A love letter to England & exploring the Cotswolds
“I remember years ago a guy I knew told me that people going to England find exactly what they go looking for.” – Helene Hanff, 84, Charing Cross Road
I’ve put off writing this post due to an unrealistic expectation that just the right words would come to me — a collection of words that when strung together in just the right way, would accurately describe England’s enchantment. Weeks have past since I left my heart in the Cotswolds and I’ve realized that those “just right words” may never come. Lizzie Dunford, a friend and director of Jane Austen’s House Museum, wrote about her recent adventure to the Lake District. She says, “The views were outstanding. It is a landscape that I react to very emotively, making me inarticulate. How can I describe how the light falls on just a small section of the fell? The shade of the water in a pool under a craggy old thorn bush? All the colours in the coat of a Herwick Ram. At the moment, it is beyond me, but then I must practice.” I found solace in Lizzie’s particular collection of words as it turns out others are also rendered inarticulate by the English Countryside. And like Lizzie, I must practice.
I visited England for the first time in September 2023 alongside The Enchanted Book Club. The experience was beyond my wildest dreams and upon boarding my return flight, I promised myself I wouldn’t wait to come back. Life happened, as it does, and quite simply, I couldn’t find “just the right time” in my schedule to return. With other work-related travel already scheduled throughout 2024 and a particularly busy year at that, it seemed to me that England would have to wait. Unless…
In October 2024, I announced The Enchanted Book Club’s Literary Tour of England (taking place in September 2025). The announcement was met with immense excitement and made me daydream of England even more than usual. I couldn’t stop thinking about the landscape, the sheep, the magic. And so, I decided that the only “just right” thing to do was to follow my heart, in this case like a compass, and booked a flight to London that would depart in three weeks time.
“It wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a dream.” Those were the words circling my mind as I set foot in the English Countryside for the first time in over a year. During my time away from England, I began wondering if my memories were fabricated…did I remember it being so special only because it was my first visit or because it had been The Enchanted Book Club’s first literary tour? In the heart of Derbyshire, a stone’s throw away from Mr. Darcy’s estate, I gulped the English air and undoubtedly knew that if it somehow had been a dream, that dreams do come true.
My favorite thing about England is that everything you always thought was fictional suddenly comes to life before your eyes. You can venture through Chatsworth House (Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice) and when you walk past Big Ben you half expect to see Peter Pan fly across the sky. Imagine walking through the pages of your favorite fairy tale…except this time, the story has no end.
“What is it about the English countryside—why is the beauty so much more than visual? Why does it touch one so?” – Dodie Smith, I Capture The Castle
Over the course of ten glorious days in England, I visited Hatchard’s (London’s oldest bookshop), met Cath Kidston (a real-life heroine and personal inspiration), and had more cream teas than I can count. Everyday presented some new, magical thing that seemed to only exist in this fairyland. In Notting Hill, neighborhoods are dipped in rainbow pastels. The houses are pink, purple, yellow, and lavender. Every once in a while you’ll come upon a grand white house in which Elizabeth James must reside. When you’re in the countryside, you’ll walk through “Kissing Gates” and meet sheep friends. And no matter where you go, you can always find a tea party.
Staying in a tiny cottage in the Cotswolds, I found myself in yet another fictional story come to life, The Holiday. I walked up and down Burford’s High Street, explored bookshops and antique stores, sipped tea by the pub’s fire place, named a field of spotted pigs, and only ever recalled a world that isn’t solely made of utter joy in the fleeting moments I remembered that my return flight would await.
This all must sound quite dramatic, I know. But if you believe in magic, I promise that you will feel the same way when you experience England. If there’s one thing England has taught me, it’s that the only “just right” thing to do is to follow your heart ❤️
“Magic is always pushing and drawing and making things out of nothing. Everything is made out of magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us.” – Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
Below is a list of places I visited during this trip that I think you would love the most, along with descriptions (and a souvenir giveaway!). If you’re someone that dreams of exploring England, particularly its literary history, then you’ll likely be interested in The Enchanted Book Club’s Literary Tours. Our tour groups are comprised of literary-loving kindred spirits from all over the world. Our guests are often perfect strangers longing for connection and to meet friends that share a love for inspiring stories. I pour my heart and soul into planning our literary tours with the goal of giving our guests memories they will carry with them forever.
