Oxford News
Cotswolds’ 5 best film set locations to visit this summer
With the return of Rivals landing on Disney+ May 15, the Cotswolds is in the spotlight as the ultimate TV-inspired destination, where the series was filmed.
The second season, starring David Tennant as ruthless Tony Baddingham, Aidan Turner as journalist Declan O’Hara and Alex Hassell as rakish Rupert Campbell-Black, continues the adaptation of the late Dame Jilly Cooper’s beloved novel, “Rivals”, introducing the glamorous world of polo, high-society and scandal.
The Eighties-set comedy-drama taps into a growing travel trend: set-jetting. Following the success of drama The White Lotus, which saw bookings surge in Sicily and Thailand, travellers are increasingly choosing destinations based on what they see on screen.
And few places deliver that same cinematic charm quite like the Cotswolds.
“Right across the Cotswolds, there is a real plethora of stays to choose from depending on budget, family size and ambience,” says Richard Young, co-founder of Selfcatering.co.uk.
From grand hotels to tucked-away cottages, here are five of the best stays to channel your own Rivals-inspired countryside escape.
1. The Lygon Arms, Broadway, Worcestershire
For classic Cotswolds luxury, The Lygon Arms captures the timeless and historic charm that defines the region.
Located in Broadway in the very north of the region, Cotswolds Hideaways’ head of portfolio Ali Haynes describes it as “a chocolate-box Cotswold favourite, brimming with independent shops, tearooms, art galleries, eateries and pubs.”
It’s the perfect base for a refined countryside break. “Laid-back luxury is evident from the moment you arrive,” says Young.
This is particularly good for foodies, as Haynes notes Broadway is one of the best spots for eateries, from afternoon tea at The Lygon Arms, to local favourites like Russell’s and Broadway Deli.
Prices: From around £266 per night. Book via The Lygon Arms hotel website.
2. The Bull at Burford
For a livelier romp on countryside living à la Rivals, The Bull at Burford offers a great stay in one of the region’s most picturesque towns, only a 40-minute drive away from Oxford.
“Visitors will find a quintessential but buzzing English high street and a warm, welcoming feel wherever you go,” says Young.
It’s ideal for those who want the charm of the Cotswolds without feeling too remote – with shops, cafés and traditional pubs all within walking distance.
The Bull itself is a 16th-century coaching inn that has been reimagined as a boutique hideaway. Now owned by media executive Matthew Freud, the 1536-built property retains its characterful, slightly wonky exterior, staying true to its heritage on Burford’s sloping high street.
Inside, however, Freud has filled the space with an extensive personal art collection, with works displayed throughout giving it the feel of a relaxed, lived-in gallery.
The 18 bedrooms are designed for comfort, with generous proportions, soft furnishings and thoughtful details. Dining is also a highlight. The hotel’s open-fire restaurant, Wild, sits under canvas in the courtyard and has become a destination in its own right, making it a must even if you’re not staying.
Prices: From appox. £200 per night. Book via The Bull website.
3. Cowley Manor, near Cheltenham
For a stay that feels straight out of a modern drama, Cowley Manor Experimental offers a more contemporary take on the Cotswolds escape.
Set within a historic Italianate manor house just outside Cheltenham, the hotel blends heritage architecture with bold, design-led interiors from the Experimental Group.
There are subtle nods to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (the book’s author Lewis Carroll was said to have been a regular visitor), which was partly inspired by the estate, from rabbit motifs to playful detailing, but the overall feel remains smart and sophisticated.
Cowley Manor is recommended if you’re looking for a couples’ retreat, where days can be spent between the spa, indoor-outdoor pool and expansive gardens, or simply relaxing in the glass-walled pool area overlooking the grounds.
Evenings centre around the restaurant, where rich interiors and seasonal menus create a the ultimate romantic setting.
Prices: From around £399 per night. Book via the Cowley Manor Experimental website.
4. Lavender Cottage in Stow-on-the-Wold
If you’re planning to explore multiple villages, Stow-on-the-Wold is one of the best bases in the region.
“I’d say Stow-on-the-Wold is hard to beat,” says Young, “[as] it offers convenience, character and a great all-round base.”
Haynes agrees, noting that towns like Stow and nearby Chipping Norton – famous for being the location of former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson’s Farm – offer “boutique shops, historic pubs and scenic walks”, while surrounding villages such as Lower Oddington and Kingham provide a quieter, more authentic feel – often with some of the best pubs in the area.
