With Rivals returning to Disney+ later this week on 15 May, the countryside is about to get its shoulder pads back. Season two brings more boardroom warfare, polo, scandal and 80s excess, with the fictional world of Rutshire once again rooted in the Cotswolds and South West.
Below is a curated mix of country house glamour, English society and long weekends with a little cinematic drama: The Fleece in Cirencester, for a stay in the real Cotswolds close to the world that inspired and filmed Rivals and Langdale Chase on Windermere, for a restored country house hotel with heritage lake views and a strong sense of English glamour.
The Fleece, Cirencester, Cotswolds
For readers wanting the real Rutshire feel, The Fleece sits in the heart of Cirencester, around 12 miles from Tetbury, the Cotswolds town used as fictional Cotchester in Rivals. It gives the whole thing a proper weekend-away angle: Cotswold stone, market-town shopping, long lunches, good wine, and a room upstairs after a night that feels more Jilly Cooper than sensible mini-break.
The inn itself is a Grade II listed 17th-century building with 28 individually styled rooms, a central spot near Cirencester’s market square, and a strong piece of history too: King Charles II is believed to have hidden in Room 1 after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. It is the right kind of place for readers who want the Cotswolds without making it too polished.
Nightly rates from £114 per room B&B. https://www.thefleececirencester.co.uk/
Langdale Chase, Windermere, Lake District
For readers more interested in the mood of Rivals than a filming-location trail, Langdale Chase gives the English country-house fantasy a lakeside turn: a restored Victorian house on Windermere, terraces over the water, grown-up dinners, and the sort of setting that makes a weekend feel slightly more cinematic than planned.
Reopened following a multi-million-pound restoration, the 30-bedroom hotel has 5 AA Stars, an AA Rosette Dining Room, direct lake access, a private jetty and Albatros, its restored 1920s launch for scheduled and private cruises. For the full society-weekend version, the 1896 Boathouse sits directly above the lake, with its own private entrance, terrace and copper slipper bath looking out over the water.
Nightly rates from £400 per room B&B. https://www.langdalechase.co.uk/
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