At the time of writing this blog post, I have just added new dates to our England 2025 Tour, opening 20 spots! The itinerary for our June 2025 Anne of Green Gables Literary Tour of Prince Edward Island will be released in January 2025 and I’m currently planning England 2026!
Souvenir Giveaway
Along the way, I couldn’t help but think of our community and had to pick up some souvenirs for you! Enter to win a souvenir collection by leaving a comment on this blog post. Open internationally. [Edit: Congratulations to our winner, Sherry Clevenger!]
Souvenir collection includes:
- Notting Hill Bookshop tote bag
- Notting Hill Bookshop postcard
- Vintage Hatchard’s greeting card
- Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy ornament (from Chatsworth House)
- Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford (from an independent bookstore in the Cotswolds, an area where the Mitford sisters spent much of their time)
- Floral Victoria & Albert Museum notebook
Places to stay
- The Cavendish Hotel Baslow: Located on the Chatsworth House property this beautiful hotel is walking distance from the home. You’ll enjoy stunning views of the countryside and dinner at either of their delicious restaurants.
- Unique Home Stays: I discovered the darling Cotswolds Cottage through Unique Home Stays, a platform offering stunning holiday homes
Places to visit & eat
*The list below features some of my favorite places visited on this specific trip. There are certainly MANY more amazing places to experience!
- Derbyshire
- Chatsworth House: As mentioned above, this estate was featured as Mr. Darcy’s estate in Pride and Prejudice 2005. Whether you are a fan of the film or have never seen it, it has very little to do with what you will experience at Chatsworth House. I couldn’t dream up a more breathtaking place. If you have the chance to visit, you’ll never forget it.
- Burford (The Cotswolds)
- The Lamb Inn: A cozy inn offering afternoon tea and Sunday roast
- The Cotswold Cheese Company: The most delicious selection of British cheeses with a focus on Cotswold cheesemakers
- The Madhatter Bookshop: A lovely independent bookshop on High Street
- Burford Garden Company: A beautiful and comprehensive shop offering homewares and outdoor accessories. Plus, there’s a bookstore.
- The Bull: A new boutique hotel — lovely pub and dinner spot
- London
- Hatchard’s, Piccadilly: The oldest bookshop in London. Five floors of heaven!
- Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly: An 18th century department store filled with teas, preserves, and gorgeous gifts.
- Daunt Books, Marylebone: A bookstore is organized by country. If you love literary travel, this is the shop for you.
- O Pioneers, Marylebone: A floral dress shop founded by two inspiring women who met in a book club. Their dresses are made from end-of-stock Liberty London fabrics and I just LOVE them!!
- Carlotta, Marylebone: If you love Italian food (and cake) as much as I do, Carlotta is a must-visit. Order the pistachio wedding cake!
- C. Atherley, Connaught Village: Cath Kidston’s new fragrance shop inspired by her love of geraniums. If you’re familiar with Cath, you already know what you’re in for when you step into this darling store — charm and all the thoughtful details.
- The Notting Hill Bookshop: This was my favorite bookshop I visited in London. There’s a certain excitement about the place if you are a fan of the movie. Plus, it was the only shop with the MOST beautiful classic editions on display.
- Portobello Market, Notting Hill: Lots of antique and vintage shops filled with floral tea pots, whimsical bookends, and endless goodies!
- Kuro Eatery, Notting Hill: Don’t miss the crispy fried eggs with chili oil. I still haven’t stopped thinking about that meal!
- The Library at County Hall Afternoon Tea, Westminster Bridge: An idyllic place for afternoon tea — inside a library with the best view of Big Ben.
- J. Sheekey, Leicester Square: An excellent choice for fish and chips. You can go see a show at the London Theatre right next door too!
To beauty, enchantment, and following your heart wherever it leads!
Your trip sounds amazing! Reading about it was *almost* as good as being there myself. I haven’t been to England since 1981, and dream of going back…. This give-away is lovely, and so generous of you!
Your trip sounds like a dream, Hayley, and how you described it is how I imagine feeling on such a lovely trip! Thanks for the chance to be the recipient of your giveaway…very sweet of you to do that. 😊
Glad you had a lovely time! You definitely make me want to travel to Cotswald.
England feels like coming home. It touches some deep emotion within me.
