Our past two full days in the Cotswolds have been spectacular. We traveled to neighboring villages of Broadway, Chipping Campden, Bourton-on-the-Water, Lower Slaughter, and Stow-on-the-Wold. We would have loved to have that first lost day but we packed quite a lot in and only cut out one village and couple of sights we had planned to see. We traveled to and fro via "high-speed" public busses--quite a ride along narrow winding roads! It's a slow pace in the Cotswolds and the bus drivers are friendly and helpful, but they take their driving seriously.
There have been pints, there has been tea, there have been fish and chips and scones. We've enjoyed meeting new friends and making memories. The people have been so friendly and warm. We started our trip here on advice I read in a Rick Steves book years ago. He said it's the perfect place to begin a UK trip because it's slow-paced and welcoming, and that's been our experience for sure. We haven't even left and I long to come back...
Our brains and hearts are full of history and fondness for this "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty." Each village was a little different with its own shining gem to see and stories to learn. The buildings date as far back as 947 AD, mostly 1600's to 1800's, made of beautiful honey-colored limestone and thatched or slate roofs. Cobblestones are uneven and full of stories. Homes are maintained with lovely English gardens, trimmed hedges, and climbing roses. It's like walking through literature!
The village of Broadway is beautiful and busy, host to an arts festival currently going on. We took a scenic hike up to Broadway Tower along a public foot path through fields of sheep and sheep pies. (Wrong country but the hills were alive with the sound of music...) The Broadway Tower was built in the late 1700's as a "folly" for Lady Coventry and looks like the castle we all imagined in childhood--turrets, balconies, gargoyles. The streets of Broadway, like all the villages are charming. Here I also noted my first of a few reminders about walking dogs...
(Steve "pointing" sheep, obviously.)
(Me trying to pet the sheep, obviously.)
We continued from Broadway to Chipping Campden, a market town with the most beautiful High Street, lined with old buildings built from Cotswold Stone. The central point of High Street is the Market Hall, a shelter for merchants, constructed in the 1600s as an open produce market and still used today by local vendors. The Viscount of Campden, Sir Baptist Hicks, a successful silk merchant and politician, had the hall built as well as a row of Almshouses for needy pensioners, which also still serves its original purpose today. Sir Baptist Hicks was wealthy and generous and now lies entombed alongside his wife in St. James' Church.
Today we first bussed to Bourton-on-the-Water, called the "Venice of the Cotswolds," with a canal running through the town. It is gorgeous, picturesque, and quite touristy, so we stayed just long enough to take in the views. From there we walked along foot paths through horse pastures to Lower Slaughter, one of the prettiest spots we've seen.
We spent the afternoon in Stow-on-the-Wold. It was Steve's favorite stop so far--a market town full of really "old shit." We had lunch at the Porch House, the oldest pub in England, 947 AD. Lots of minding our heads in there! We wandered around the buildings and into St Edward's Church. The back door of the church is framed by enormous yew trees and was Tolkien's inspiration for the Doors of Durin. It is magical.
We got back to Moreton-in-Marsh early enough to stop in to Cotswolds Cheese Shop and we plan to have a light dinner of cheese and fruit in our hotel. The hotel and courtyard are lovely, though a lot of minding is required.
Tomorrow we will head back to London on the train to begin the next leg of our adventure!
Cheers! (As they say)
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Looks like you are having gorgeous weather. I’m sold!!! Looks like a magical adventure. Can’t wait for the next installment.