In the bleak mid-winter ..... when the temperatures drop,  humidity levels also plummet and sadly the drier the air, the drier your skin.

It is a misty autumnal morning in ‘The Wildings’ at Thyme and there is a quiet ethereal beauty to the water meadows, woodland and riverbanks of the Southrop Manor Estate.

My culinary career began in a sailing environment, a sharp contrast to the gentle Cotswold countryside surrounding Thyme.

As the days lengthen and thoughts of slowing down in the summer sun take hold, the desire to seek out water is instinctive.

I recall one fine morning, several years ago, in the South of France, when I woke up with a light fuzziness to find myself on the patio of a charming Chateau.

I have just been to Antarctica.

As the festive season draws near, the floristry at Thyme continues to respond to the seasons, keeping in step with and reflecting the pared-back winter landscape and gardens that surround us.

At the heart of Thyme sit two beautiful barns. The restoration of the Ox Barn and the opening of its eponymous restaurant mark the final piece in our village-within-a- village restoration.

The inspiration for our spa, The Meadow is nature and light.

We began our trip near Lecce, in a converted masseria, a fortified farm house. Often converted now, but once where olive oil was made. You can eat at and visit many, and we came across abandoned ones too.

Although sometimes known as the Teardrop of India, I can assure you, there was nothing to cry about here.

Towering over all of the buildings at Thyme is our magnificent Cedar of Lebanon. Over three times as tall as our highest rooves, it has an impressive and commanding presence.

Exciting things are happening at Thyme. Next year we will see the addition of new rooms, another restaurant and a spa.

In Elizabethan country houses, located close to the kitchen and the garden, would be found what was known as a ‘still room’.

Rest is the conversation between what we love to do and how we love to be.