Oh Hayley~ Much love to your beautiful soul! You have written of your extraordinary journey, so beautifully that I feel I am standing with you, seeing it alongside you. I am so grateful you have shared this with all of us, as I was sadly unable to follow along, while you were gone. Oh Hayley, I thought of you daily, with the utmost joy and prayers for stretched days amidst the island your own heart loves~ an island which has woven its charm and enchantments all about you, moving your own beautiful story toward even more new wonders. I love the way you have shared the most perfect quotes and your images are gorgeous, Hayley. What joy it is, picturing you at tea, witnessing a Chatsworth Christmas dream, walking in secret gardens, passing through kissing gates and meeting loving friendly sheep. Thank you again, for sharing the splendid moments and magic you shall hold always, in your heart, from these days of a dream realized, dearest Hayley. You shine and bring beauty and kindness, wherever you are. I know you brought so much joy to this land you love, touching hearts deeply, as they touched yours. 💕 Much love to you 💐💝📚
A dream itinerary. Chatsworth has been on my bucket list for many years.
What beautiful photos and wonderful suggestions! I have been wanting a vacation here for a long time—thank you for letting me travel with you through this post!
Your trip looked amazing, out of a movie!
You got to experience so many places so many of us dream about, and I’m grateful you took us along for the ride!
I love that you followed your heart, booked the flight, and enjoyed a magical trip! It sounds just delightful and I’m so glad you got to go! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Thank you for sharing your trip with us! What a dream trip!
England looks amazing! I hope that I end up going with my mom, even though we are on the waitlist. Love the bag! I hope I win that too!
What a wonderful experience! Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and follow your heart ♥️
Oh Haley, what a lovely trip. Your beautiful descriptions make me feel as if I were there with you. Thank you for taking me along.
Hayley, thank you for sharing your beautiful experience with us. As a kindred spirit, I completely understand where you are coming from. The UK is a dream for me and I will never tire of visiting. I am beyond excited for our trip next year and know that I will be in tears at many of the special places we will see. Thank you for all your hard work for our lovely book club! 😍
As an ‘English rose’, I’ve always had a soft spot for English literature and have loved seeing your travels and adventures. Thank you for sharing your love of books with so many like minded people! 💕
What a great trip! Glad more dates for the 2025 England trip will be opening up!
England has always been a dream trip and the way you write about it feels so whimsical and beautiful!
I visited England in 1987. It was such a a magical experience. I wanted to move there. I visited Beatriz Potter’s home, several places known for Wordsworth and London. I adore the Lake District. Hopefully, I’ll get back someday!
So many lovely places and things to do. Thank you for sharing! Wanting to go back so badly. We had such a fantastic time there. Such sweet memories!
So many lovely places & bookshops!
Your trip looks so lovely! I’ve always wanted to go!
Thank you for the chance to win.
I just went to England for the first time two months ago. There’s so much to see!
I wish I could go back with the Enchanted Bookclub group in 2025.
Just loved our trip to England. We loved the Frog Mill in the Cotswolds, if you ever get a chance. I dream of returning someday.
You make me dream of going to England even more! Thank you for sharing your trip and igniting dreams of someday!
This looks like an amazing trip. Thanks for sharing. ❤️
Your trip looks dreamy. I’ve visited England just once — absolutely loved it. I truly enjoyed reading your thoughts and seeing your photos. Thanks for sharing.
Adding the Cotswolds to my list 😍 Gorgeous!! I’m so glad you had a wonderful time 💕✨️
I made a trip to England with my mother many years ago! And it was amazing!! I still remember de tiny towns we visited and the amazing views we saw. Your trip looks incredible and it certainly appeals to our kindred spirits!!!
Oh my dear, I feel as though you have brought my dreams of the Cotswold’s unmatched beauty back to the forefront of my thoughts and dreams! I just dream of going to England!!!! Thank you for your beautiful words and I look forward to joining the book group💗
Agh I hope I get to go to England sometime
Such a beautiful giveaway.. thank you so much.. I never been to England.. but with you sharing your beautiful experiences.. it’s like the icing on the top.. I would love to live there sometime in a cute little cottage.. that has been my dream. I love to see pictures and videos of the country side of England.. thank you so much again.. 🥹☀️☀️🩷🩷🙏🏽
What an amazing trip! I hope to one day join the Enchanted Book Club on a literary adventure in England. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
That looks like a dream! Thanks so much for the resource of places to visit.
My first (and only, so far…) trip to England was at 19 – and I was too young and self-absorbed to truly appreciate it! My literary awakening has come in the past two decades, and my heart is now so refreshed by England’s literary legacy and inspiration.
