Cotswolds

 

Growing up in the Cotswolds didn't seem special at the time. As kids, we took it for granted that a few minutes from home lay one of Britain's most mesmerising landscapes. Now, guiding for Roots, I get a chance to return frequently and truly appreciate the benign beauty of this beguiling region.

 

The tranquil River Coln flowing through the quaint, historic village of Bibury

 

As the sun rose above the wooded valleys to illuminate the verdant undulating landscape, and the cool, crisp, summer morning air began to rise into puffy white clouds, we would jump on our bikes and spend many a lazy afternoon ambling along the deserted country lanes with the only sounds to break the silence being the bleating of sheep and the melodious chatter of the skylarks above.

 

This is not just a recollection of the distant past, this can be your experience today!

 

The 900-year-old Norman church at Guiting Power

 

Although not given National Park status, the Cotswolds is a large Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is protected from unlimited development. Located south of Stratford-upon-Avon, north of Bath, west of Oxford and east of Cheltenham, it covers an area of about 1500 square km of beautiful countryside, rolling hills, river valleys, fields of sheep and flowers, and ancient churches set among pretty honey-coloured villages. 

 

Old farmhouses and wool merchants' mansions dot the landscape

 

Many visitors to the Cotswolds liken the region to Tuscany, the fabulous region of central Italy that was once the beating heart of the Renaissance and the trailblazer of Italian culture. Similarly, the Cotswolds was key to Britain's wealth generation a few centuries ago and has wooed and charmed visitors ever since.  

 

Wool was the mainstay of the Cotswolds economy in the 16th century.

 

The Cotswolds is now a sleepy part of rural Britain but 2000 years ago it was populated by the Roman invaders, and back in medieval times it was one of the most important wool-producing regions of England, one of the major industries upon which the country derived its wealth. Visiting the region today can feel like going back centuries in time. When the sun shines and the villages glow a rich honey colour, there is no doubting it is one of the most beautiful regions in England. 

 

600-year-old cottages made from the local, honey-coloured limestone

 

There are thousands of hectares of beautiful countryside and hundreds of untouched villages in the Cotswolds. Our tours take us through just a small selection of them. But the region is famous for a reason, and that fame has brought the tourists in large numbers. We try to avoid most of the tourist honeypots but some are so quintessentially Cotswold it would be remiss of us not to visit some of them. Our tours may take in one or more of the following villages:

 

Bibury
William Morris, the celebrated textile designer associated with the English Arts & Craft Movement, called Bibury the most beautiful village in England. Set in the picturesque valley of the River Coln, the village possesses one of the most photographed scenes in the Cotswolds - the 14th century Arlington Row cottages. Feed the fish at Bibury Trout Farm, or visit Arlington Mill, a folk museum with an exhibition dedicated to the Art and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds. 

 

Bourton-on-the-water

The ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’, Bourton is the most touristy village in the region. The village is arranged along the tree-lined banks of the River Windrush, flanked by numerous tourist boutiques and tea shops. Its attractions include a Model Village, Model Railway, Birdland, Cotswold Perfumery & Cotswold Pottery. We will take lunch here.

 

Chipping Campden
A small and picturesque market town of wool merchants’ houses, quaint shops and restaurants, a fabulous old market building and some houses that would befit the cover of a chocolate box!

 

How to get there?

 

Travelling by minibus allows us to drive through the quiet country lanes connecting the prettiest villages so we can show you places that the majority of tourists rarely see, and The Cotswolds at its best.

 

Join our guided day tour from Cambridge to Stratford & The Cotswolds