Broad Campden, Blockley, and Bourton-on-the-Hill
The Cotswold Hills, a 25-by-90-mile chunk of Gloucestershire, are dotted with enchanting, time-passed villages. Enjoy a harmonious blend of man and nature: this almost pristine English countryside is decorated with rich wooden churches, tell-me-a-story stone fences, and “kissing gates” you wouldn’t want to experience alone.
As with many fairy-tale regions of Europe, the present-day beauty of the Cotswolds was the result of an economic disaster. Wool was a huge industry in medieval England and Cotswold sheep grew the best wool. Wool money built fine towns, churches, and houses. With the rise of cotton and the Industrial Revolution, the woolen industry collapsed. Ba-a-a-ad news. The wealthy Cotswold towns fell into depression and the homes of impoverished nobility became gracefully dilapidated. Preserved as if by time warp, the Cotswolds are appreciated by 21st-century Romantics.
Two of the region’s coziest towns and best home bases are Chipping Campden and Stow-on-the-Wold. Chipping Campden is prettier (with more thatched roofs), though Stow offers a wider range of restaurants and accommodations. The plain town of Moreton-in-Marsh, the nearest Cotswold town with a train station, is the simplest home base for nondrivers (though basing in Chipping Campden or Stow is possible—either town can be reached by bus from Moreton, except on Sunday, when bus service essentially stops).
Exploring the thatch-happiest villages and countryside of the Cotswolds is an absolute delight by car and, with a well-organized plan—and patience—is enjoyable even without one. Do your homework in advance; read this chapter carefully, though don’t fret over the details. Then decide if you want to rent a car; rely on public transportation (budgeting for an inevitable taxi ride); or reserve a day with a tour company or private driver.
Whether exploring by car or public transit, you can visit Chipping Campden (and nearby sights) on one day, and Stow-on-the-Wold (and nearby sights) on the other. If you love open-air markets and it’s Tuesday, drop by the market in Moreton-in-Marsh.
Distances are short in the Cotswolds; you could visit Chipping Campden and Stow in a half-day (they’re 10 miles apart, and respectively 8 and 4 miles away from Moreton-in-Marsh). But rushing the Cotswolds isn’t experiencing them. Their charm has a softening effect on many uptight itineraries.
Keep in mind that you can rent a car for just a day or two; for rental agencies near Moreton-in-Marsh, see here (and call in advance to reserve).
England’s top countryside palace, Blenheim (see here), is at the eastern edge of the Cotswolds, between Moreton-in-Marsh and Oxford. You could easily visit Blenheim on your way into or out of the region (nondrivers catch a train to Oxford, then a bus to the palace).
Use a good map and reshuffle this plan to fit your home base.
Day 1: Focus on Chipping Campden and the surrounding area. Browse through the town, following my self-guided walk. Heading south, you can take a loop drive, joyriding through Snowshill (lavender farm nearby), Stanway (Stanway House open Tue and Thu afternoon), and Stanton. If you’re a garden lover, head north and sniff out Hidcote Manor Garden.
On any evening, you could have dinner at a pub; take a seat at the bar if you want to talk with locals. The long hours of sunlight in summer make an after-dinner stroll an appealing option.
Day 2: Focus on Stow-on-the-Wold and the surrounding area. Explore Stow and take my self-guided walk. Drive to the Slaughters, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Bibury. If you’re up for a hike instead of a drive, walk from Stow to the Slaughters to Bourton-on-the-Water (about 3 hours at a relaxed pace), then catch the bus back to Stow.
Rick’s Tip: If you want to take in some Shakespeare, note that Stratford is only a 30-minute drive from Stow, Chipping Campden, and Moreton-in-Marsh. On the afternoon of your last day in the Cotswolds, you could drive to Stratford, set up in a hotel, and see a play that evening.
This plan is best for any day except Sunday—when virtually no buses run—and assumes you’re home base is Moreton-in-Marsh.
Day 1: Take the morning bus to Chipping Campden to explore that town and take my self-guided walk. You could hike up Dover’s Hill and back (about 1 hour round-trip). Eat lunch in Chipping Campden, then visit either Broad Campden or Broadway before returning directly from either town to Moreton-in-Marsh by bus. In the evening, have dinner at a pub and a stroll afterwards.
Day 2: Take a morning bus to Stow. After following my self-guided walk and poking around the town, hike from Stow through the Slaughters to Bourton-on-the-Water (a leisurely 3 hours), then return by bus or taxi to Moreton for dinner.
▲▲Chipping Campden Picturesque market town with finest High Street in England, accented by a 17th-century Market Hall, wool-tycoon manors, and a characteristic Gothic church. See here.
▲▲Stanway House Grand, aristocratic home of the Earl of Wemyss, with the tallest fountain in Britain and a 14th-century tithe barn. Hours: June-Aug Tue and Thu only 14:00-17:00, closed Sept-May. See here.
▲Stanton Classic Cotswold village with flower-filled exteriors and 15th-century church. See here.
▲Snowshill Manor Eerie mansion packed to the rafters with eclectic curiosities collected over a lifetime. Hours: July-Aug Wed-Mon 11:30-16:30, closed Tue; April-June and Sept-Oct Wed-Sun 12:00-17:00, closed Mon-Tue; closed Nov-March. See here.
▲Hidcote Manor Garden Fragrant garden organized into color-themed “outdoor rooms” that set a trend in 20th-century garden design. Hours: March-Sept daily 10:00-18:00; Oct daily 10:00-17:00; Nov-Dec Sat-Sun 11:00-16:00, closed Mon-Fri; closed Jan-Feb. See here.
▲Broad Campden, Blockley, and Bourton-on-the-Hill Trio of villages with sweeping views and quaint homes, far from the madding crowds. See here.
▲▲Stow-on-the-Wold Convenient Cotswold home base with charming shops and pubs clustered around town square, plus popular day hikes. See here.
▲Lower and Upper Slaughter Inaptly named historic villages—home to a working waterwheel, peaceful churches, and a folksy museum. See here.
▲Bourton-on-the-Water The “Venice of the Cotswolds,” touristy yet undeniably striking, with petite canals and impressive Motor Museum. See here.
▲Cotswold Farm Park Kid-friendly park with endangered breeds of native British animals, farm demonstrations, and tractor rides. Hours: Daily Feb-Oct 10:30-17:00, Nov-Dec 10:30-16:00, closed Jan. See here.
▲Mechanical Music Museum Tiny museum brimming with self-playing musical instruments, demonstrations, and Victorian music boxes. Hours: Daily 10:00-17:00. See here.
▲Bibury Village of antique weavers’ cottages, ideal for outdoor activities like fishing and picnicking. See here.
▲Cirencester Ancient, 2,000-year-old city noteworthy for its crafts center and museum, showcasing artifacts from Roman and Saxon times. See here.
▲Moreton-in-Marsh Relatively flat and functional home base with the best transportation links in the Cotswolds and a bustling Tuesday market. See here.
Local TIs stock a wide array of helpful resources and can tell you about any local events during your stay. Ask for the Cotswold Lion, the biannual newspaper, which includes suggestions for walks and hikes (spring/summer); bus schedules for the routes you’ll be using; and the Attractions and Events Guide (with updated prices and hours for Cotswold sights). Each Cotswold village also has its own assortment of brochures, often for a small fee (£0.50-1) because the TIs have lost much of their funding and are struggling to make ends meet (some are run by volunteers).
Just touristy enough to be convenient, the north Cotswold town of Chipping Campden (CAM-den) is a ▲▲ sight. This market town, once the home of the richest Cotswold wool merchants, has some incredibly beautiful thatched roofs. Both the great British historian G. M. Trevelyan and I call Chipping Campden’s High Street the finest in England.
Tourist Information: The TI is tucked away in the old police station on High Street. Buy the town guide with map, or the local Footpath Guide (April-Oct daily 9:30-17:00; Nov-March Mon-Thu 9:30-13:00, Fri-Sun 9:30-16:00; tel. 01386/841-206, www.chippingcampdenonline.org).
Festivals: Chipping Campden’s biggest festival is the Cotswold Olimpicks, a series of tongue-in-cheek countryside games, such as competitive shin-kicking (first Fri-Sat after Late May Bank Holiday, www.olimpickgames.co.uk). There’s a music festival in May and an open gardens festival the third weekend in June.
Bike Rental: Call Cycle Cotswolds, at the Volunteer Inn pub (£12/day, daily 7:00-dusk, Lower High Street, mobile 07549-620-597, www.cyclecotswolds.co.uk).