Pouring over these words with much excitement and a warm cup of tea. Clearly, watching The Holiday should be the next To Do on my Christmas wish list. Thank you for including us in the magic!
Aghh you’re so lucky!! I want to go back to England just to visit all my favourite bookish places!!
What an amazing trip you had! 🥰 Such a trip would be a dream come true for me!
What lovely memories I don’t think I could ever get enough of the English countryside! Thank you for sharing! ❤️😘
Hayley,
I’ve never really seriously thought about traveling to England. I had no idea the enchantment it held until you shared your experiences. Now it’s a MUST on my life list. The pictures look dreamy and peaceful and I really need to experience this for myself.
I love the cottage you stayed in! What a wonderful trip!
I’d love to go one day on a trip like this. Thank you for sharing all these amazing places with us, Hayley!
Love the pictures! Looks like so much fun.
I felt exactly the same way the first time I went! I loved reading this post! I never stop dreaming about England!
What a lovely blog post, Hayley. You captured the magic of your experience so eloquently. The Cotswolds have been on my bucket list for years. I’m so looking forward to our trip to England next year. It’s going to be a trip of a lifetime for all us kindred spirits. Thank you for all you do, sweet Hayley. It is very appreciated. 🩷
Was sorry I could not join you for tea. I was suppose to be in London that week but trip was canceled. Waiting to see pictures from tea. Looking forward to more trips with you.
I absolutely fell in love with English Countryside when I visited Derbyshire in 2023. I want to go back and stay in a
little cottage and drink it all in. Chatsworth House was a
a dream come true.
Hilary says:
Your enchantment of England really comes over through your words and pics. I am on the waitlist for England trip next year. The itineraries you have created are amazing. Would be nice to win these hand picked things.
What a wonderful trip! Thank you for posting about your adventures! I’m living vicariously through you!
I’ve always been convinced that it’s some magical portal that one steps through upon entering the UK. So love that you stayed in a darling cottage, met sweet sheep, drank tons of tea (there’s something to the water theory….tea tastes delectable in UK), and most of all, made all those stories you read when you were young cone to life. It’s truly wonderful how your site as grown since those days during lockdown when you shared your fabulous bookshelves!
You look so at home in the countryside. England looks good on you, Hayley! What a beautiful testament to the grandeur of this great land and all of its influential writers. As I’ve shared with you privately, the UK has a special place in my heart as well. 😌❤️ Thank you for describing all that you felt, saw and savored in your adventures ever so eloquently with us. I want to hear more about the cream teas! 😋☕️🫖
I love experiencing England through your writing!
What a dream! I cannot imagine going to see all those beautiful places and experience it all like you did. What an amazing trip. The Holiday is my daughter’s and my fav movie for Christmas for years! As soon as I hear the music on your Facebook reel I was stopped in my scrolling🩷
Great post! This is a real bucket list adventure. Thank you !
Oh to be in England !! It really does have an attraction and makes you dream to be there. This blog post was beautifully written and very complete in offering all the information anyone who desires to be in England would need.
I’m so glad you had such an amazing trip! I’ve been to the Cotswolds and it is magical!! I miss it and need to go again. Thank you for doing this giveaway!
Thank you for sharing !! I’ve been once but you’ve made me want to return and add so many things !
Lovely. A dream for me. Love reading your post. Thank you
England is at the top of my bucket list, and this post confirmed it even more so😍
Sounds like such a lovely trip!
What an amazing trip! Thank you for sharing, Haley!
These places and more have been on my bucket list! My mom’s side of the family is from England and it must be in the blood— I adore everything British! I have yet to visit and I’m sad that I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance. I am living vicariously through your posts— thank you for sharing everything!!❤️🇬🇧
Chatsworth House has been on my bucket list for years! Definitely hoping to make it across the pond one of these days to see it and the other beautiful places I read/see about in England.
Oh Hayley – I SO understand that longing for England! I left part of my heart there long ago, and I am perpetually planning my next trip. Thank you for sharing yours!
