Our Cotswolds Countryside with its rolling hills and stunning scenery has captured the hearts of so many, we settle here for reasons such as work and family, we stay for the place.

Let us extend this concept further, let’s capture those moments and explore them, and who better to discuss this with than local photographer and Cotswold Collective Partner, Claire Westaway. Why? Well her tagline is ‘capturing the heart of your family’.

In fact, she really encapsulates the Cotswold Collective ethos as she says:

‘When I’m not creating joy-filled, love-bursting photos for my wonderful families, you can probably find me either hiking over the Cotswold hills with my husband and my little tribe or curled up with a good book and some Maltesers on the sofa! ‘

They do say Maltesers are the ‘lighter way to enjoy life’ so it sounds like she’s got the perfect balance between work and home life as well as exploring her surroundings!

Interestingly, Claire used to be a secondary school teacher but noted ‘when I became a mum, I realised just what people mean when they say that time goes too fast when you have kids and I desperately wanted to slow it down. I still do.’

It’s amazing how life encourages the changes that whilst initially make you apprehensive, end of giving you an utter sense of fulfilment- something many of our Cotswold Collective Partners bravely embraced, and through our community we lift and build each other up to keep this energy going.

For Claire it was photography that gave her that ‘magical power – to capture forever the moments that can be gone in an instant – the feeling of their tiny hand in yours; the touch of their cheek as they nuzzle into your neck; the look in their eyes as they check to see you’re still by their side. Those tangible, precious memories and feelings, brought to life in a photo.

But it’s not just the people that are important to Claire, of equal importance is the space.

We asked Claire her FOUR favourite Cotswold locations to photograph, and we particularly love number 2 just for her bold reasoning!

The Hills

1. You simply can’t beat the raw, Wuthering Heights feel of our iconic county. Crickley Hill and Cleeve Hill are a particular find. Photographing wild walks amongst windy backdrops creates such a sense of movement and really being alive within nature.

Did you know that Cleeve Hill is also known as Cleeve Cloud, if only Wordsworth had done some of his famous wanderings up on this particular cloud! It’s also the highest point both of the Cotswolds hill range and of the county to Gloucestershire at 330m.

It’s a great family walk too, and when you’re tired why not explore the local towns of Bishops Cleeve or Winchcombe?

With your Cotswold Collective Membership Card, you can take advantage of some great little offers, for instance grab a warming coffee or fuel up for lunch at Cotswolds Cakes and Bakes and receive a handy little 10% off whilst supporting a lovely independent business.

Or visit coffee and wine-bar The Old Bakery if your walk takes more of an evening stroll feel! They serve amazing fresh coffee, cakes, local ales and wine and charcuterie. The Old Bakery is set in a 17th Century building providing a classic Cotswold experience. Run by husband and wife they aim to provide a warm and relaxed vibe for you to enjoy their visit with them, with 10% off your bill with your membership card.

Cheltenham Town Centre

‘I absolutely love running family photo sessions in town, with the beautiful regency architecture as the backdrop and interesting landmarks, doorways and buildings to frame your photos. Whether you’re visiting the area or it’s the place you call home, it’s the perfect backdrop to tell your family story and create a beautiful and unique gallery of photos.”

Cheltenham is a proper day out for you Cotswold Collective Members and as a spa town we strongly suggest you use your membership card for all the self care pamper treats we have to offer.

Lower Slaughter

Such a beauty spot, with such a terrible name. But rest assured it’s nothing to do with actual Slaughter, in fact, Slaughter comes from an Old English word ‘Slothre,’ which means muddy or miry place. Considering Lower Slaughter runs close to the river Eye, you can imagine in bygone times that muddy ground may well have been the reality. However, nowadays the river is more akin to a stream, and a wonderful space that Claire loves to capture in photoshoots.

It’s a popular filming location including the 2020 film, Emma but is lesser known that the frequented Bourton-on-the Water.

Why not go from the quiet to the busy, and take a preamble around Bourton-on-the-Water too? Here you can visit pretty little shops such as Boho House, A boutique collection of carefully curated, ethically sourced, beautiful homewares. They welcome local makers and creators to showcase in the shop, along carefully created mix of joyful pieces from their suppliers. Many of their products are lovingly and sustainably crafted by local Cotswold artisans, designed to evoke joy and positivity.

Your Home

Finally, Claire finds it really important to let people know that their humble abode is also one of the most intimate and special spaces from which to photograph. It allows an insight into the essence of your family and most people find it a very relaxing and calming experience.

So if you ever choose to invest in photography with Claire, remember how thoughtfully she considers her gorgeous Cotswolds home and how much she wants to create the perfect shots for YOU.

In her own words:

 “When I meet your family and take your photograph, I do so not only as a photographer but also as a mum, looking to pause time for you in the same way I’ve done with my children. Because family is everything.”

Family, Community, Collaboration- we couldn’t agree more.

Cotswold Collective Members save 10% on shoots with Claire.