I’ll never forget the drive to our holiday spot in the Cotswolds – a proper faff from the off. We’d piled into the car in Cheltenham, sat-nav chirping away like it knew best, but halfway down those narrow lanes, it decided to throw a wobbly. “Recalculating,” it kept saying, while I was white-knuckling the wheel past hedges that seemed to close in like nosy neighbours. Then, the pièce de résistance: a rogue sheep decided to photobomb our progress, plonking itself bang in the middle of the road just as we crested a hill. I braked hard, heart in mouth, and my other half yelped, spilling her flask of tea all over the passenger footwell. Laugh? We nearly cried. But honestly, that little chaos only ramped up the anticipation – we were buzzing to see this place we’d booked, just over 800 yards up a country road from Bourton-on-the-Water’s postcard-perfect centre.

By the time we trundled into the farmyard, we were a bit frazzled, covered in tea stains and sheep wool (don’t ask). The property’s a newly built farmhouse, right there in the thick of it all, accessed straight through the yard – you feel like you’re stepping into someone’s working farm life, complete with the earthy whiff of manure that hits you like a warm welcome. We parked up, grabbed our bags, and wandered in, still chuckling about the sheep saga. Crikey, what a first impression. Those floor-to-ceiling windows on the ground floor? Absolute showstoppers. We just stood there, jaws dropped, taking in the panoramic sweep of the Windrush Valley – rolling green hills, the river glinting in the late sun, and not a soul in sight. It was like the Cotswolds had rolled out the red carpet, eco-style: underfloor heating humming away from some clever air source pump, hot water sorted by a whizzy eco-cent setup, and solar panels up top doing their bit. Inside, it’s all bright and airy, simply done with a contemporary vibe that makes you want to kick off your boots and flop.

That first evening, we didn’t venture far – why would you, with views like that begging for a GandT on the sofa? But the next morning, the magic really kicked in. A quick wander down to Bourton-on-the-Water, five minutes’ drive, and we were pottering over those iconic low bridges, dodging day-trippers at the model village (cheeky but brilliant), and grabbing fresh scones from a tearoom. Back at the farmhouse, we mooched around the farmyard, spotting chickens clucking about and even a few lambs eyeing us suspiciously. Lunch was a lazy affair – local cheeses and chutney from the village shop, eaten at that window table with the valley stretching out forever.

Looking back, that mishap-filled arrival was the perfect icebreaker. I’m the sort who overplans holidays, fretting about every detail, but this spot taught me to loosen up. Sometimes the best memories start with a spilled tea and a stubborn sheep. We left feeling recharged, already plotting a return. If you’re after that proper Cotswolds escape – unhurried walks, valley vistas, and a farmhouse that feels like home – this is your spot. Just watch out for the sheep.