What a beautiful trip! This is a book lover’s DREAM! 😍📚❤️
This really does look like an absolute dream! I can’t wait til someday I can travel and explore through my own eyes, but in the meantime I’ll do it vicariously through other people! 😅
To visit England would be like actually stepping into all the lovely books and movies I’ve swooned over all these years. So beautiful. 💕
Thank you so much for the list and post- I can live vicariously through you until I can travel there again!! Beautiful photos also 🙂
This would be the dreamiest of dreamy trips for my daughter & me,,, we love the old world charm of England …
Thankyou so much for bringing us these beautiful tours and this wonderful giveaway ❤️
What a wonderful blog and great experience you’ve shared! It makes me want to visit Cotswolds! 🥹❣️
Will surely try to check out the recommendations if I visit England!
Thank you for providing the detailed information! It’s of great help 💕
What a dream come true. I can feel
My heart ache and yearn for a trip to England just by reading your blog post. It has been so, so many years since I’ve been. It is such a special place. I live in Germany and we also have beautiful architecture, castles, a beautiful countryside and a rich literary history but there is something about England that just hits differently. It is a Beauty that is hard to find words for. So much love for your content ❤️
I love Nottinghill the movie and I love bookstores and have read many books based in bookstores,libraries, and bookshops. They are my favourite. What an amazing adventure. Would love to win.
You’ve described the fairy tale aspect of being in my “spiritual” home of England beautifully! It IS very much “magical”
England has been a life-long dream of mine since I was 7 years old. Thank you for bringing it so vividly to life for me through your gorgeous photos and beautiful, poetic words. Until I can experience it myself, you continue to fuel my dreams.
You are making me want to go to England so bad! The number one place I would love to go to is the Bronte parsonage museum 🥹💕
Any trip to England is a dream come true trip to me. Looks like you had a lovely time! Those crispy eggs with chili oil do sound delicious and Notting Hill book store. What a delight! Thank you for this giveaway. So thoughtful and sweet of you💕
This sounds absolutely dreamy! I would love to spend an entire summer in Cotswold.
What a dream! Someday soon I hope to visit England. Thank you for sharing your amazing itinerary!
What an amazing experience you’ve created for yourself and others! I hope you keep the tours to England going for many years to come. Then my kids might be old enough to stay with Grandparents so I can come along too! 😆 Thank you for sharing your lovely trips and photos. So special to read about!
A dream holiday for sure,some day I’ll join one of your England trips 🙏🏼 Thank you for sharing your adventures, it’s lovely to read about England and to see the photos on cold and dreary days here in Holland 🥰📚😘
This is so beautiful! I have never wanted to visit England as much as I do now!! You really show England in a different way! Thank you!
I adore all the photos you took! Especially the teapots. I absolutely feel the same way about England.
Loved this blog!!! Hope I make it for the extra England trip you just added.
It would be the best Christmas gift ever!!!
AHH I can’t wait to travel to England with you next year!! I am so so happy I found this group of kindred spirits and cannot wait to explore all these enchanting places with you all!!
(I’ll also need to extend my trip to include all these fabulous bookstores and library tea parties!!)
Your trip looks like a dream! Stunning and picturesque! I love the Enchanted Book Club and all of the friends I have met along the way from so many different places. This trip is a perfect example of all that it mean to be apart of this group of kindred spirits.
What a dream! Thank you for sharing. Hopefully I’ll get to experience England next year.
What a truly dream of a trip
The right words did come to you as reading this blog post makes me feel like I am right there by your side. What a wonderful trip. Thank you so much for sharing it with us and thank you for the opportunity to win this amazing give-a-way. Wishing you the happiest of holidays.
What a wonderful blog post to wake up to this morning! Thank you so much for sharing so much about the magical experience of your return to England with us. It brought up the same feelings I had after my trip to the Cotswolds and countryside last Fall. My heart aches to go back.. to soak up more of the charm, beauty & sheer delight. There’s just something about it that’s hard to put into words as you said…✨💛✨
Beautifully written and heartfelt description of your trip. It’s so nice to know that the gorgeous settings we read and imagine about really do exist ❤️
Thanks for sharing.
I am so looking forward to meeting my kindred spirits in England next fall! Wishing everyone an early “Happy Christmas!”
I loved reading your blog and can’t wait to go next year. I’ve been an Anglophile for as long as I can remember and I know I’ll think I’m in heaven when I get there! Thank you for such heartfelt descriptions and for following your heart.
Adding another post as I just thought of it. For Cotswold Fans, you must read “Wives Like Us” by Plum Sykes. It’s a charming and very funny novel that reads like Desperate Wives of the Cotswolds! Enjoy!
