Lightly We Go | Yorkshire-based travel and tourism

Lucy 02/02/2020

The Cotswolds Distillery Tour | Review

Our visit to the Cotswolds Distillery was a pretty last-minute decision. While flicking through the leaflets provided to us in The Hayloft, our gorgeous accommodation, I came across one advertising the Cotswolds Distillery, and booked onto a tour pretty much immediately. This wasn’t just a quick wander and some free booze (though there was some included); it was really interesting and educational, and a proper behind-the-scenes look at how everything works at this young distillery.…

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Lucy 30/01/2020

Pensthorpe Natural Park: A Guide | Norfolk

I grew up among the birds and bulrushes of Pensthorpe Natural Park. It was one of those places that we went as a family when we weren’t sure what to do at the weekend or in the school holidays. My childhood memories are scattered with images of feeding ducks from its bridges; pond-dipping in its Millennium Garden; marvelling at the cranes, storks, and flamingos that seemed so exotic for their Norfolk wetland surroundings. Most magical of all was simply trying to stay as quiet and still as possible in its bird hides. I was lucky: it was here that I saw my first kingfisher. …

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Lucy 26/12/2019

The Hayloft, Cold Aston | Review

My wishlist for our stay in the Cotswolds wasn’t too extensive: romantic, self-catered accommodation; situated in peaceful countryside; comfortable size; a nice kitchen; a cosy bed; space to relax; a parking space; a price tag within my not-enormous budget… Okay, I wanted a pretty luxurious weekend for a non-luxurious amount, in a really desirable location – not the easiest set of requirements by anyone’s standards. I thought it was going to be difficult to find, but the moment I landed on The Hayloft by Character Cottages I knew I’d struck gold. …

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Lucy 21/12/2019

Postcards from… The Cotswolds in December

I booked our weekend in the Cotswolds on a complete whim one day in October when I was off sick from work. I had no idea then (stressed though I was) how necessary a few days away in tranquil countryside would be. Neither of us had ever been to the Cotswolds before, and while it didn’t capture my heart in the same way that other areas of the UK have, it did possess that special chocolate-box charm that’s quite unlike anywhere else. …

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Lucy 14/12/2019

Westonbirt Arboretum: An Enchanted Christmas | Review

While planning our recent long weekend in the Cotswolds, the same suggestion kept cropping up all over the internet: Westonbirt Arboretum, and its Christmas light trail, An Enchanted Christmas. …

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