The Cotswolds will be having a Rivals summer, so it seems, thanks to season two of the hit show landing on Disney+ in all its aristo-rural, 80s hedonist glory. And while Jilly Cooper’s fictional county of Rutshire might play host to the likes of Rupert Campbell-Black in an era that far pre-dates the region’s current reputation for glossy private members’ clubs and maddening tourist crowds, that original essence – all tweed, dogs and hockey sticks – is still palpable, if you know where to go.
The steamy second series of the Disney+ show has got us dreaming of a Cotswolds escape…
As a Gloucestershire local herself, Cooper based her Rivals characters – and setting – on the very social scene she was surrounded by, as many of her former neighbours have attested. Her own home was in the quiet, picture-book village of Bisley, though it was nearby market town Tetbury that truly inspired the fictional Cotchester where the Rivals gang get up to no good. So if a day out at the polo or a woodland walk with hounds in arms is your thing, there’s plenty of inspiration to be taken from Jilly Cooper’s pages.
That being said, it’s not only the Cotswolds that captures the Rivals spirit – be it cosy pubs frequented by country folk or enterprising eateries bringing back 80s classics. Prawn cocktail, anyone?
Charles At Cirencester Park Polo Club, 1989Getty Images
How to have a Rivals summer
Visit Beaufort Polo Club
Tetbury’s famed-yet-friendly Beaufort Polo Club was Cooper’s direct inspiration for many of her plotlines (particularly for Polo, the third book in the Rutshire Chronicles series, but also as the basis for her equestrian rogue Rupert Campbell-Black). All are welcome to attend and watch this ancient ball sport in action – most weekday matches are free to watch from the sidelines, though ticketed events such as the annual Beaufort International (June 13th, this year) offer an opportunity to truly immerse in the country culture of it all. And yes, you do get to stomp the divots.
Address: Downfarm House, Westonbirt, Tetbury GL8 8QW
Website: beaufortpoloclub.com
Walk around the Bathurst Estate and Cirencester Park
It’s easy to imagine the plummy Lady Monica Baddingham residing on the sprawling Bathurst Estate, dating back to the 1700s and surrounded by beautiful parkland. Here, you can plan a picturesque walk – dogs welcome – or horse lovers can join one of the many riding routes amongst the listed woodland. At the Old Kennels, you’ll find some locally-run food spots as well as the familiarly named micro-brewery Corinium Ales – where tours and tastings are welcome.