This centrally located townhouse, sleeping six, puts all of that within easy reach.
For a classic Cotswolds day out, Young suggests visiting The Fox at Oddington for a pub lunch, or trying countryside pursuits such as Cotswold Valley Clay Shooting at Luckley Farm House for a truly luxurious, Rivals-inspired stay.
Price: From £805 for seven nights. Book via Selfcatering.co.uk.
5. Culls Cottage, Southrop
If you’re anything like Danny Dyer’s Rivals character, Freddie Jones, you may be wanting something more modern and contemporary.
If so, Culls Cottage is a stylish retreat that perfectly combines the cosy, countryside of the Cotswolds with an up-to-date touch.
Haynes highlights Southrop as a destination in its own right: “famous for its Grade I listed 12th-century church, beautiful stone buildings, village green and The Swan – a 17th-century pub – all within walking distance.”
The cottage itself pairs minimalist interiors with a large garden and has won Gold for Self Catering Accommodation of the Year 2024/25.
For something a little different, Haynes suggests trying a flamingo pedalo along the nearby River Thames.
Price: From £973 (short breaks)/£1,997 (seven nights, low season). Book via Cotswolds Hideaways.
Other things to do
Part of what makes the Cotswolds so appealing on screen and in real life is its ability to offer both escapism and substance.
As Haynes puts it, it’s about more than just where you stay. From the Longborough Festival Opera in Moreton-in-Marsh during the summer to historic gardens like Hidcote Manor, and from steam train journeys to afternoons spent in village pubs, the region offers a depth of experience that keeps visitors coming back.
While the drama of Rivals 2 may be fictional, the setting – thankfully – is entirely real.
On Wednesday, September 2, it was the Concours judging and private viewings to dominate the agenda for the day.
Twelve Concours classes were held across almost a century of motoring, including The Golden Age of Motoring, 100 Years of Carrrozzeria Touring, La Dolce Vita, 60 Years of the Lamborghini Miura and Passione Ferrari.
Two new classes also made their debut for 2026, Rare Breeds of the Digital Age and Hypercar Heaven, which recognise the growing importance of contemporary performance cars within the international collector market.
Judging will take place across Wednesday and Thursday, with the show field bringing together a 70-strong collection of classics, supercars and hypercars from around the world.
Some of the cars include Aa Maserati 8C 3000, Alfa Romeo Sprint Berlinetta, a one-off Maserati 3500GT Spyder Prototipo by Vignale, a very early Porsche 356 Split Window Coupé, Aston Martin DB3S, Lamborghini Miura P400S, Bizzarrini 5300GT, Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet, Bugatti EB110 Prototype, Aston Martin Valiant Prototype and the extraordinary Bugatti Bolide, one of just 40 produced worldwide.
Helen Pike has decided to step down as Master of Magdalen College School at the end of the 2026/27 academic year, the school in east Oxford announced in March.
MCS is one of the top performing schools in the country, ranking in the top 20 independent secondary schools in The Sunday Times Parent Power Schools Guide 2026.
READ MORE: UK private school headteacher to leave after 11 years
The new academic year will start next week, with Ms Pike preparing for one more year in charge before she hands over to her successor, who will take over in September 2027.
The first female Master at MCS, Ms Pike guided the board of governors to one of the most significant decisions in the school’s history, to become fully co-educational from 2027.
While there has been a co-educational sixth form at the school for 15 years, the school last month announced it will become fully co-educational over the coming decade.
Ms Pike said earlier: “I love MCS, and it is a perennial privilege to lead this remarkable school.
“Being Master of MCS is a brilliant job, and I am declaring my intention early in order to give MCS the very best opportunity to find the right Master for September 2027. I shall continue to do all in my power to further the fortunes of this wonderful school until then.
“I look forward to a new phase in my own professional life, one that builds on all that I have enjoyed and achieved in my career during the past 30 years.
“Having encouraged many cohorts of pupils to take sensible risks and to do something creative and different when the time feels right, I am doing just that.”
During Ms Pike’s tenure, MCS has been recognised as a Top 20 Independent School and South East School of the Year by the Sunday Times and won Independent School of the Year for Social Mobility.
Thanking her in his letter to the school community, chair of governors, Bob Price, said earlier this year: “Helen is an outstanding leader and will go with our sincere gratitude and warm thanks for her exceptional headship.