What a lovely blog, Hayley! You have captured so many heartfelt thoughts and experiences of being there. It was so lovely to read and transported me back to our beloved England for a little while. It’s so wonderful you share your experiences with such a lovely writing style as well – to me it’s the sharing that makes life and travel so special. And I love that you purchase goodies and gifts to give to our members along the way. It’s a lovely way to connect. Thank you for all you do! So happy to have found our Enchanted Book Club with kindred spirits.
Absolutely lovely! I enjoyed browsing through the photos and recommendations – one day I hope to visit this area! 🥰 Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your memories there!
Hi Hayley,
I’m so glad you got to go separate from all of us😏so you could privately think and dream and “be.” What a wonderful experience! I’m also glad that I’ll be going with you next year and get to see many of these magical places.
Oh, my my. Your trip looks absolutely heavenly. I am happy for those who will be going to England with you next year and hope to someday go there myself.
England is absolutely a beloved place. I enjoyed reading about your amazing trip with a lifetime of memories!
Greetings, Hayley
I truly enjoyed reading your blog. Your writing already took me on a journey to England and has also sparked the wanderlust in me! I just hope there’s a spot left for me to travel with you, and your, ‘Enchanted Book Club’ in September, 2025! Blessings!✨💫
This adventure sounds amazing! I would live to go and will definitely be telling my friends about it too!
Hayley,
You have just made a lot of members very happy–so thank you! For sure, England will be everything you can imagine and more. What a gift it is to be a member of The Enchanted Book Club–absolutely delightful in every way!
So pretty! I’ve never been to England but it is my dream destination!
Hoping to visit the UK sometime in the future and I have so enjoyed following along on your trip! Saving all the recommendations on my Google Map account brings me so much joy!
Hello Hayley,
England is very Enchanted. I am under its spell completely. I enjoyed reading about your London and Cotswold experiences. The English countryside is absolutely magical. I share the same -that it leaves you unable to describe!!
Looking forward in our trip together with EBC.
Fairy Tales do come true.
Oh I would love to win this lovely bundle of goodies! It must have been so enchanting to go on holiday to England! When I was younger and watched the Disney movie “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” I swore I’d someday go to England and go to the “Portabello Road” Market there. I do believe Notting Hill is in the same neck of the woods. 😉 How lovely to be amidst antiques and just all things old-world. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us, Hayley! Hope to travel again with you soon!
The Cotswolds!! England!! Are there more lovely words?!?! Thank you for sharing the Enchantment!! Love to you dear one!
The pictures …ugh!! Just want to jump into them with you. To get away to the peaceful countryside 😍…. Looks so relaxing as well. Thanks for sharing your journey with us & all you do for this group.
This is beautiful! Thank you for sharing the magic with us! 💕
Hayley, your passion for travel to England shines in your description from this latest trip! Makes me want to book a flight immediately! I am so excited for the addition of another England trip, thank you!!
This was amazing to read! Everything seems out of a storybook—which it is! I would love to win the giveaway, but definitely am going to look into a future trip!
I have loved my few trips to England and would always choose to go back again and again! The Enchanted Book Club travel itineraries are the stuff of my dreams. My unique food restrictions are my biggest barrier. I attended your itinerary presentation, which included your assurance that dietary needs could be accommodated. That gave me a glimmer of hope. One of these days I’ll come up with the words to send you an email to discuss the specifics and see if that is a real possibility. Regardless, I love what you are doing here!
I look forward to hearing more about literary travel opportunities, especially to England! Thank you for the lovely post.
So kind of you to share your lovely trip to England, Hayley. The many unique and enchanting bookshops and places for tea all along the way is quite amazing!
I love this blog post as my husband and I have started saving for our dream holiday to the UK. Given our proclivity’s for books, books and more books. Your itinerary sounds amazing and the pictures you shared are a perfect pairing for your words.
Looking forward to being enchanted in the fall 🙂 Thank you for the lovely post.
What a dream! ♥️ Thank you for sharing your journey with us!
What a beautiful blessing for you Hayley. My dream is to go to England and I know one day I will get there.
But being able to read and see all the amazing photos is so amazing. It just fills my heart .
Notting Hill is one of my all time favorites. I’m just a girl standing in front of boy asking him to love her !
Oh my heart 🙂
Joining The Enchanted Book Club was one of the best things I’ve done. Thank you for all you do in this
community looking forward to 2025.
We visited the UK for the first time in Sept 2023, too, and cannot wait to go back. We stopped at several spots you mentioned above, but we didn’t get to Chawton and I would love to on the next adventure. It won’t be anytime soon, but it took us 40 years to get over the first time and the hope is maybe it’ll only be five years between that trip and the next one.
How lovely! I also feel the same way about the English countryside having my heart. It’s hard to describe the feeling and the sights of such a fantastic and magical place. One of my favorite places is the Lake District/Windermere. Its an amazing place. Hawkshead village is adorable and they have the best gingerbread ever there!
It was wonderful to meet you for afternoon tea! I am so glad you had such a brilliant time here x
Hayley, I just love that you decided it was time and you went! You inspire us all to take a leap when our hearts and souls need it🩷 Thank you for sharing your adventure☺️I’m excited to deep dive into the places you’ve recommended that I didn’t know before! Such beautiful photography as always. You should frame the one of you looking off into the misty autumnal English countryside. What a wonderful reminder of the magic the countryside holds for you.
Hi Hayley,
It is hard to fathom how one country could hold so much enchantment. Your words and pictures capture it so beautifully. Thank-you!
Winning this would make not just my Christmas, but my year!! Nancy Mitford is also one of my favourite authors and I don’t have this copy.
I can’t wait to next visit England. One of my favourite places I visited was Groombridge Place, which was Longbourn in the movie adaptation. I recommend it to everyone because it was fabulous! They also have an enchanted forest (very apt leaving this comment here!) and lovely gardens 🌸
So happy for you that you enjoyed your stay in England. Thank you for sharing your experience. Xxx
Oh my gosh, what an incredible adventure! I was lucky enough to live in the Cotswolds for three years, and I so long to return. Thank you for the giveaway!
Living vicariously through you!
Dear Hayley.
Dear Dear Hayley.
Thank you.
Thank you for taking us on enchanted virtual trip with you.
I felt your joy, your giddiness, your sheer enchantment.
I felt your unselfish wish in wanting each and everyone of us kindred spirits there… right there alongside you.
Sharing a mutual love and delight in all things England and the Cotswald’s.
Together.
Holding each other up. Joyful. Gleeful. Awestruck. (Pinch me! Pinch me! Is this truly happening? In front of our eyes?? Yessss…shared whispers…yesssss)
No truer confirmation of this wish, this hope as you thought about all of us by…shopping for souvenirs with us in mind.
I can picture you smiling as you roamed the gift shops looking looking for the perfect souvenir…
How sweet and thoughtful!!!
I read your blog.
Then I read it again.
I lingered on each picture image.
Dreaming of England. Of the Cotswald’s.
Someday. Someday…I shall visit. And I shall have a print out of Hayley’s recommendations with me.
I reread the blog again.
I print it.
I three-hope punch each printed page.
I put it in my dedicated The Enchanted Book Club binder that I created when I began my membership. A journal. A scrapbook of sorts.
I close the binder. My hand lingers on the cover which is the iconic EBC logo.
I close my eyes and…I smile.
Thank you for letting me live vicariously through you, Hayley.
I felt like I was there…
💕🫶💕
I thought my desire to visit England could not get any more obsessive. Then I read your collection of words about it. Is it irrational to be afraid – truly afraid – that when I do finally experience England, that my heart will break into pieces when I have to return home to the states?
It sounds like you had the most glorious trip Hayley. I can completely relate to that feeling of magic and wonder! Your photos are all so inspiring. Thanks for sharing all of your suggested places to visit and eat. And thanks for your generous giveaway. What a lovely bundle of souvenirs for a special winner!
Your trip really looks like a dream! I can’t wait until my next vacation to England – and have bookmarked the post for future planning.
Sounds like you had a magical trip! I hope to get there at some point in my life and experience the magic!
You have a wonderful bundle of souvenirs as a giveaway!
This is exactly how I feel when I go somewhere I have longed to go to for my whole life. It looks simply divine! You capture such good things that some people never seem to notice. Everything about this blog post was beautiful- to the quotes, pictures, and all that’s in between, you’ve set my eyes on a trip here. It is such a beautiful tribute to your vacation and all its beautiful glories! Thank you, Haley! From my heart to yours 🙂
I live in England and haven’t visited many of these places – I must put that right because they look beautiful! X
One photograph is more beautiful than the next. Thank you for always posting all of the little details about your lovely trips. I feel like I am there as well.
Merry Christmas!