The back story: Fittingly, for somewhere so intimately connected to the countryside it inhabits, Thyme’s story is one of slow evolution. It began when Caryn Hibbert and her husband Jerry moved to Southrop Manor in 2001 with their two young children. In 2007, their Cotswolds home became the backdrop for Thyme’s first incarnation — a cookery school, hosted in a once-derelict tithe barn, restored by Hibbert and her father. Seven years later, Thyme opened its doors as a fully-fledged hotel and its footprint has continued to grow. Today, the 31-room property includes a spa, outdoor pool, and its own pub, all housed in barns, cottages and farmhouses that have occupied the surrounding land for centuries, all lovingly restored by Hibbert to create an idyllic – and inspiring – adults-only country escape, which they nickname a ‘village in a village’.
Look and feel: A hygge-stoking marriage of rustic, high-beamed charm and striking, contemporary design. Thyme’s interior look and feel has always been inspired by its Cotswolds gardens and nature. Its botanical personality extends to their own homewares, fabrics and wallpapers created by Caryn and Milly Hibbert, and the plant-forward Bertioli Beauty range used in the chic greenhouse-like spa.
The green credentials: Sustainability runs throughout Thyme’s ethos, from the small details (the all-in-one hair and body soap bar was a revelation for me) to larger projects, such as the ongoing rewilding of 40 acres of water meadows. A ground-source heat pump and wood-chip boilers take care of heating, part of an array of modern eco-tech and complemented by ultra-efficient insulation. Boreholes ensure its water use is fully responsible, and the shirking of chemicals and mimicking nature's ways extends to a chlorine-free spring-water pool.
The eco-USP: Look no further than the Ox Barn. This converted 19-century oxen house, now home to the destination restaurant, is an excellent showcase for Thyme’s many eco endeavours. Reuse and recycle are the guiding mantras in the zero-waste kitchen, where many of the ingredients featuring on the menu are farmed onsite, the rest sourced from suppliers with impeccable sustainable standards. There are few cosier places to while an evening on sheepskin-clad Scandi armchairs, enjoying guilt-free, and imaginatively conceived, dishes of modern British comfort food while the fire blazes nearby.
Out and about: The postcard-pretty village of Southrop is an ideal launch pad for a head-clearing country stroll. We’d recommend a not-too-taxing circuit of the local footpaths before finishing up back in Southrop for a refuel in The Swan, which is nothing short of the platonic ideal of a Cotswolds pub. Further afield, the town of Burford – 15 minutes’ drive away – is well worth a visit for its picturesque main street with its antique shops and enticing tea rooms; while nature-lovers would be advised to include the Westonbirt Aroboretum in their weekend itinerary. This 600-acre 'tree garden' boasts one of the most diverse botanical collections on the planet, and if there's a more peaceful, restorative and altogether soul-enriching way to spend an afternoon in these parts then we're yet to find it. Southrop Manor Estate, Lechlade, Gloucestershire GL7 3NX; thyme.co.uk
