Cotswold Little Explorers

Check out our family guide to Snowshill in the Cotswolds

Looking for activities and things to do in Snowshill as a family? If so, read on…..

Snowshill is a stunning Cotswold village, well known for its picturesque cottages, church and manor house. It is a must visit on a trip to the cotswolds and has lots to offer families looking for outdoor adventures. It is a perfect choice for parents and kids wanting to enjoy the best the english countryside has to offer.

The honey coloured Cotswold stone buildings and scenic surroundings are everything you imagine when thinking of life in the countryside, an English village nestled on a hillside that is so pretty it could be straight out of a movie scene (In fact, Snowshill actually was! It was a filming location in the Bridget Jones’ films.)

Things to do in Snowshill Village with kids

Snowshill Manor House and Gardens

A visit to the National trust owned and operated Snowshill Manor is the perfect activity to combine with a trip to see the small but perfectly formed Snowshill.

Located in the village is Snowshill Manor House. The house and gardens are perched on top of the hill and have absolutely fantastic views of the surrounding Cotswold escarpment.

Whenever we come here, the first stop is always the café for a delicious National trust coffee (the National Trust ALWAYS serve the best coffee – We’ve never had a bad one yet, and we are coffee snobs!) If the weather is warm we sit on a table outside in the orchard and enjoy the view of the valley below.

There is a short trail to the main house, which has a small wooden theatre and carved wooden animal sculptures for the kids to play in along the way.

Make your way to the house through the orchards where you can stop and picnic if the weather is nice. There are always many families sitting here on the lawn enjoying the surroundings.

Continuing on past the second-hand bookshop leads you to the entrance to the house.

Our kids aren’t normally interested inside the stately homes and much prefer to run wild outdoors, however this house is different.

It is full of curiosities that the owner collected from round the world, from full suits of armour to replica ships, toys, bicycles, costumes and more and my boys love to discover something new every time we visit.

The gardens are beautifully kept and full of stunning flowers in every season.

There is also a model village in the garden, which is a nice as the children love.to look at this when we visit.

This National trust house often has challenges and trails on for the children in the school holidays, so check on the website before visiting to see what they have on offer for families.

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Cotswold Lavender

On the outskirts of the village of Snowshill and just 2 miles from Broadway is where to find the beautiful lavender farm Cotswold Lavender.

In summer you can enjoy the expansive countryside views while walking amongst the lavender in all its glory enjoying the beautiful purple colour and that distinctive heady lavender scent.

As well as the Lavender fields there are also acres of wildflower meadows for visitors to enjoy and take wonderful family photos. We like to come here to get nice pictures of the kids (or try to at least; getting them to both look at the camera at the same time can be a challenge!)

It also a great place for a very pretty picnic! A new woodland trail is also on offer with kids provided with a worksheet when they enter the fields with lots of woodland creatures to find and check off the list. The cabin at the fields sells all the farm products, lavender treats and refreshments.

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Walk from Snowshill to Laverton Hill and Littleworth Wood

This family friendly freindly walk is great for little legs and is tried and tested with my two boys (aged 6 and 4).

It has views for miles on a clear day and offers a stunning view of the village from the hilltop.

For the full Snowshill walk guide click here.

They loved playing in the stream, saying hello to the sheep and cows along the way, and playing with sticks and stones in the woodlands (kids best toys, right?!) Us parents were thrilled with the stunning sweeping views of the Cotswold countryside and walking around the charming village getting beautiful family photos to boot.

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Visit a country pub

Snowshill is just a small village, with just the one country pub located right in the centre, The Snowshill Arms.

After admiring the buildings and taking some pictures of the stunning scenery, call in at The Snowshill Arms,

It is a fabulous place to get a cold drink on a warm summer day or a warm drink on a cold crisp winter day. It also serves delicious hot food and has a great play area for the kids in the garden. Win win!

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