“She will leave the school in excellent shape for her successor.”
Recruitment for a replacement for Ms Pike is now under way.
Last month, Ms Pike congratulated pupils on their “outstanding success” in this year’s A-Level exams, after more than a quarter of pupils (43) achieved three A*s or more and 25 secured all A*s.
In total, 39 pupils from the 2026 cohort are heading to Oxbridge, while 22 have secured places to study medicine.
As part of the school’s expansion plans, MCS is preparing to build a new Science, Library and Partnerships building.
A spokeswoman said the new building will offer an exciting opportunity to reimagine the senior school site as staff look ahead to full co-education.
She added earlier: “With a vision to create a sector-leading science building in the centre of Oxford, the development will enable us to support an ambitious and forward-looking science curriculum, expanding to the emerging and rapidly advancing areas of robotics, AI and Big Data.”
Holding banners which read ‘For f**k’s sake, just stop oil’, the demonstrators took to the road in Parliament Square at noon today (Wednesday, September 2).
This was as Andy Burnham faced his first Prime Minister’s Questions, and many of the protestors glued themselves to the road.
The group demanded that the UK government stop approving all further oil and gas developments, and sign a Fossil Fuel Treaty to stop oil and gas extraction.
READ MORE: Witney firefighters called out to over 50 incidents in one month
Just Stop Oil say that the police are expected to arrest all those blocking the road, and that one lane has been left free of glued-on action takers to permit access for emergency vehicles.
Andy Burnham is due to make a decision on whether to allow more drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.
Reverend James Crote, a Baptist Minister and grandfather from Chesterton near Bicester, said: “Today is my grandson’s first birthday. I have to take action for the sake of his future.
The 69-year-old added: “The government has been dilly-dallying about whether to say yes or no to the Rosebank oil field but, if we want a future for our children, there is no choice – it has to say ‘no’.
READ MORE: Chain closes almost 200 UK restaurants with close to 4,000 jobs lost
“I am here as a Christian Minister because the Church has to speak out and demand that the government stops approving further oil and gas developments now. It’s time for us all to say ‘For God’s sake, Just Stop Oil’.”
Data from the Met Office indicates that 2026 was the hottest summer in UK recorded history, beating 2025, which was the previous hottest summer on record.
2026 was also one of the driest summers on record, delivering record-low food harvests.
Climbing temperatures have triggered wildfires across the country, and national fire chiefs said the wildfire risk facing the UK is “like nothing we have seen before”.
READ MORE: Broadchurch star selling £1.8m ‘magical’ Cotswolds mill house after 60 years
Taking action, grandmother Victoria Ann Lynch-Staunton from Leamington Spa, said: “What is happening is beyond a tragedy.”
The 71-year-old added: “I beg everyone to join Just Stop Oil or governments will continue to prioritise endless growth and corporate profit over billions of lives – yours and your children.
“Wake up and smell the coffin. It is the responsibility of all of us to act now!”
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said today: “We are all Just Stop Oil.
READ MORE: The Grand Tour returns to screens with brand new trio this week
“Every single person who fears deadly wildfires, devastating droughts, and spiralling food shortages is Just Stop Oil.
“The first duty of government is to keep the public safe – but by greenlighting oil and gas drilling, they endanger our survival while corporates and billionaires laugh their way to the bank.
“Every one of us feels alone and powerless in the face of this insanity, but we know there is massive political and public support for our demand.
“So we’re inviting everyone to join us at an online call on 3rd October 2026 – because it’s when we work together that we are powerful and win.”
-
Oxford united FC4 weeks agoChris Gunter steps away Wales role to focus on Oxford United
-
Oxford University3 weeks agoNew to the Oxford English Dictionary this September
-
Oxford united FC1 week agoLIVE: Exeter City vs Oxford United – Jersey Mike's Trophy group stage
-
Student Life3 weeks agoOxford partnership allows OpenAI to use rare Bodleian texts to train ChatGPT
-
Traffic & Transport2 weeks agoHow poor public transport policy is putting the brake on cities | Road transport
-
Traffic & Transport2 weeks agoWhy should I have to pay more for buses if I don’t use a smartphone? | Bus fares
-
Oxford united FC2 weeks agoNorthern Ireland fans laud Oxford United defender Ciaron Brown
-
Oxford Events4 weeks agoFour days of equestrian spectacle at 2026 Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials