Holidays
4 Night Rambles with a Sketchbook Holiday in The Cotswolds

4 Night Rambles with a Sketchbook Holiday in The Cotswolds

4 nights

May

4 nights from

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Members

From

£819

Non-members

From

£849

Groups of 10+

or call

020 3974 8865

Let the ever-charming Cotswolds fuel your creativity on our Rambles with a Sketchbook holiday staying at our characterful country house in the picture-perfect village of Bourton-on-the-Water. Enjoy short walks guided by an HF Holidays Leader and capture the Cotswolds’ beauty at Ilmington, Bibury, and Winchcombe with the help of an expert art tutor. Perfect for those who’ve experienced our Introduction to Drawing breaks but also open to beginners, this holiday allows you to develop your artistic skills while drawing inspiration from stunning surroundings.

What You’ll Love

Developing your sketching skills
Exploring the local area with an HF Holidays Leader
Having an expert art tutor on hand for advice and guidance
Building your expertise and trying new techniques
Small groups of 15 people or fewer

What's Included

Expert tuition with a HF art tutor
Loan of wooden A3 art boards
Guided walking with experienced HF Holidays Leaders
Comfortable en-suite accommodation in our country house
Cream tea on arrival day
Cooked or continental breakfast every morning
Daily packed lunches
Three-course evening meals, plus tea & coffee
Easy-to-follow routes, maps, and information available in our Discovery Point if you want to explore independently

Trip Suitability

This holiday is active and requires that you carry your own kit throughout the day. Walks on this holiday type can be up to 8km (5 miles), with up to 200m (650 feet) of ascent, though more precise walk distances and ascent can be seen on the itinerary. These walks will take you across uneven, grassy terrain where the ground can be slippery underfoot, so please come prepared for this.

Itinerary

All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take alternative routes or adapt the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.

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Check-in at the hotel is available from 16:00. If you are a member you can arrive at the house from 14:00. Enjoy a complimentary cream tea at 16:30 and meet other guests.

On your Rambles with a Sketchbook holiday, you will spend most of the time away from the house, carrying your equipment with you. During the day, you’ll venture out on foot or by coach to places of artistic interest that have been carefully selected by your leader.

You won't be walking far, or taking up any great ascents or descents, but you will need to take some of your equipment out with you. Your leader will advise you on which materials you’ll need each day so you can pack lightly when leaving the house.

From the small village of Coln Rogers, our ramble broadly follows the path of the River Coln towards Arlington and Bibury. This honey-coloured
Cotswold village is known worldwide for its quintessential charm which makes it a perfect subject for our sketches.
Distance: 5km (3 miles)
Ascent: 80m (250ft)

Today’s route begins with a steeper uphill walk from Ilmington as we head towards nearby Ebrington. Passing Foxcote House, the remainder of this
ramble takes us on a gentle descent through the Cotswold countryside.
Distance: 6km (3½ miles)
Ascent: 140m (450ft)

Our final ramble begins at Hailes Abbey where the medieval ruins offer the opportunity to sketch a different subject matter. The route then undulates
towards Winchcombe and Sudeley Castle, where we finish our walk. The gardens and architecture here also bring new sketching opportunities.
Distance: 4.5km (2½ miles)
Ascent: 60m (200ft)

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.

Download trip notes

Accommodation

Harrington House

You get the best of all worlds at this Grade II-listed retreat just a skip away from the heart of Bourton-on-the-Water – the impossibly pretty Cotswolds town with chocolate-box cottages, old-fashioned tearooms, and low-arched stone bridges that span the River Windrush. Not only will you be within walking distance of the Cotswold Motoring Museum, the Model Village, and Birdland Wildlife Park & Gardens, but it’s an easy drive from village beauties Broadway and Bibury. For walkers and hikers, there’s no shortage of thrills, especially for those keen to explore the well-trodden trails and paths around the Windrush Valley, Lower and Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire Way, Cotswold Way, and Monarch Way.

A warm welcome
We want you to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. You’ll find a welcome pack in your room with guest registration forms, menus, order forms for dinners and picnic lunches, the Wi-Fi password, and the front door code. Our houses are locked at night, so we recommend noting the Duty Manager’s number on arrival in case of an emergency (or getting locked out).

Evening entertainment

While evening entertainment varies from house to house, HF Holidays Inter-House Quiz night held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided waking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.

Walks talks
Our HF Holidays walk leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on guided walking holiday arrival days. This is followed by a group Walks Talk for information on the following day’s guided walks (held before dinner every evening). Self-guided walking guests are, of course, welcome.

The walking day
Prior to setting off on guided walks, your HF Holidays Leader will run you through a short safety briefing. There’s also an up-to-date weather forecast on display at the house to ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. If you choose to do your own walks or are on a self-guided walking holiday, we ask that you please complete an Independent Walker Card each day. These can be found near the Discovery Point in the house.

Check in & check out

You are welcome to check in from 4pm at the earliest. HF Members can check in earlier, from 2pm. On arrival, you’ll enjoy a complimentary cream tea and get to meet your fellow guests, our HF Holidays Leaders, and the rest of the friendly team. Check out 10am.

