JULY | Why we're moving back to the Cotswolds (!) plus a few of my favourite local spots if you're planning a visit
Second-hand interiors related inspiration, recommendations and maybe a purchase or two from the past month
Starting with a bit of a life update. The big news this month is that we’ve made the decision to move back to our house in the Cotswolds at the start of October, which we’ve been renting out for the past two years. The but (yes, there is a but), is that it will hopefully be a fairly temporary move as the plan is to sell up in the new year and buy in London. Are we crazy? Maybe…
I can’t say it’s been an easy decision by any means and I know that we’re far from the only ones struggling with the dilemma of whether to stick it out in London or commit to the alternative, whatever that may be. I’ve really enjoyed reading
’s articles for House & Garden about her (and her partner’s) conundrum on departing the city - the first one written in 2023 here and Eleanor’s recent follow up here. For some, including Eleanor, it’s not knowing what that alternative is that makes the move away even more of a quandary. For us, we lived that alternative reality for two years (from Oct 2020 - Feb 2023) before coming back to London for what will almost have been another two. We feel like we’ve been toying with two parallel existences but it’s got to the point now where we need to choose one.
There’s a world where we settle down in the Cotswolds, which on paper sounds idyllic, and a lot of it is admittedly wonderful - a lovely community of neighbours, ten minute commutes, family down the road, three bedrooms and a garden - and then there’s a world where we acknowledge that actually, committing to a life in the town we grew up in just doesn’t feel like the right path for us. That our friends are in London and even though it’s jaw-clenchingly expensive and will likely mean downsizing, in our heart of hearts it’s where we want to be.
Do we regret buying the house? Not at all. There were lots of things we really loved about living there. Yes it’s meant doing things in a bit of a weird order and logistically it’s definitely been more complicated - packing our furniture into storage for two years and more journeys up and down the M40 then I’d care to remember (even once we’d rented out the house) with work commitments back there and in London - but financially it’s been a good investment and we count our lucky stars to be on the property ladder at all. When we bought the house in 2020, right between lockdowns one and two, we couldn’t afford London but we could afford this run-down red-brick Victorian house, and being able to undertake a property renovation (with lots of family members close by willing to get stuck in too) meant realising a huge shared dream of ours. Plus, documenting the progress of our reno, the interiors of the house and everything we were sourcing second-hand is really what led me here. Would I be writing this newsletter if we hadn’t made that move - probably not.
So October will see us head back, four years (almost to the day) from when we first got the keys. I’m planning some newsletters where I’ll be revisiting some of the renovation/restoration work we did before and sharing our learnings, which included lots of second-hand sourcing and salvage yards. We’ll also be re-doing the bathroom before we move back in (it was the only thing that didn’t really need doing urgently plus we ran out of money before) - so I’ll probably share a bit about that too.
Although it’ll be bittersweet leaving London (again), I’m looking at it more like the first step in our journey back to being permanent city inhabitants. Plus I’m really looking forward to having a bit more space for a while, being reunited with our things and hunkering down in the country over winter with family.
Whilst we’re on the subject of the Cotswolds (and when I say the Cotswolds this is the very north-eastern edge of it), I had the pleasure of visiting one of my all time favourite haunts a few weeks back when I was staying with my parents. Worton Kitchen Garden is tucked away (on the edge of a business park actually which feels a bit like you’ve taken a wrong turn but you haven’t) just north of Oxford.
It’s essentially a low-key restaurant set within ‘a beautiful, slightly madcap cottage garden’ - their description not mine - but it sums it up perfectly and is the reason I love it so much, a total lack of pretence. The main indoor space is a glasshouse but ideally you want to sit on one of the tables dotted outside in the garden. They used to have a plentiful farmshop too but it looks as though they’ve dialled that down recently to create more restaurant space. Anyway, the food is delicious and hyper-seasonal with lots grown on site in their greenhouses and polytunnels.
They also host regular events and supper-clubs, and offer private hire. Do check it out if you’re in the area - lunch is delicious but it’s also a lovely spot for coffee and cake, or even just a glass of wine in the sun and a wander round the gardens.
If you do go, I would also recommend driving 5 minutes down the road to visit the antiques space at Yarnton Home & Garden - it’s one of those garden centres that no longer calls itself a ‘garden centre’, but there’s a separate large-ish antiques space. It’s a bit hit and miss but prices are decent (compared to a lot of other places in the area) and I’ve found the odd gem there.
And finally, if you’re not totally gardened out, while away the rest of the afternoon at Rousham House which is another 20 minutes drive away. The house is only open by appointment and there’s no cafe or tea room (or coach parking) meaning it’s not only beautiful but quiet and peaceful. If you haven’t lunched already, take a picnic in and sit for as long as you like in the beautiful Italian inspired ‘pleasure gardens’ designed by painter, stage designer and architect William Kent, which feature pools, cascades, statuary, and a seven arched colonnade. I’d recommend taking a pew in front of the colonnade where you can admire the River Cherwell meandering below. Then turn right and walk along the river back through the rambling walled gardens on the other side of the house.
If you’re looking for more Cotswolds tips or planning a visit to the area, check out fellow Substacker and Cotswolds dweller Katharine Sohn whose lovely newsletter Cherry Press is full of the best local recommendations, and has me genuinely excited to move back. Katharine also runs supper clubs, one of which I went to a few weeks back that she co-hosted with cook and writer
, having worked together last summer at Mèlisses on the Greek island of Andros. It was a (rare) balmy London evening so what with the fresh, delicious food and the warm breeze wafting through the windows, the two really conjured up a little slice of island magic.My second-hand purchases this month have been almost exclusively clothing. I’m still deep in my Vinted era and have found some really good things recently. Download the app if you haven’t already! Prices are so reasonable even once you’ve factored in postage. Two favourite finds this month include an amazing Liz Claiborne plaid skort (long live the skort) and a cute vintage floral cami.
And in case you didn’t see this listacle in Marie Claire, fashion editor Natalie Hughes recently shared all of her go-to online vintage stores. It’s a long list but well worth a peruse. I discovered lots of new names to bookmark - a few that really stood out included Atijo, Cheree Cheree and Kara Kroa.
This also feels like a good moment to acknowledge @secondbest_shop which I’ve completely neglected over the summer. I’ve been slowly stockpiling bits and pieces but in all honesty I completely underestimated what a time commitment sourcing on the reg would be. Even if you can make time to go fairs and car boots, there’s no guarantee of finding anything and I’ve just really struggled to find things of late. Got a few more sourcing opportunities coming up in August so I’m hoping to have new pieces to list soon…
I’ll leave it there for now. As always, thank you for reading. If you enjoyed it and have a minute, I would hugely appreciate a restack or a recommendation on Substack or your other socials so that new readers can find it too. This monthly round-up is free to read and can be accessed by sharing the link.
We’re off to Monmouthshire in Wales next weekend for a few days near Abergavenny - I’m hoping to swing by the Wednesday flea market (will report back) - before going onto Greenman festival. The forecast is saying light rain and drizzle so I suppose it could be worse! If you have any good Welsh recs or just general second-hand spots you’ve visited recently and would be happy to share or recommend to me/other readers, the comments on this post are open to everyone - I’d love to hear from you.
Until next time! R
Saved Worton Garden Kitchen and hope to visit soon! Thank you!
I've just seen this mention, thank you!!