My weekend at a cosy National Trust cottage — in an underrated county

Times

23-05-2025

'Are we there yet?' I've stopped counting the number of times I've heard the question in the two hours since we got in the car. 'I'm bored,' my son says with a sigh. 'And I'm hungry,' my daughter adds.
We're on an early spring weekend away in rural Warwickshire. I am entertaining two generations: my mum, who is visiting from Sweden, and my kids, who are eight and six. Worms, mud and sticks for the children and flowers, long walks and birdsong for my mum: a countryside escape seems like the perfect way to please them all.
'Oh look,' my mum says. 'There it is!'
We're staying in a cottage on the grounds of Upton House and Gardens, which is run by the National Trust and is seven miles north of Banbury, in neighbouring Oxfordshire (adult £17, child £8.50, free for members; nationaltrust.org.uk). The National Trust has more than 500 lovely holiday rentals on its books these days, and throws in entry to all of its historic properties for the duration of your stay.
Warwickshire isn't quite your usual weekend destination but, unlike the nearby Cotswolds, which gets jammed with out-of-towners every Saturday and Sunday, its quiet and unassuming beauty makes it the perfect two-night break if you want to discover somewhere new.
First: lunch. As with most National Trust venues, there is a tearoom in the grounds. The Pavilion café is well stocked with soup, sandwiches and an array of cakes, scones and teas. My kids wolf down baked potatoes with beans while my mum and I enjoy the pea soup and a slice of ginger and parsnip cake, which is surprisingly delicious.
Bellies full, we decide to explore the grounds. Upton House is a long, low house built in the local yellow sandstone. It is mainly an art gallery, showcasing the fine collections of old masters including Bosch, El Greco and Canaletto. The property was acquired in 1927 by Lord and Lady Bearsted, a couple who frequently used their wealth for philanthropic purposes. The acquisition coincided with the Great Depression, when unemployment was high. Lord Bearsted wrote to the local village announcing that 'any man who presents himself at my house at 9am on Monday morning shall find work there'.
But while the house is impressive, it is the garden that is the real gem. Designed in the 1930s by Kitty Lloyd-Jones, one of the UK's first female professional horticulturalists, it includes a large lawn area with huge cedar trees, a terraced garden, a series of herbaceous borders and a lake — known as the mirror pool — with water lilies.
There is also a woodland walk, with plenty of logs to climb, balance on or trip over, and tunnels that lead you round and under the holly trees — the children's favourite part. 'Let's play tag,' they shout.
The gardens drop away steeply down a valley. A camera phone is essential and good walking boots would be an advantage; my trainers feel dangerously slippery at times.
With tired legs from all the walking, we head to our home for the next two nights: Bog Cottage. The grade II listed cottage, which was a banqueting house in the 18th century, is built into the wall of the Bog Garden, which used to be overgrown marshland.
As you approach the brick building looks modest, as most of the windows are facing the opposite side, but once inside the light flooding in and the high ceilings make it feel as if you're in a stately home. It is certainly much nicer than the name Bog would suggest. It's airy and cosy, with rustic floorboards, cream walls and chandeliers. The top floor has two bedrooms, the children's twin room with wrought-iron beds and a ceiling so high that you need a pole to open the windows, and a master bedroom next door.
• 26 of the UK's best beachfront cottages
Downstairs, there's a lounge and kitchen area with a fireplace. The real knockout is the four huge windows overlooking the Bog Garden. It's like a Turner painting: rolling hills, lush green plants, a gentle stream and magnolia trees that have just started to blossom.
On the other side of the cottage is a small private garden. The next morning it is warm enough for us to have breakfast there, listening to the sheep and lambs bleating in the field nearby. My son throws sticks, my daughter does cartwheels and my mum drinks coffee. Bliss.
Bog Cottage's location makes it ideal for day trips into this area's main attractions, so we hop in the car and head to Stratford-upon-Avon, a 25-minute drive to the northwest.
William Shakespeare, of course, hailed from this medieval market town with cobbled streets and Tudor houses, and it has plenty to see. You can get tickets that include access to Shakespeare's Birthplace, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Shakespeare's New Place (adults from £15, children from £7.50; shakespeare.org.uk). My mum, a history buff, is in heaven, while the gift shop proves a big hit with the kids. I'm forced to shell out for pens and child-friendly Shakespeare adaptations. 'Romeo and Juliet kissed the first time they met,' my daughter says, blushing.
