THE COTSWOLDS

The Cotswolds, literally meaning "sheep pen on the hill", is quite a large area  "of outstanding beauty" including hundreds of small towns and villages, still a working farming environment, famous for its beautiful, warm, golden limestone buildings and gentle countryside.

As with all our suggested areas this heart of England is rich in history and culture from ancient times: see the Rollright Stones, which legend  claims are King Arthur's knights turned to stone and in contrast  enjoy the splendour of Oxford's " dreaming spires"

Water is the key to the beauty of the Cotswolds. essential to the wealth of sheep farming of the past, the spas such as at Cheltenham and the canals which criss-cross the area.

"With no theme parks, long queues for rides the Cotswolds is a restful area, where time slips away happily and a Blackberry is something you make jam with" ( a quote from the Cotswold Tourism website).

Suggested sights and activities

Blenheim Palace, a great favourite noble seat, home to the Dukes of Marlborough, birthplace of Winston Churchill, with Capability Brown's tranquil landscaped parkland and Vanbrugh's Grand Bridge. this is the essence of 18th Century wealth and fashionable splendor.

Broughton Castle, a moater medieval manor house, home to the Saye and Sele lords for 6 centuries, beseiged by Royalists in the Civil War

Broadway with its choclate box looks.

Chipping Campden-the best preserved historical village, the"jewel in the crown" of Cotswold towns, with an award-wining wine merchant, founded in 1727  with wines dating back to 1935.

Bourton-on-the-water; Stow-on-the-Wold; Moreton-in-Marsh; Upper and lower Slaughter- Moreton-in Marsh, which dates back to Saxon times and on a Tuesday holds the largest open air market in the area.    Stow is on the Roman Fosse Way and dates from a prehistoric fortified settlement. All these would make an excellent tour, being close enough to Oxford, Stratford and Cheltenham.

Upton House, near Banbury has art works by El Greco, Stubbs and Bosch, fine porceline and Art deco collections and on occasions it is possible to be weekend guests of Lord and Lady Bearsted

Markets-traditionally English. There are 16 listed Thursdays-Sundays and 12 Wednesdays-Saturdays and 31 regular age-old weekly farmers' markets in the area.

Sports etc-plenty of opportunities for walking, cycling, polo ,rugby, cricket, even "surfing the Severn Bore" \
Gardens;

Snowshill Manor and Gardens in the Arts and Crafts style, Broadway

Snowshill's magnificent lavender fields

Hidcote manor gardens, Chipping Campden whose own advertisement claims "Memories don't get any better than this.   Relax and unwind in one of the country's great gardens and experience for yourself the fulfilment of a quiet American's English fantasy." Events held regularly.

Shopping:    Not an area for multi-national brand names thankfully, but real browsing shopping, quirky antiques, boutiques, bookshops, craft retailers, farm shops and  markets.