kids (Cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk).
Come Sunday, you’d do well to book a table at The Hare in Milton-under-Wychwood
It’s super-cosy, just as a good pub should be.
Dogs snooze under tables while you tuck into a mean venison, red wine and onion pie, £21, or a daily fish special shipped straight from the coast.
Plus they do great-value kids’ roasts for £9 (Themilton hare.co.uk).
Grab a seat, kick back and raise a spiced pear martini to our green and very pleasant land.
FYI
Stays at Siskin start from £150 a night, sleeping up to four (Luxurycotswoldretreats.com).
