Tour de Cotswolds
the Calcot Collection, in the sleepy Cotswolds village of Painswick, near Stroud.
The hotel proved a great bargaining tool. Originally built in the 18th century at the height of the wool trade, this rather grand Palladian-style building was converted into the village’s vicarage in 1897.
In the restaurant, with its traditional parquet flooring, wood-panelling and muted grey and cream paintwork, you can still see the old wooden door through which children would go to Sunday school.
Barmen mix drinks in the cocktail bar in the tiny former chapel, which you can enjoy in either of the two lounges, with welcoming real fires, and deep sofas to sink into.
The hotel features 17 rooms (during the pandemic they converted the spa into an extra bedroom because of Covid restrictions), all named after former woollen mills in the area, overlooking the lush valley.
Painswick is in the south Cotswolds, a less well-trodden tourist path than the celebrity haunts of better-known chocolate-box towns such as Bourton-on-thewater, Moreton-in-marsh and Stow-on-the-wold. Yet pretty nearby villages like Slad – whose main pub, The Woolpack, was Cider with Rosie author Laurie Lee’s local – and Bibury, with its famous 17th-century weavers’
cottages on Arlington Row, have a quieter, more tranquil feel.
It’s an excellent base from which to explore local attractions, including Painswick Rococo Garden (rococogarden.org.uk). Created in the 18th century, it has been restored to its original glory, with flamboyant buildings, wooded walks and an impressive kitchen garden in the centre.
Once ensconced and well fed – the small but perfectly formed hotel menus include Wye Valley asparagus and Cotswold rack of lamb, with options of local wine from Woodchester Valley, a vineyard and winery you can visit – I was ready for my ebike adventure.
Milner’s tours will accommodate interests, whether it’s Roman history (passing Chedworth Roman Villa), fossil discovery (his company partnered with an archaeologist as a surprise for one group) or famous TV landmarks such as Chavenage House, which was filmed for Poldark.
I chose to explore the path of the royals, namely, Highgrove, the country home of the Prince of Wales, and Gatcombe Park, home of the Princess Royal. But first, negotiating the ebike.
It can do around 80 miles on one charge, I’m told. Gears are the same
as a normal bike’s and there’s an adjustable up and down button on the handlebar for extra battery oomph. You do have to keep pedalling, and if you find yourself at speed, the battery will cut out when you reach 15mph.
For me, it felt like the helping hand in the back that I got from my dad to gain momentum when I first learned to ride a bike.
I understand the purists’ view. Throughout the 24 miles we did on minor roads, I didn’t break a sweat, yet covered much more ground than I could have on a regular bike, and appreciated the great outdoors more than I would have done had I been focused on getting up the next hill.
Cycling around the perimeter of Highgrove you can’t see a lot because of the high wall and hedging surrounding the estate. The company can arrange a grounds tour but you need to book at least six months in advance, so we moved on to the polo fields where Prince Charles and his sons William and Harry played, stopping every now and then while our guide shared snippets of history and pointed out local landmarks.
On the cycle back, we called in at Hookshouse Pottery in Westonbirt. It’s a small place, but just right for a trio of bikes.
The genial potter, Christopher White, mentioned that his wife, Lise, was about to open her garden up to the public as she does every year for the National Garden Scheme, raising money for health charities.
It’s a cornucopia of horticultural excellence, a one-and-a-half acre sensory treat with borders about to burst into flower, a woodland area and an impressive pond. If we’d been in a car we wouldn’t have seen it.
But on a bike, there’s more chance of finding the nooks and crannies of country life and engaging with the community. “The best feeling,” Milner observes, “is when you overtake road bikers in all their pro gear.”
I’ve learned to dismiss all those taunts from my children – and intend from now on to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
The ebike can do 80 miles on one charge, and a button gives extra oomph