We have lunch at Lambs, on Sheep Street, one of the oldest buildings in the town (mains from £18.75; lambsrestaurant.co.uk). The seared scallop special looks tempting but we settle on garlicky moules marinière and the locally sourced rack of Cotswold lamb with dauphinoise potatoes. A 30-minute boat trip down the river finishes off our day nicely (£11 adult, £7 child; avon-boating.co.uk).
• 20 of the UK's most luxurious lodges
On our final morning there isn't a cloud in the sky so, to make the most of it, we stop at Blenheim Palace, a 40-minute drive south in Woodstock. There is a children's adventure garden, maze, miniature train and, of course, the palace itself. (£41 adult, £24 child; blenheimpalace.com). The children get soaked running through the water jets at the adventure playground, persuade my mum to buy them souvenirs and take turns getting lost in the maze.
In the car back to London, they keep on asking the same question over and over. But this time it's a different question and my mum chimes in too: 'When are we going back?' Soon, I promise. Johanna Noble was a guest of the National Trust, which has four nights' self-catering from £524 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
By Siobhan Grogan
Set in Wicken Fen, the National Trust's oldest nature reserve, this picture-book semi-detached cottage is paradise for wildlife watchers, cyclists and tranquillity seekers. It has two bedrooms in soothing shades of grey-green and sunny yellow, a new kitchen and bathroom, and a private garden. The adjoining cottage, which sleeps two, can be booked with it to cater for a bigger group. There are 2,000 acres of rambling reserve on the doorstep, populated by more than 9,000 species, including Konik ponies and owls, plus 25 miles of the National Cycle Network Route 11 run nearby. Wicken Village is about a five-minute walk and Cambridge is less than an hour's drive away.Details Three nights' self-catering for four from £455 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
Cosy up in this cute-as-a-button stone cabin from the 1800s, once home to the reputed smuggler Tom Parsons and his family. It has one snug bedroom in coastal white and blue, an open-plan living space with a wood burner and sea views, and a garden. Beachfront locations don't come much better than this, smack bang on the South West Coast Path and overlooking one of Cornwall's most beautiful beaches, the sandy Constantine Bay. The shops, acclaimed restaurants and bustling harbour of Padstow are a 20-minute drive away. Act fast if you fancy it because it's already booked for most of 2025.Details Three nights' self-catering for two from £715 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
Only 130 metres from the western shore of Windermere, this one-bedroom ground-floor apartment is a homely retreat after days spent exploring nearby National Trust properties such as Wray Castle and Tarn Hows. Although contemporary inside, it's set within a traditional cottage that was once the laundry for the Belle Isle Estate, the private island in the middle of the lake. There's great accessibility throughout, with wide doorways, an adapted shower room and height-adjustable kitchen facilities, plus a patio area with open countryside beyond. The ferry to Bowness-on-Windermere is half a mile away for restaurants and pubs.Details Three nights' self-catering for two from £454 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
There's space for the whole family in this smart five-bedroom home, which combines a cottage and former dairy with an enclosed garden and all-hours access to the National Trust's 18th-century walled Weir Garden. Downstairs there's a pastel-coloured living room with a vaulted ceiling and a wood burner, plus one accessible bedroom. The large kitchen has worktops made of salvaged Welsh slate, and a dining table for ten. Two upstairs bedrooms have ensuites and there are two family bathrooms to minimise morning squabbles. You can reach Weir's ten acres of gardens and parkland through a private gate, to enjoy easy walks, Roman ruins and a riverside picnic area. Details Three nights' self-catering for ten from £650 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
You'll feel (almost) like lord or lady of the manor when you stay at this lodge at the entrance to the grand 18th-century mansion Attingham Park, near Shrewsbury. The gatehouse is a touch smaller, with a contemporary, cream kitchen and an open-plan sitting and dining room. A steep staircase leads to one double and one twin bedroom. There's an enclosed garden, but you'll also have any-time access to Attingham's 200 acres of parkland, where there are walking trails, woodlands, a deer park and the River Tern (canoes can be hired during the summer) — plus free entry to the elegant regency-era mansion.Details Two nights' self-catering for two from £385 (nationaltrust.org.uk)