• 27 well-appointed guest rooms • Exclusive occupancy: 34 guests minimum • Check in from 4:00pm • For members check in from 2:00pm • Full-board (including cream tea on arrival) • Free Wi-Fi • Free on-site parking • Boot room and drying room • Travel cot • Discovery Point offering a wide range of local area maps, route guides, and information for self-guided walks • Books and games to borrow • Licensed bar • Two lounges • Walled garden and croquet lawn • Landscaped grounds • Electric vehicle charging point - Please note, you will need to bring your own cables to use this EV charging point

Seasonal dining, tailored for you

Our team of skilled chefs design our dinner menus to showcase the best of each season, from warming winter comfort food to vibrant summer dishes, including vegetarian, vegan and high-protein options. We also source fruit and vegetables within a 40-mile radius of each house, open every break with a Chef’s Special menu inspired by dishes and flavours of the local area, and are able to adapt dishes to suit special dietary requirements.

Welcome Cream Tea

What better way to start your stay than with a cream tea, served fresh on arrival to make you feel instantly at home. A quintessentially English tradition, our scones are baked in-house and served with preserves and clotted cream, providing the perfect opportunity to meet fellow walkers.

A hearty breakfast to start the day

Start the day with a freshly-prepared cooked breakfast and a wide choice from our continental buffet, including hot drinks, juices and fresh fruit. Our team offer a quick and friendly service, leaving you fuelled and ready for your day’s adventures.

Our famous picnic lunch

Our personalised picnic lunches are perfect for a day out walking, ready to enjoy when hunger strikes. Choose from a large selection of fresh sandwiches and salads, freshly baked cakes and snacks, including the ever-popular Freddos chocolate bar! Everything is designed to fit neatly into your rucksack, and all of the packaging we provide is recyclable or compostable.

3-course evening meals

Our à la carte evening menus feature a wide choice of starters, mains, and desserts, made with seasonal ingredients and, wherever possible, herbs and vegetables from our own gardens. Shared around sociable tables, dinners are relaxed occasions, with drinks available to order at the table or from the bar, and a traditional Sunday roast to round off the week.

Designed with your comfort in mind, Harrington House has 27 well-appointed guest rooms available in three categories: Classic, Premium, and Superior.

Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV.

Premium Rooms are more spacious en-suite guest rooms*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers.

Superior Rooms are even more spacious en-suite guest rooms offering upgraded views of the surroundings*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers.

We love: Rooms 1 and 2 on the first floor for their master bedrooms, original Palladian design, and lovely views. Room 24 in the Windrush Cottage is a large twin room with its own private garden.

The Choose Your Room service is available at our UK country houses, allowing you the option of choosing and confirming a specific room for an extra charge of £30 per room. This is subject to availability. Upgrade supplements apply.

Room supplements

Superior	Premium single	Premium double/twin	Choose your room
£25 pppn	£20 pppn	£20 pppn	£30 per room

*Views and layout reflect each properties unique character and location

For accessibility and assistance information, please contact our expert team on 020 3974 8865 or view the accessibility information online for Harrington House

View more details View holidays here

More Information

Walks may be changed for safety reasons and are subject to a maximum and minimum number of guests.

Leaders always consider the safety of the group as a whole, and may need to alter or curtail the walk if the conditions dictate. Your leader may refuse to accept a guest where clothing, equipment or behaviour is unsuitable. In the event of a problem all leaders carry a mobile phone, first aid kit, group shelter, spare maps and a compass.

Please note: If you choose to leave the group your leader is no longer responsible for you.

If you have a particular health condition or disability please put this on your guest registration form. This information will be confidential to your leaders and the house manager, but leaders do need to take account of any issues when planning walks. Please carry a copy of these trip notes with you, or note down the contact phone number for your accommodation (details in the travel section) should you need them in case of emergency.

What to Bring

On our Rambles with a Sketchbook holidays, you will carry all kit with you throughout your walks and will not have access to the coach for the duration of the day. We advise packing light wherever possible.

For Sketching

H/HB/B pencils
Sketchbook with good quality cartridge paper – size to suit (A5 is popular)
Pencil sharpener
Eraser
Portable and lightweight easel and stool (optional)
Wider range of pencils or graphite sticks (optional)

For Walking

To enjoy your walking comfortably and safely, it is essential that your footwear, clothing and equipment are suitable for the conditions likely to be encountered. Britain is famous for its changeable weather, so our advice is to come prepared for all eventualities. Please bring a rucksack, a thermos flask for a hot drink, a water bottle (at least 1 litre) and first aid kit – your leader’s first aid kit doesn’t contain any medication or blister kits (such as Compeed).

Carbon Footprint

We see it as our responsibility to minimise our emissions, not just for this year but every year to come. Our work with sustainability experts, ecollective, has enabled us to measure our carbon footprint and create a strategy to reduce the carbon intensity of our product by 5% each year. Our ambition is to be net zero by 2040 – earlier if we can.

Learn more

Reviews

Code: BTN04-PDW05

2026

Back to dates

Mon 18 May – Fri 22 May 2026

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Single Price - Land Only

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Non-members

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Single Supplement

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Non-members

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Itinerary: 4 Nights - Itinerary

All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take an alternative route, or vary the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.

All holidays are subject to availability. Supplements may apply.

4 Night Rambles with a Sketchbook Holiday in The Cotswolds

What You’ll Love

What's Included

Trip Suitability

Itinerary