The fun of the festive season may be behind us for another year (and probably fast becoming a distant memory) but there’s no need to despair! We can now look forward to the next memorable day on the calendar – Valentine’s Day.
It’s a saint’s day much loved (forgive the pun!) here in our part of the world, because it inevitably brings a dreamy weekend with couples of all ages wandering the local villages and walking trails hand in hand, with stars in their eyes. This year Valentine’s Day – February 14 – falls on a Friday, so we suggest you plan now to make a long weekend of it and head for the Cotswolds valleys for an idyllic romantic getaway.
Here at the Edgemoor Inn in the Painswick Valley we always make a special effort to welcome sweethearts with a snug table for two at any time of year, but of course on Valentine’s Day we try to make our home-cooked lunch and dinner menus exceptional and appropriate to the occasion.
Cotswolds Love Nest
A romantic, cosy cocktail and meal with us at the Edgemoor Inn is not all that’s on offer in this part of the world for Valentines, however. The natural beauty of the area is enough to inspire anyone to pen some poetry and propose over a picnic.
A favourite option for those seeking out a Cotswolds love nest is to hire a quaint honey-stone cottage in the bucolic Painswick Valley or the town itself – or why not try a spot of “glamping”? Explore the narrow streets, eclectic independent shops and art galleries and take a walk up to the Painswick Beacon to see the sunset.
Hearts and flowers definitely go together so there’s one experience you shouldn’t miss when you spend Valentine’s Day in the Painswick – a visit to the Painswick Rococo Garden.
Say it with Snowdrops
The flamboyant, frivolous and fantastical Rococo garden was designed and laid out in the 1700s for the year-round pursuit of leisure and pleasure, and its charm post-restoration in the 1980s hasn’t diminished.
Valentine’s Day is the ideal time to explore the Rococo Garden, not just because of its magical tranquillity and quirky surprises, but because it’s the height of the snowdrop season. Five million or more sensational snowdrops carpet the Garden in early February each year – 15 varieties in total. It’s definitely a sight to share with the one you love.
If the snowdrops inspire you to snuggle, you can take refuge in one of the garden’s follies, hide out in the hidden valley, get lost in the maze or wander off on a woodland walk.
Having consulted with Cupid, we’re bold enough to state that the Painswick Valley is a Cotswolds Valentine venue extraordinaire and we’re hoping to see plenty of cuddling couples here at the Edgemoor Inn in February! If you’re coming please book your table for two well in advance, because it tends to be full house on the big day.
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