Taxi: Try Cotswold Private Hire (mobile 07980-857-833), Barry Roberts at Chipping Campden Private Hire (also does tours, mobile 07774-224-684, www.cotswoldpersonaltours.com), or Tour the Cotswolds (mobile 07779-030-820, www.tourthecotswolds.co.uk).
Parking: Find a spot anywhere along High Street (or the street called Back Ends) and park for free with no time limit. A pay-and-display lot is on High Street, across from the TI (1.5-hour maximum). On weekends, you can park for free at the school (see map).
Tours: The Cotswold Voluntary Wardens are happy to show you around for a small donation to their conservation society (suggested donation-£3/person, 1-hour walk, walks June-Sept Tue at 14:30 and Thu at 10:00, meet at Market Hall). Tour guide and coordinator Ann Colcomb can help arrange walks on other days as well (tel. 01386/832-131).
Chipping Campden WalkThis self-guided stroll through “Campden” (as locals call their town) takes you from the Market Hall west to the old silk mill, and then back east the length of High Street to the church. It takes about an hour.
Market Hall: Begin at Campden’s most famous monument—the Market Hall. It stands in front of the TI, marking the town center. The Market Hall was built in 1627 by the 17th-century Lord of the Manor, Sir Baptist Hicks. (Look for the Hicks family coat of arms on the east end of the building’s facade.) Back then, it was an elegant—even over-the-top—shopping hall for the townsfolk who’d come here to buy their produce. In the 1940s, it was almost sold to an American, but the townspeople heroically raised money to buy it first, then gave it to the National Trust for its preservation.
The timbers inside are true to the original. Study the classic Cotswold stone roof, still held together with wooden pegs nailed in from underneath. (Tiles were cut and sold with peg holes, and stacked like waterproof scales.) Buildings all over the region still use these stone shingles. Today, the hall, which is rarely used, stands as a testimony to the importance of trade to medieval Campden.
Adjacent to the Market Hall is the sober WWI monument—a reminder of the huge price paid by nearly every little town. Walk around it, noticing how 1918 brought the greatest losses.
Between the Market Hall and the WWI monument, you’ll find a limestone disc embedded in the ground, marking the ceremonial start of the Cotswold Way (you’ll find its partner in front of the abbey in Bath—100 miles away—marking the southern end).
The TI is just across the street, in the old police courthouse. If it’s open, you’re welcome to climb the stairs and peek into the Magistrate’s Court (free, same hours as TI, ask at TI to go up). Under the open-beamed courtroom, you’ll find a humble little exhibit on the town’s history.
• Walk west, passing the Town Hall and the parking lot that was originally the sheep market, until you reach the Red Lion Inn. Across High Street (and a bit to the right), look for the house with a sundial and sign over the door reading...
“Green Dragons”: The house’s decorative black cast-iron fixtures (originally in the stables) once held hay and functioned much like salad bowls for horses. Fine-cut stones define the door, but “rubble stones” make up the rest of the wall. The pink stones are the same limestone but have been heated, and likely were scavenged from a house that burned down.
• At the Red Lion, leave High Street and walk a block down Sheep Street. At the little creek just past the public WC, a 30-yard-long lane on the right leads to an old Industrial-Age silk mill (and the Hart silversmith shop).
On High Street
Silk Mill: The tiny Cam River powered a mill here since about 1790. Today it houses the handicraft workers guild and some interesting history. In 1902, Charles Robert Ashbee (1863-1942) revitalized this sleepy hamlet of 2,500 by bringing a troupe of London artisans and their families (160 people in all) to town. Ashbee was a leader in the romantic Arts and Crafts movement—craftspeople repulsed by the Industrial Revolution who idealized the handmade crafts and preindustrial ways. Ashbee’s idealistic craftsmen’s guild lasted only until 1908, when most of his men grew bored with their small-town, back-to-nature ideals. Today, the only shop surviving from the originals is that of silversmith David Hart. His grandfather came to town with Ashbee, and the workshop (upstairs in the mill building) is an amazing time warp—little has changed since 1902. Hart is a gracious man as well as a fine silversmith, and he, his son William, and nephew Julian welcome browsers (Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat 9:00-12:00, closed Sun, tel. 01386/841-100). They’re proud that everything they make is one of a kind. (While you could continue 200 yards farther to see some fine thatched houses, this walk doesn’t.)
• Return to High Street. On the corner is the studio shop of Robert Welsh, a local industrial designer who worked in the spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement. His son and daughter carry on his legacy in the fine shop (with a little museum case in the back). Turn right, and walk through town.
High Street: Chipping Campden’s High Street has changed little architecturally since 1840. (The town’s street plan and property lines survive from the 12th century.) As you now walk the length of England’s finest surviving High Street, study the skyline, see the dates on the buildings, and count the sundials. Notice the harmony of the long rows of buildings. While the street comprises different styles through the centuries, everything you see was made of the same Cotswold stone—the only stone allowed today.
To remain level, High Street arcs with the contour of the hillside. Because it’s so wide, you know this was a market town. In past centuries, livestock and packhorses laden with piles of freshly shorn fleece would fill the streets. Campden was a sales and distribution center for the wool industry, and merchants from as far away as Italy would come here for the prized raw wool.
High Street has no house numbers: Locals know the houses by their names. In the distance, you’ll see the town church (where this walk ends). Notice that the power lines are buried underground, making the scene wonderfully uncluttered.
As you stroll High Street, you’ll find the finest houses on the uphill side—which gets more sun. Decorative features (like the Ionic capitals near the TI) are added for nonstructural touches of class. Most High Street buildings are half-timbered, but with cosmetic stone facades. You may see some exposed half-timbered walls. Study the crudely beautiful framing, made of hand-hewn oak (you can see the adze marks) and held together by wooden pegs.
Peeking down alleys, you’ll notice how the lots are narrow but very deep. Called “burgage plots,” this platting goes back to 1170. In medieval times, rooms were lined up long and skinny like train cars: Each building had a small storefront, followed by a workshop, living quarters, staff quarters, stables, and a garden at the very back. Now the private alleys that still define many of these old lots lead to comfy gardens. While some of today’s buildings are wider, virtually all the widths are exact multiples of that basic first unit (for example, a modern building may be three times wider than its medieval counterpart).
• Hike the length of High Street toward the church, to just before the first intersection, to find a house on the left with gargoyles hanging out above. This is the....
Grevel House: In 1367, William Grevel built what’s considered Campden’s first stone house. Sheep tycoons had big homes. Imagine back then, when this fine building was surrounded by humble wattle-and-daub huts. It had newfangled chimneys, rather than a crude hole in the roof. (No more rain inside!) Originally a “hall house” with just one big, tall room, it got its upper floor in the 16th century. The finely carved central bay window is a good early example of the Perpendicular Gothic style. The gargoyles scared away bad spirits—and served as rain spouts. The boot scrapers outside each door were fixtures in that muddy age—especially in market towns, where the streets were filled with animal dung.
Grevel House
• Continue up High Street for about 100 yards. Go past Church Street (which we’ll walk up later). On the right, at a big tree behind a low stone wall, you’ll find a small Gothic arch leading into a garden.
Ernest Wilson Memorial Garden: Once the church’s vegetable patch, this small and secluded garden is a botanist’s delight today. Pop inside if it’s open. The garden is filled with well-labeled plants that the Victorian botanist Ernest Wilson brought back to England from his extensive travels in Asia. There’s a complete history of the garden on the board to the left of the entry.
• Backtrack to Church Street. Turn left, walk past the recommended Eight Bells pub, and hook left with the street. Along your right-hand side stretches...
Baptist Hicks Land: Sprawling adjacent to the town church, the area known as Baptist Hicks Land held Hicks’ huge estate and manor house. This influential Lord of the Manor was from “a family of substance,” who were merchants of silk and fine clothing as well as moneylenders. Beyond the ornate gate (which you’ll see ahead, near the church), only a few outbuildings and the charred corner of his mansion survive. The mansion was burned by royalists in 1645 during the Civil War—notice how Cotswold stone turns red when burned. Hicks housed the poor, making a show of his generosity, adding a long row of almshouses (with his family coat of arms) for neighbors to see as they walked to church. These almshouses (lining Church Street on the left) house pensioners today, as they have since the 17th century. Across the street is a ditch built as a “cart wash”—it was filled with water to soak old cart wheels so they’d swell up and stop rattling.
On the right, filling the old Court Barn, is a museum about crafts and designs from the Arts and Crafts movement, with works by Ashbee and his craftsmen (overpriced at £5, April-Sept Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, Oct-March Tue-Sun 10:00-16:00, closed Mon year-round, tel. 01386/841-951, www.courtbarn.org.uk).
• Next to the Hicks gate, a scenic, tree-lined lane leads to the front door of the church. On the way, notice the 12 lime trees, one for each of the apostles, that were planted in about 1760 (sorry, no limes).
St. James Church: One of the finest churches in the Cotswolds, St. James Church graces one of its leading towns. Both the town and the church were built by wool wealth. Go inside. The church is Perpendicular Gothic, with lots of light and strong verticality. Notice the fine vestments and altar hangings (intricate c. 1460 embroidery) behind protective blue curtains (near the back of the church). Tombstones pave the floor in the chancel (often under protective red carpeting)—memorializing great wool merchants through the ages.
At the altar is a brass relief of William Grevel, the first owner of the Grevel House (described earlier), and his wife. But it is Sir Baptist Hicks who dominates the church. His huge canopied tomb is the ornate final resting place for Hicks and his wife, Elizabeth. Study their faces, framed by fancy lace ruffs (trendy in the 1620s). Adjacent—as if in a closet—is a statue of their daughter, Lady Juliana, and her husband, Lutheran Yokels. Juliana commissioned the statue in 1642, when her husband died, but had it closed up until she died in 1680. Then, the doors were opened, revealing these two people holding hands and living happily ever after—at least in marble. The hinges were likely used only once.
As you leave the church, look immediately around the corner to the right of the door. A small tombstone reads “Thank you Lord for Simon, a dearly loved cat who greeted everyone who entered this church. RIP 1980.”
Since this is a particularly hilly area, long-distance hikes are challenging. The easiest and most rewarding stroll is to the thatchy, hobbit village of Broad Campden (about a mile, mostly level). From there, you can walk or take the bus (#22) back to Chipping Campden.
Or, if you have more energy, continue from Broad Campden up over the ridge and into picturesque Blockley—and, if your stamina holds out, all the way to Bourton-on-the-Hill (Blockley and Bourton-on-the-Hill are also connected by buses #21 and #22 to Chipping Campden and Moreton).
Alternatively, you can hike up to Dover’s Hill, just north of the village. Ask locally about this easy, circular, one-hour walk that takes you on the first mile of the 100-mile-long Cotswold Way (which goes from here to Bath).
For more about hiking, see “Getting Around the Cotswolds—By Foot” on here.
This town—filled with wealthy residents and tourists—comes with many choices. I’ve listed some local favorites below.
Eight Bells pub is a charming 14th-century inn on Leysbourne with a classy restaurant and a more rustic pub. The seasonal menu is as locally sourced as possible and includes a daily special and vegetarian dish. Reservations are smart (£8-12 lunches, £13-22 dinners, daily 12:00-14:00 & 18:30-21:00, tel. 01386/840-371, www.eightbellsinn.co.uk).
The Lygon Arms pub is cozy and inviting, with a good, basic bar menu. Order from the same menu in the colorful pub or the more elegant dining room across the passage (£6-8 sandwiches, £8-15 meals, daily 11:30-14:30 & 18:00-22:00, tel. 01386/840-318).
Michael’s, a fun Mediterranean restaurant on High Street, serves hearty portions and breaks plates at closing every Saturday night. The focus is Greek, with plenty of mezes—small dishes for £6-10 (also £15-21 larger dishes, £7 meze lunch platter, Tue-Sun 11:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, closed Mon, tel. 01386/840-826).
If you want a quick takeaway sandwich, consider these options. Munch your lunch on the benches on the little green near the Market Hall.
Butty’s at the Old Bakehouse offers tasty, inexpensive sandwiches and wraps made to order (Mon-Sat 7:30-14:30, closed Sun, free Wi-Fi, Lower High Street, tel. 01386/840-401).
La Tradition is a hardworking French bakery that serves sausage rolls, quiches, filled croissants, and Cornish pasties (takeaway only, Tue-Sat 8:30-17:00, closed Sun-Mon, 6 High Street, tel. 01386/840-766).
For picnic supplies, head to the Co-op grocery (Mon-Sat 7:00-22:00, Sun 8:00-22:00, next to TI on High Street). Tokes, on the opposite end of High Street, has a tempting selection of cheeses, meats, and wine (Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, just past the Market Hall, tel. 01386/849-345).
To visit a cute tearoom, try one of these places, located in the town center.
Badgers Hall Tea Room is pricey but good, with a wide selection of savory dishes and desserts. A tempting table of homemade cakes, crumbles, and scones lures passersby into its half-timbered dining room and a patio out back (£8-13 lunches, daily 10:00-16:30, possibly later in summer, £31 afternoon tea for two, 14:30-16:00, High Street).
Bantam Tea Rooms, near the Market Hall, is also a good value (£8 teas, £6 sandwiches, daily 10:00-16:00, High Street, tel. 01386/840-386).
In Chipping Campden—as in any town in the Cotswolds—B&Bs offer a better value than hotels. Book well in advance, as rooms are snapped up early in the spring and summer. Rooms are tight on Saturdays (when many charge more and are reluctant to rent to one-nighters) and in September, another peak month. Parking is never a problem. Ask for a discount if staying longer than one or two nights.
Located on the main street (or just off of it), these places couldn’t be more central.
$$$ Noel Arms Hotel, the characteristic old hotel on the main square, has welcomed guests for 600 years. Its lobby was remodeled in a medieval-meets-modern style, and its 28 rooms are well-furnished with antiques (standard Db-£120, fancier Db-£140-180, some ground-floor doubles, attached restaurant/bar and café, free parking, High Street, tel. 01386/840-317, www.noelarmshotel.com, reception@noelarmshotel.com).
$$$ The Lygon Arms Hotel (pronounced “lig-un”), attached to the popular pub of the same name, has small public areas and 10 cheery, open-beamed rooms (huge “superior” Db-£120, lovely courtyard Db-£165, family deals, free parking, High Street, go through archway and look for hotel reception on the left, tel. 01386/840-318, www.lygonarms.co.uk, sandra@lygonarms.co.uk).
$$ Cornerways B&B is a bright, comfy home a block off High Street. The two huge, airy loft rooms are great for families. If you’re happy to exchange breakfast for more space, ask about the cottage across the street (Db-£90, family rooms, 2-night minimum; cottage Db-£85, 3-night minimum; cash only, off-street parking, George Lane, just walk through the arch beside Noel Arms Hotel, tel. 01386/841-307, www.cornerways.info, carole@cornerways.info). For a fee, they can pick you up from the train station, or take you on village driving tours.
$$ Stonecroft B&B, next to Cornerways, has three polished, well-maintained rooms (one with low, slanted ceilings—unfriendly to tall people). The lovely garden with a patio and small stream is a tranquil place for meals or an early-evening drink (Db-£80, family rooms, no kids under 12, George Lane, tel. 01386/840-486, www.stonecroft-chippingcampden.co.uk, info@stonecroft-chippingcampden.co.uk).
$$ The Old Bakehouse rents two small but pleasant twin-bedded rooms in a 600-year-old home with exposed beams and cottage charm (Db-£85, cash only, Lower High Street, near intersection with Sheep Street, tel. 01386/840-979, mobile 07717/330-838, www.theoldbakehouse.org.uk, zoegabb@yahoo.co.uk).
The B&Bs below are a 10-minute walk from Market Hall. They are listed in the order you would find them when strolling from town (if arriving by bus, ask to be dropped off at Aston Road).
$$ Cherry Trees B&B, set well off the road, is a spacious, modern home, with three king rooms and one superior king room with balcony (Db-£90-115, free parking, Aston Road, tel. 01386/840-873, www.cherrytreescampden.com, sclrksn7@tiscali.co.uk).
$$$ The Chance B&B—a modern home with Cotswold charm—has two tastefully decorated rooms with king beds (which can also be twins if requested) and a breakfast room that opens onto a patio. They also offer two self-catering cottages in town (Db-£100, call for cottage prices, cash only, free parking, 1 Aston Road, tel. 01386/849-079, www.the-chance.co.uk, enquiries@the-chance.co.uk).
$$ Bramley House, which backs up to a farm, has a spacious garden suite with a private outdoor patio and lounge area (bathroom downstairs from bedroom) and a superior king double. Crisp white linens and simple country decor give the place a light and airy feel (king Db-£90, garden suite Db-£97, 2-night minimum, homemade cake with tea or coffee on arrival, locally sourced organic breakfast, 6 Aston Road, tel. 01386/840-066, www.bramleyhouse.co.uk, dppovey@btinternet.com).
Because the countryside around Chipping Campden is particularly hilly, it’s also especially scenic. This is a rewarding area to poke around and discover little thatched villages.
Due west of Chipping Campden lies the famous and touristy town of Broadway. Just south of that, you’ll find my nominations for the cutest Cotswold villages. Like marshmallows in hot chocolate, Stanway, Stanton, and Snowshill nestle side by side, awaiting your arrival. (Note the Stanway House’s limited hours—only Tue and Thu afternoons in summer—when planning your visit.)
Hidcote Manor Garden is just northeast of Chipping Campden, while Broad Campden, Blockley, and Bourton-on-the-Hill lie roughly between Chipping Campden and Stow (or Moreton)—handy if you’re connecting those towns.
The countryside around Chipping Campden is dotted with charming little villages.
This postcard-pretty town, a couple of miles west of Chipping Campden, is filled with inviting shops and fancy teahouses. With a “broad way” indeed running through its middle, it’s one of the bigger towns in the area. This means you’ll likely pass through at some point if you’re driving—but, since all the big bus tours seem to stop here, I usually give Broadway a miss. However, with a new road that allows traffic to skirt the town, Broadway has gotten cuter than ever. Broadway has good bus connections with Chipping Campden.
Just outside Broadway, on the road to Chipping Campden, you might spot signs for the Broadway Tower, which looks like a turreted castle fortification stranded in the countryside without a castle in sight. This 55-foot-tall observation tower is a “folly”—a uniquely English term for a quirky, outlandish novelty erected as a giant lawn ornament by some aristocrat with more money than taste. If you’re also weighted down with too many pounds, you can relieve yourself of £5 to climb to its top for a view over the pastures. But the view from the tower’s parklike perch is free, and almost as impressive (daily 10:00-17:00).
More of a humble crossroads community than a true village, sleepy Stanway is worth a visit mostly for its manor house, which offers an intriguing insight into the English aristocracy today. If you’re in the area when it’s open, it’s well worth visiting.
The Earl of Wemyss (pronounced “Weemz”), whose family tree charts relatives back to 1202, opens his melancholy home and grounds to visitors just two days a week in the summer. Walking through his house offers a unique glimpse into the lifestyles of England’s eccentric and fading nobility.
Cost and Hours: £7 ticket covers house and fountain, £9 ticket also includes watermill; both tickets include a wonderful and intimate audioguide, narrated by the lordship himself; June-Aug Tue and Thu only 14:00-17:00, closed Sept-May, tel. 01386/584-469, www.stanwayfountain.co.uk.
Getting There: By car, leave the B-4077 at a statue of (the Christian) George slaying the dragon (of pagan superstition); you’ll round the corner and see the manor’s fine 17th-century Jacobean gatehouse. Park in the lot across the street. There’s no public transportation to Stanway.
Visiting the Manor: The bitchin’ Tithe Barn (near where you enter the grounds) dates to the 14th century, and predates the manor. It was originally where monks—in the days before money—would accept one-tenth of whatever the peasants produced. Peek inside: This is a great hall for village hoedowns. While the Tithe Barn is no longer used to greet motley peasants and collect their feudal “rents,” the lord still gets rent from his vast landholdings, and hosts community fêtes in his barn.
Stanway House
Stepping into the obviously very lived-in manor, you’re free to wander around pretty much as you like, but keep in mind that a family does live here. His lordship is often roaming about as well. The place feels like a time warp. Ask a staff member to demonstrate the spinning rent-collection table. In the great hall, marvel at the one-piece oak shuffleboard table and the 1780 Chippendale exercise chair (half an hour of bouncing on this was considered good for the liver).
The manor dogs have their own cutely painted “family tree,” but the Earl admits that his last dog, C. J., was “all character and no breeding.” Poke into the office. You can psychoanalyze the lord by the books that fill his library, the DVDs stacked in front of his bed (with the mink bedspread), and whatever’s next to his toilet.
The place has a story to tell. And so do the docents stationed in each room—modern-day peasants who, even without family trees, probably have relatives going back just as far in this village. Talk to these people. Probe. Learn what you can about this side of England.
Wandering through the expansive backyard you’ll see the earl’s pet project: restoring “the tallest fountain in Britain”—300 feet tall, gravity-powered, and running for 30 minutes at 14:45 and 16:00.
Signs lead to a working watermill, which produces flour from wheat grown on the estate (about 100 yards from the house, requires higher-priced ticket to enter).
Pagan symbol in the Church of St. Michael
These towns are separated by a row of oak trees and grazing land, with parallel waves echoing the furrows plowed by medieval farmers. Centuries ago, farmers were allotted long strips of land called “furlongs.” The idea was to dole out good and bad land equitably. (One square furlong equals 10 acres.) Over centuries of plowing these, furrows were formed. Let someone else drive, so you can hang out the window under a canopy of oaks, passing stone walls and sheep. Leaving Stanway on the road to Stanton, the first building you’ll see (on the left, just outside Stanway) is a thatched cricket pavilion overlooking the village cricket green. Originally built for Peter Pan author J. M. Barrie, it dates from 1930 and is raised up (as medieval buildings were) on rodent-resistant staddle stones. Stanton is just ahead; follow the signs.
Pristine Cotswold charm cheers you as you head up the main street of the village of Stanton, worth ▲. Go on a photo safari for flower-bedecked doorways and windows. (A scant few buses serve Stanton.)
Stanton’s Church of St. Michael (with the pointy spire) betrays a pagan past. It’s safe to assume any church dedicated to St. Michael (the archangel who fought the devil) sits upon a sacred pagan site. Stanton is actually at the intersection of two ley lines (a line connecting prehistoric or ancient sights). You’ll see St. Michael’s well-worn figure (and, above that, a sundial) over the door as you enter. Inside, above the capitals in the nave, find the pagan symbols for the sun and the moon (see photo). While the church probably dates back to the ninth century, today’s building is mostly from the 15th century, with 13th-century transepts. On the north transept (far side from entry), medieval frescoes show faintly through the 17th-century whitewash. (Once upon a time, these frescoes were considered too “papist.”) Imagine the church interior colorfully decorated throughout. Original medieval glass is behind the altar. The list of rectors (at the very back of the church, under the organ loft) goes back to 1269. Finger the grooves in the back pews, worn away by sheepdog leashes. (A man’s sheepdog accompanied him everywhere.)
Horse Riding: Anyone can enjoy the Cotswolds from the saddle. Jill Carenza’s Cotswolds Riding Centre, set just outside Stanton village, is in the most scenic corner of the region. The facility’s horses can take anyone from rank beginners to more experienced riders on a scenic “hack” through the village and into the high country (per-hour prices: £30/person for a group hack, £40/person for a semi-private hack, £50 for a private one-person hack; lessons, longer rides, rides for experts, and pub tours available; tel. 01386/584-250, www.cotswoldsriding.co.uk, info@cotswoldsriding.co.uk). From Stanton, head toward Broadway and watch for the riding center on your right after about a third of a mile.
Eating: High on a hill at the far end of Stanton’s main drag, nearest to Broadway, the aptly named Mount Inn serves upscale meals on its big, inviting terrace with grand views (£14-17 meals, food served daily 12:00-14:00 & 18:00-21:00, may be closed Mon off-season, Old Snowshill Road, tel. 01386/584-316).
Sleeping: $$ The Vine B&B has five rooms in a characteristic old Cotswold house near the center of town, next to the cricket pitch (Db-£85, tel. 01386/584-250, www.cotswoldsriding.co.uk, info@cotswoldsriding.co.uk).
Another nearly edible little bundle of cuteness, the village of Snowshill (SNOWS-hill) has a photogenic triangular square with a characteristic pub at its base.
Dark and mysterious, this old palace is filled with the lifetime collection of Charles Paget Wade. It’s one big, musty celebration of craftsmanship, from finely carved spinning wheels to frightening samurai armor to tiny elaborate figurines carved by prisoners from the bones of meat served at dinner. Taking seriously his family motto, “Let Nothing Perish,” Wade dedicated his life and fortune to preserving things finely crafted. The house (whose management made me promise not to promote it as an eccentric collector’s pile of curiosities) really shows off Wade’s ability to recognize and acquire fine examples of craftsmanship. It’s all very...mmm...yaaa.
Cost and Hours: £11.30; manor house open July-Aug Wed-Mon 11:30-16:30, closed Tue; April-June and Sept-Oct Wed-Sun 12:00-17:00, closed Mon-Tue; closed Nov-March; gardens and ticket window open at 11:00, last entry one hour before closing, restaurant, tel. 01386/852-410, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/snowshillmanor.
Getting There: The manor overlooks the town square, but there’s no direct access from the square; instead, the entrance and parking lot are about a half-mile up the road toward Broadway. Park there and follow the long walkway through the garden to get to the house. A golf-cart-type shuttle to the house is available for those who need assistance.
Snowshill Manor
Getting In: This popular sight strictly limits the number of entering visitors by doling out entry times. No reservations are possible; to get a slot, you must report to the ticket desk. It can be up to an hour’s wait—even more on busy days, especially weekends (when they can sell out for the day as early as 14:00). Tickets go on sale and the gardens open at 11:00. Therefore, a good strategy is to arrive close to the opening time, and if there’s a wait, enjoy the gardens (it’s a 10-minute walk to the manor). If you have more time to kill, head into the village of Snowshill itself (a half-mile away) to wander and explore—or get a time slot for later in the day, and return in the afternoon.
In 2000, farmer Charlie Byrd realized that tourists love lavender. He planted his farm with 250,000 plants, and now visitors come to wander among his 53 acres, which burst with gorgeous lavender blossoms from mid-June through late August. His fragrant fantasy peaks late each July. Lavender—so famous in France’s Provence—is not indigenous to this region, but it fits the climate and soil just fine. A free flier in the shop explains the variations of blooming flowers. Farmer Byrd produces lavender oil (an herbal product valued since ancient times for its healing, calming, and fragrant qualities) and sells it in a lovely shop, along with many other lavender-themed items. In the café, enjoy a pot of lavender-flavored tea with a lavender scone.
Cost and Hours: Free to enter shop and café, £2.50 to walk through the fields and the distillery; generally open June-Aug daily 10:00-17:00; closed Sept-May; schedule changes annually depending on when the lavender blooms—call ahead or check their website, tel. 01386/854-821, www.cotswoldlavender.co.uk.
Getting There: It’s a half-mile out of Snowshill on the road toward Chipping Campden (easy parking). Entering Snowshill from the road to the manor (described earlier), take the left fork, then turn left again at the end of the village.
This is less “on the way” between towns than the other sights in this section—but the grounds around this manor house are well worth a detour if you like gardens. Worth ▲, Hidcote is where garden designers pioneered the notion of creating a series of outdoor “rooms,” each with a unique theme (such as maple room, red room, and so on) and separated by a yew-tree hedge. The garden’s design, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, is most formal near the house and becomes more pastoral as it approaches the countryside. Follow your nose through a clever series of small gardens that lead delightfully from one to the next. Among the best in England, Hidcote Gardens are at their fragrant peak from May through August. But don’t expect much indoors—the manor house has only a few rooms open to the public.
Cost and Hours: £10.50; March-Sept daily 10:00-18:00; Oct daily 10:00-17:00; Nov-Dec Sat-Sun 11:00-16:00, closed Mon-Fri; closed Jan-Feb; last entry one hour before closing, café, restaurant, tel. 01386/438-333, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote.
Getting There: If you’re driving, it’s four miles northeast of Chipping Campden—roughly toward Ilmington. The gardens are accessible by bus and a 45-minute country walk. Buses #21 and #22 take you to Mickleton (one stop past Chipping Campden), where a footpath begins next to the churchyard. Continuing more or less straight, the path leads uphill through sheep pastures and ends at Hidcote’s driveway.
This trio of pleasant villages, worth ▲, lines up along an off-the-beaten-path road between Chipping Campden and Moreton or Stow. Broad Campden, just on the outskirts of Chipping Campden, has some of the cutest thatched-roof houses I’ve seen. Blockley, nestled higher in the picturesque hills, is a popular setting for films. The same road continues on to Bourton-on-the-Hill, with fine views looking down into a valley. All three of these towns are connected to Chipping Campden by bus #21 and #22, or you can walk (easy to Broad Campden, more challenging to the other two—see here).
Located 10 miles south of Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold—with a name that means “meeting place on the uplands”—is the highest point of the Cotswolds. Despite its crowds, it retains its charm and it merits ▲▲. Most of the tourists are day-trippers, so nights—even in the peak of summer—are peaceful. Stow has no real sights other than the town itself, some good pubs, antiques stores, and cute shops draped seductively around a big town square. Visit the church, with its evocative old door guarded by ancient yew trees and the tombs of wool tycoons. A visit to Stow is not complete until you’ve locked your partner in the stocks on the village green.
Stow-on-the-Wold
Tourist Information: A small TI staffed by volunteers is run out of the library in St. Edwards Hall on the main square (hours erratic, generally Mon-Sat 10:00-14:00, sometimes as late as 17:00, closed Sun, tel. 08452-305-420). Don’t expect much information—get serious questions answered in Moreton-in-Marsh instead (see here).
Parking: Park anywhere on Market Square free for two hours, and overnight between 18:00 and 9:00 (combining overnight plus daily 2-hour allowances means you can park free 16:00-11:00—they note your license, so you can’t just move to another spot after your time is up; £50 tickets for offenders). You can also park for free on some streets farther from the center (such as Park Street and Well Lane) for an unlimited amount of time. Alternately, a convenient pay-and-display lot is at the bottom of town (toward the Oddingtons), and there’s a free lot at Tesco Supermarket—an easy five-minute walk north of town (follow the signs).
Stow-on-the-Wold WalkThis four-stop self-guided walk covers about 500 yards and takes about 45 minutes.
Start at the stocks on the Market Square. Imagine this village during the era when people were publicly ridiculed here as a punishment. Stow was born in pre-Roman times; it’s where three trade routes crossed at a high point in the region (altitude: 800 feet). This square was the site of an Iron Age fort, and then a Roman garrison town. This main square hosted an international fair starting in 1107, and people came from as far away as Italy for the wool fleeces. This grand square was a vast, grassy expanse. Picture it in the Middle Ages (before the buildings in the center were added): a public commons and grazing ground, paths worn through the grass, and no well. Until the late 1800s, Stow had no running water; women fetched water from the “Roman Well” a quarter-mile away.
With as many as 20,000 sheep sold in a single day, this square was a thriving scene. And Stow was filled with inns and pubs to keep everyone housed, fed, and watered. A thin skin of topsoil covers the Cotswold limestone, from which these buildings were made. Stow Lodge (next to the church) lies a little lower than the church; the lodge sits on the spot where locals quarried stones for the church. That building, originally the rectory, is now a hotel. The church (where we’ll end this little walk) is made of Cotswold stone, and marks the summit of the hill upon which the town was built. The stocks are a great photo op (lock dad up for a great family Christmas card).
• Walk past The White Hart Inn to the market, and cross to the other part of the square. Notice how locals seem to be part of a tight-knit little community. Enjoy the stone work and the crazy rooflines. Note the cheap signage and think how shops have been coming and going for centuries in buildings that never change.
For 500 years, the Market Cross stood in the market, reminding all Christian merchants to “trade fairly under the sight of God.” Notice the stubs of the iron fence in the concrete base—a reminder of how countless wrought-iron fences were cut down and given to the government to be melted down during World War II. (Recently, it’s been disclosed that all that iron ended up in junk heaps—frantic patriotism just wasted.) The plaque on the cross honors the Lord of the Manor, who donated money back to his tenants, allowing the town to finally finance running water in 1878.
The stocks on Market Square
Scan the square for The Kings Arms, with its great gables and scary chimney. It was once where travelers parked their horses before spending the night. In the 1600s, this was considered the premium “posting house” between London and Birmingham. Today, The Kings Arms cooks up pub grub and rents rooms upstairs.
During the English Civil War, which pitted Parliamentarians against royalists, Stow-on-the-Wold remained staunchly loyal to the king. (Charles I is said to have eaten at The Kings Arms before a great battle.) Because of its allegiance, the town has an abundance of pubs with royal names (King’s This and Queen’s That).
The stately building in the center of the square with the wooden steeple is St. Edward’s Hall. Back in the 1870s, a bank couldn’t locate the owner of an account containing a small fortune, so it donated the funds to the town to build this civic center. It serves as a City Hall, library, TI, and meeting place. When it’s open, you can wander around upstairs to see the largest collection of Civil War portrait paintings in England.
• Walk past The Kings Arms down Digbeth Street. At the bottom of Digbeth you’ll pass the traditional Lambournes butcher and a fragrant cheesemonger across the street. Digbeth ends at a little triangular park in front of the former Methodist Church and across from the Porch House Hotel. This hotel—along with about 20 others—claims to be the oldest in England, dating from 947.
Just beyond the small grassy triangle with benches was the place where locals gathered for bloody cockfights and bearbaiting (watching packs of hungry dogs tear at bears). Today this is where—twice a year, in May and October—the Stow Horse Fair attracts nomadic Roma (Gypsies) and Irish Travellers from far and wide. They congregate down the street on the Maugersbury Road. Locals paint a colorful picture of the Roma, Travellers, and horses inundating the town. The young women dress up because the fair also functions as a marriage market.
• Hook right and hike up the wide street.
As you head up Sheep Street, you’ll pass a boutique-filled former brewery yard (on the left). Notice its fancy street-front office, with a striking flint facade. Sheep Street was originally not a street, but a staging place for medieval sheep markets. The sheep would be gathered here, then paraded into the Market Square down narrow alleys—just wide enough for a single file of sheep to walk down, making it easier to count them. You’ll see several of these so-called “fleece alleys” as you walk up the street.
• Walk a couple of blocks until about 50 yards before the streetlight and the highway, then make a right onto Church Street, which leads to the church.
Before entering the church, circle it. On the back side, a door is flanked by two ancient yew trees. While many view it as the Christian “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” door, J. R. R. Tolkien fans see something quite different. Tolkien hiked the Cotswolds, and had a passion for sketching evocative trees such as this. Lord of the Rings enthusiasts are convinced this must be the inspiration for the door into Middle Earth.
The door claimed by Tolkien fans as the portal to Middle Earth
While the church (open daily 9:00-18:00, except during services) dates from Saxon times, today’s structure is from the 15th century. Its history is played up in leaflets and plaques just inside the door. The floor is paved with the tombs of big shots who made their money from wool and are still boastful in death. (Find the tombs crowned with the bales of wool.) Most of the windows are traditional Victorian (19th century) designs, but the two sets high up in the clerestory are from the dreamier Pre-Raphaelite school.
On the right wall as you approach the altar, a monument commemorates the many boys from this small town who were lost in World War I (50 out of a population of 2,000). There were far fewer in World War II. The biscuit-shaped plaque remembers an admiral from Stow who lost four sons defending the realm. It’s sliced from an ancient fluted column (which locals believe is from Ephesus, Turkey).
During the English Civil War (1615), the church was ransacked, and more than 1,000 soldiers were imprisoned here. The tombstone in front of the altar remembers the royalist Captain Francis Keyt. His long hair, lace, and sash indicate he was a “cavalier,” and true-blue to the king (Cromwellians were called “round heads”—named for their short hair). Study the crude provincial art—childlike skulls and (in the upper corners) symbols of his service to the king (armor, weapons).
Finally, don’t miss the kneelers tucked in the pews. These are made by a committed band of women known as “the Kneeler Group.” They meet most Tuesday mornings (except sometimes in summer) at 10:30 in the Church Room to needlepoint, sip coffee, and enjoy a good chat. (The vicar assured me that any tourist wanting to join them would be more than welcome. The help would be appreciated and the company would be excellent.) If you’d rather sing, the choir practices on the first and third Fridays of the month at 18:00, and visitors are encouraged to join in. And with Reverend Martin Short for the pastor, the services can be pretty lively.
Stow is made to order for day hikes. The most popular is the downhill stroll to Lower Slaughter (3 miles), then on to Bourton-on-the-Water (about 1.5 miles more). It’s a two-hour walk if you keep up a brisk pace and don’t stop, but dawdlers should allow three to four hours. At the end, from Bourton-on-the-Water, a bus can bring you back to Stow. While those with keen eyes can follow this walk by spotting trail signs, it can’t hurt to bring a map (ask to borrow one at your B&B). These towns are described in more detail starting on here.
To reach the trail, find the cemetery (from the main square, head down Church Street, turn left on Sheep Street, right into Fleece Alley, right onto Back Walls, and left onto Spring Gardens). Walk past the community’s big pea patch, then duck right through the cemetery to the far end. Here, go through the gate and walk down the footpath that runs alongside the big A-429 road for about 200 yards, then cross the road and catch the well-marked trail (gravel road with green sign noting Public Footpath/Gloucestershire Way, next to Quarwood Cottage). Follow this trail for a delightful hour across farms, through romantic gates, across a fancy driveway, and past Gainsborough-painting vistas. You’ll enjoy an intimate backyard look at farm life. Although it seems like you might lose the trail, tiny easy-to-miss signs (yellow Public Footpath arrows—sometimes also marked Gloucestershire Way or The Monarch’s Way—usually embedded in fence posts) keep you on target—watch for these very carefully to avoid getting lost. Finally, passing a cricket pitch, you reach Lower Slaughter, with its fine church and a mill creek leading up to its mill.
Hiking from Lower Slaughter up to Upper Slaughter is a worthwhile one-mile detour each way, if you have the time and energy.
The old mill at Lower Slaughter
From Lower Slaughter, it’s a less-scenic 25-minute walk into the bigger town of Bourton-on-the-Water. Leave Lower Slaughter along its mill creek, then follow a bridle path back to A-429 and into Bourton. Walking through Bourton’s burbs, you’ll pass two different bus stops for the ride back to Stow; better yet, to enjoy some time in Bourton itself, continue all the way into town and—when ready—catch the bus from in front of the Edinburgh Woolen Mill (bus #801 departs roughly hourly, none on Sun except May-Aug when it runs about 2/day, 10-minute ride).
These places are all within a five-minute walk of each other, either on the main square or downhill on Queen and Park streets.
Stow Lodge is the choice of the town’s proper ladies. There are two parts: The formal but friendly bar serves fine pub grub (hearty £9-12 lunches and dinners, daily 12:00-14:00 & 19:00-20:30). The restaurant serves a popular £30 three-course dinner (nightly, veggie options, good wines, just off main square, tel. 01451/830-485). On a sunny day, the pub serves lunch in the well-manicured garden.
The Bell at Stow, on the edge of town at the end of Park Street, has a great scene and fun pub energy. They serve classic English dishes, sometimes with an Asian twist. Enjoy live music on Sunday evenings (£7-15 lunches, £12-15 dinners, veggies extra, daily 12:00-21:00, reservations recommended, tel. 01451/870-916, www.thebellatstow.com).
The Queen’s Head faces the Market Square, near Stow Lodge. Join the local eccentrics to dine on pub grub and drink the local Cotswold brew, Donnington Ale. They have a meat pie of the day, good fish-and-chips, and live music on Saturdays (£5-7 sandwiches, £8-10 lunches, £9-13 dinners, daily 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-21:00, beer garden out back, tel. 01451/830-563).
Huffkins Bakery and Tea Rooms is an institution overlooking the center of the market square. Enjoy bakery-fresh meals—soups, sandwiches, all-day breakfast, tea and scones, and gluten-free options—in the well-worn tea room (£7-10 plates, daily 9:00-17:00, tel. 01451/832-870).
Head to the grassy triangle where Digbeth hits Sheep Street to find takeout fish-and-chips, Chinese, and Indian food.
Greedy’s Fish and Chips, on Park Street, is the go-to place for takeout. There’s no seating, but they do have benches in front (£5 fish-and-chips, Mon-Sat 12:00-14:00 & 16:30-21:00, closed Sun, tel. 01451/870-821).
Jade Garden Chinese Take-Away is appreciated by locals who don’t want to cook (£3-6 dishes, Wed-Mon 17:00-23:00, closed Tue, 15 Park Street, tel. 01451/870-288).
The Prince of India offers good Indian food to take out or eat in (£9-13 main dishes, nightly 18:00-23:30, 5 Park Street, tel. 01451/830-099).
The Coffee House provides a nice break from the horses-and-hounds cuisine found elsewhere, with pleasant garden seating out back (£5 soups, £9-10 salads and sandwiches, good coffee; April-Sept Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-16:30; Church Street, tel. 01451/870-802).
Rick’s Tip: For dessert, munch a locally-made chocolate treat under the trees on the square’s benches and watch the sky darken, the lamps come on, and visitors having their photo fun in the stocks.
The Cotswold Chocolate Factory creates handmade chocolate bars, bon-bons, truffles, and more (daily 10:00-17:30, Digbeth Street, tel. 01451/798-082).
Small grocery stores face the main square (the Co-op is open daily 7:00-22:00; next to The Kings Arms), and a big Tesco supermarket is 400 yards north of town.
$$$ Stow Lodge Hotel fills the historic church rectory with old English charm. Facing the town square, with its own sprawling and peaceful garden, this lavish old place offers 21 large, thoughtfully appointed rooms with soft beds, stately public spaces, and a cushy-chair lounge (slippery rates but generally Db-£130, £10 extra on Sat, cheaper Nov-April, closed Jan, free parking, The Square, tel. 01451/830-485, www.stowlodge.co.uk, enquiries@stowlodge.co.uk).
$$$ The Kings Arms, with 10 rooms above a pub, keeps its historic Cotswold character while feeling fresh and modern (standard Db-£100, superior Db-£120, steep stairs, three “cottages” out back, free parking, Market Square, tel. 01451/830-364, www.kingsarmsstow.co.uk, info@kingsarmsstow.co.uk).
$$ Number Nine has three large, bright, refurbished, and tastefully decorated rooms. This 200-year-old home comes with watch-your-head beamed ceilings and beautiful old wooden doors (Db-£80-85, 9 Park Street, tel. 01451/870-333, mobile 07779-006-539, www.number-nine.info, enquiries@number-nine.info).
$$ Cross Keys Cottage offers four smallish but smartly updated rooms—some bright and floral, others classy white—with modern bathrooms inside a 370-year-old beamed cottage (Db-£80-90, ask for Rick Steves cash discount, call ahead to confirm arrival time, Park Street, tel. 01451/831-128, www.crosskeyscottage.co.uk, rogxmag@hotmail.com).
$ The Pound is a cozy, 500-year-old, low-beamed home offering two bright, inviting rooms and a classic old fireplace lounge (D-£70, family room, cash only, downtown on Sheep Street next to Grapevine Hotel, tel. 01451/830-229, patwhitehead1@live.co.uk).
These sights are all south of Stow: Some are within walking distance (the Slaughters and Bourton-on-the-Water), and one is 20 miles away (Cirencester). The Slaughters and Bourton are tied together by the countryside walk from Stow described on here.
“Slaughter” has nothing to do with lamb chops. It likely derives from an Old English word, perhaps meaning sloe tree (the one used to make sloe gin). These villages are worth ▲ and a quick stop.
Lower Slaughter is a classic village, with ducks, a charming little church, a working water mill, and usually an artist busy at her easel somewhere. The Old Mill Museum is a folksy ensemble with a tiny museum, shop, and café complete with a delightful terrace overlooking the mill pond, enthusiastically run by Gerald and his daughter Laura, who just can’t resist giving generous tastes of their homemade ice cream (£2.50 for museum, March-Oct daily 10:00-18:00, Nov-Feb daily 10:00-dusk, tel. 01451/822-127, www.oldmill-lowerslaughter.com). Just behind the Old Mill, two kissing gates lead to the path that goes to nearby Upper Slaughter, a 15-minute walk or 2-minute drive away (leaving the Old Mill, take two lefts, then follow the sign for Wardens Way). And if you follow the mill creek downstream, a bridle path leads to Bourton-on-the-Water (described next).
The church at Upper Slaughter
In Upper Slaughter, walk through the yew trees (sacred in pagan days) down a lane through the raised graveyard (a buildup of centuries of graves) to the peaceful church. In the back of the fine graveyard, the statue of a wistful woman looks over the tomb of an 18th-century rector (sculpted by his son). Notice the town is missing a war memorial—that’s because every soldier who left Upper Slaughter for World War I and World War II survived the wars. As a so-called “Doubly Thankful Village” (one of only 13 in England and Wales), the town instead honors those who served in war with a simple wood plaque in the Town Hall.
Getting There: Though the stop is not listed on schedules, you should be able to reach these towns on bus #801 (from Moreton or Stow) by requesting the “Slaughter Pike” stop (along the main road, near the villages). Confirm with the driver before getting on. If driving, the small roads from Upper Slaughter to Ford and Kineton (and the Cotswold Farm Park, described later) are some of England’s most scenic. Roll your window down and joyride slowly.
Dubbed “the Venice of the Cotswolds” because of its quaint canals, this town is very pretty and worth ▲. But it can be mobbed with tour groups during the day. It’s worth a short stop, especially if you can avoid the crowds. It’s pleasantly empty in the early evening and after dark.
Bourton has a fine Motor Museum on High Street in the town center, plus a leisure center (big pool and sauna; Mon-Fri 6:30-22:00, Sat-Sun 8:00-20:00; shared with the school—which gets priority for use, a five-minute walk from town center off Station Road, tel. 01451/824-024).
Getting There: It’s conveniently connected to Stow and Moreton by bus #801. It’s also within walking distance of Stow (4 miles south) and Lower Slaughter (1 mile).
Parking: Drive into town and wait for a spot on High Street to open up (a long row of free two-hour spots is in front of the Edinburgh Woolen Mills Shop), or park in the pay-and-display parking lot a five-minute walk from the center.
Tourist Information: The TI is tucked across the stream a short block off the main drag, on Victoria Street, behind Village Hall (Mon-Fri 9:30-17:00, Sat 9:30-17:30, Sun 10:00-14:00 except closed Sun Oct-April, closes one hour earlier Nov-March, tel. 01451/820-211).
Bike Rental: Hartwells on High Street rents bikes by the hour or day and includes a helmet, map, and lock (£14/day, Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun opens at 10:00, tel. 01451/820-405, www.hartwells.supanet.com).
Lovingly presented, this good, jumbled museum shows off a lifetime’s accumulation of vintage cars, old lacquered signs, threadbare toys, and prewar memorabilia. If you appreciate old cars, this is nirvana. Wander the car-and-driver displays, which range from the automobile’s early days to the stylish James Bond era, including period music to add mood. Talk to an elderly Brit who’s touring the place for some personal memories.
Bourton-on-the-Water
Cost and Hours: £5.25, mid-Feb-early Dec daily 10:00-18:00, closed off-season, in the mill facing the town center, tel. 01451/821-255, www.cotswoldmotormuseum.co.uk.
Here’s a delight for young and old alike. This park, worth ▲, is the private venture of the Henson family, who are passionate about preserving rare and endangered breeds of native British animals. While it feels like a kids’ zone (with all the family-friendly facilities you can imagine), it’s actually a fascinating chance for anyone to get up close to mostly cute animals, including the sheep that made this region famous—the big and woolly Cotswold Lion. The “listening posts” deliver audio information on each rare breed.
A busy schedule of demonstrations gives you a look at local farm life—check the events board as you enter for times for the milking, “farm safari,” shearing, and well-done “sheep show.” Join the included 20-minute tractor ride, with live narration. Buy a bag of seed upon arrival, or have your map eaten by munchy goats. Tykes love the little tractor rides, maze, and zip line, but the “touch barn” is where it’s at for little kids.
Cost and Hours: £9.25, family deal, daily Feb-Oct 10:30-17:00, Nov-Dec 10:30-16:00, closed Jan, good guidebook (small fee), decent cafeteria, tel. 01451/850-307, www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk.
Getting There: It’s well-signposted about halfway between Stow and Stanway (15 minutes from either), just off Tewkesbury Road (B-4077, toward Ford from Stow). A visit here makes sense if you’re traveling between Stow and Chipping Campden.
One of the “untouched and untouristed” Cotswold villages, Northleach is worth a short stop. The town’s impressive main square and church attest to its position as a major wool center in the Middle Ages. Park in the square called The Green or the adjoining Market Place. The town has no TI, but you can pick up a free town map and visitor guide at the Mechanical Music Museum or at the post office on the Market Place (Mon-Fri 9:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:30, Sat 9:00-12:30, closed Sun) and at other nearby shops. Information: www.northleach.gov.uk.
Getting There: Northleach is nine miles south of Stow, down the A-429. Bus #801 connects it to Stow and Moreton.
This enjoyable little one-room place offers a unique opportunity to listen to 300 years of amazing self-playing musical instruments. It’s run by people who are passionate about their restoration work on these musical marvels. The curators delight in demonstrating about 20 of the museum’s machines with each hour-long tour. You’ll hear Victorian music boxes and the earliest polyphones (record players) playing cylinders and then discs—all from an age when music was made mechanically, without the help of electricity. The admission fee includes an essential hour-long tour.
Cost and Hours: £8, daily 10:00-17:00, last entry at 16:00, tours go constantly—join one in progress, High Street, Northleach, tel. 01451/860-181, www.mechanicalmusic.co.uk.
Eating in Northleach: Tucked along unassuming Northleach’s main drag is a foodies’ favorite, The Wheatsheaf Inn. With a pleasantly traditional dining room and a gorgeous sprawling garden, they serve up an intriguing eclectic menu of modern English cuisine. They pride themselves on offering a warm welcome, relaxed service, and a take-your-time approach to top-quality food. Reservations are smart (£17-22 meals, daily, on West End, tel. 01451/860-244, www.cotswoldswheatsheaf.com).
Six miles northeast of Cirencester, this ▲ village is a favorite with British picnickers fond of strolling and fishing. Bibury (BYE-bree) offers a row of very old weavers’ cottages, a trout farm, a stream teeming with fat fish and proud ducks, and a church surrounded by rosebushes, each tended by a volunteer of the parish. A protected wetlands area on the far side of the stream hosts newts and water voles. Walk up the main street, then turn right along the old weavers’ Arlington Row and back on the far side of the marsh, peeking into the rushes for wildlife.
For a closer look at the fish, cross the little bridge to the 15-acre Trout Farm, where you can feed them—or catch your own on weekends (£4 to walk the grounds, fish food-£0.50; daily April-Sept 8:00-18:00, Oct and March 8:00-17:00, Nov-Feb 8:00-16:00; catch-your-own only on weekends March-Oct 10:00-17:00, no fishing in winter, call or email to confirm fishing schedule, tel. 01285/740-215, www.biburytroutfarm.co.uk).
Getting There: Bus #855 goes direct from Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow to Bibury (3/day, 1 hour).
Almost 2,000 years ago, Cirencester (SIGH-ren-ses-ter) was the ancient Roman city of Corinium. Worth ▲, it’s 20 miles from Stow down A-429, which was called Fosse Way in Roman times. The TI, in the shop at the Corinium Museum, answers questions and sells a town map and a town walking-tour brochure (same hours as museum, tel. 01285/654-180).
Getting There: If traveling by bus, take #855 from Moreton-in-Marsh or Stow direct to Cirencester (3/day, 1.5 hours). Drivers follow Town Centre signs and find parking right on the market square; if parking is full, retreat to the Waterloo pay-and-display lot (a five-minute walk away).
Sights: Stop by the impressive Corinium Museum to find out why they say, “If you scratch Gloucestershire, you’ll find Rome.” The museum chronologically displays well-explained artifacts from the town’s rich history, with a focus on Roman times—when Corinium was the second-biggest city in the British Isles (after Londinium). You’ll see column capitals and fine mosaics before moving on to the Anglo-Saxon and Middle Ages exhibits (£5, Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 14:00-17:00, Park Street, tel. 01285/655-611, www.coriniummuseum.org).
Cirencester’s church is the largest of the Cotswold “wool” churches. The cutesy New Brewery Arts crafts center entertains visitors with traditional weaving and potting, workshops, an interesting gallery, and a good coffee shop (www.newbreweryarts.org.uk). Monday and Friday are general-market days, Friday features an antique market, and a crafts market is held on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
This workaday town—worth ▲—is like Stow or Chipping Campden without the touristy sugar. Rather than gift and antique shops, you’ll find streets lined with real shops: ironmongers selling cottage nameplates and carpet shops strewn with the remarkable patterns that decorate B&B floors. A traditional market of 100-plus stalls fills High Street each Tuesday, as it has for the last 400 years; best if you go early (8:00-15:30, handicrafts, farm produce, clothing, books, and people-watching). The Cotswolds has an economy aside from tourism, and you’ll feel it here.
Moreton has a tiny, sleepy train station two blocks from High Street, lots of bus connections, and the best TI in the region. The TI offers a room-booking service and discounted tickets for major sights (such as Blenheim Palace and Warwick Castle). Peruse the racks of fliers, confirm rail and bus schedules, and consider the inexpensive Town Trail self-guided walking tour leaflet (Mon 8:45-16:00, Tue-Thu 8:45-17:15, Fri 8:45-16:45, Sat 10:00-13:00, closed Sun, good public WC, tel. 01608/650-881).
Baggage Storage: While there is no formal baggage storage in town, the Black Bear Inn (next to the TI) might let you leave bags there—especially if you buy a drink.
Parking: It’s easy—anywhere on High Street is fine any time, as long as you want, for free (though there is a 2-hour parking limit for the small lot in the middle of the street). On Tuesdays, when the market makes parking tricky, you can park at the Budgens supermarket for £3—refundable if you spend at least £5 in the store (2-hour limit).
Moreton-in-Marsh
A stroll up and down High Street lets you survey your options.
The Marshmallow is relatively upscale but affordable, with a menu that includes traditional English dishes as well as lasagna and salads (£10-14 main courses, £13 afternoon tea, Mon 10:00-16:00, Tue-Sat 10:00-20:00, Sun 10:30-18:00, closed for dinner Jan, reservations smart, shady back garden for dining, tel. 01608/651-536, www.marshmallow-tea-restaurant.co.uk).
The Black Bear Inn offers traditional English food. Choose between the dining room on the left or the pub on the right (£10-15 meals and daily specials, restaurant: daily 12:00-14:00 & 18:30-21:00, pub: daily 10:30-23:30, tel. 01608/652-992).
Hassan Balti, with tasty Bangladeshi food, is a fine value for sit-down or takeout (£7-11 meals, daily 12:00-14:00 & 17:30-23:30, tel. 01608/650-798).
Yellow Brick Café has a delightful outdoor patio, cozy indoor seating, and a tempting display of homemade cakes. It’s good for a late breakfast, midday lunch, or early dinner (£4-7 breakfasts, £6-8 sandwiches, £8-10 main courses, daily 9:00-17:00, 3 Old Market Way, tel. 01608/651-881).
Tilly’s Tea House serves fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, and pastries for lunch in a cheerful spot on High Street across from the TI (£5-7 light meals, good cream tea-£5, Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, tel. 01608/650-000).
Ask is a chain restaurant with decent pastas, pizzas, and salads, and a breezy, family-friendly atmosphere (£9-13 pizzas, daily 11:30-23:00, takeout available, tel. 01608/651-119).
Mermaid fish shop is popular for its takeout fish and tasty selection of traditional savory pies (£5.50 fish-and-chips, £2.50 pies, Mon-Sat 11:30-14:00 & 17:00-22:00, closed Sun, tel. 01608/651-391).
For picnic supplies, head to the small Co-op grocery on High Street (Mon-Sat 7:00-20:00, Sun 8:00-20:00) or the Tesco Express two doors down (daily 7:00-23:00). The big Budgens supermarket is indeed super (Mon-Sat 8:00-22:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, far end of High Street). You can picnic across the street in pleasant Victoria Park (with a playground).
$$$ Manor House Hotel dates from 1545 but sports such modern amenities as toilets and electricity. Its 35 classy rooms and garden invite relaxation (standard Db-£170, superior Db-£200-230, family suites, £40 more for Sat night, rates are soft, elevator, log fire in winter, attached restaurants, free parking, on far end of High Street away from train station, tel. 01608/650-501, www.cotswold-inns-hotels.co.uk, info@manorhousehotel.info).
$$ The Swan Inn, perched on the main drag, has eight comfortable rooms with modern bathrooms, though the public halls look a bit worn and you enter through a bar/restaurant that’s noisy on weekends. They offer transportation from the train station and to various destinations within 20 miles (standard Db-£70-115, four-poster Db-£105-130, free parking, restaurant gives guests 10 percent discount, High Street, tel. 01608/650-711, www.swanmoreton.co.uk, info@swanmoreton.co.uk).
$ Treetops B&B is plush, with seven spacious, attractive rooms, a sun lounge, and a three-quarter-acre backyard. There’s a two-night minimum on weekends (large Db-£75, gigantic Db-£85, set far back from the busy road, London Road, tel. 01608/651-036, www.treetopscotswolds.co.uk, treetops1@talk21.com). It’s an eight-minute walk from town and the train station (exit station, keep left, go left on bridge over train tracks, look for sign, then long driveway).
$ Acacia B&B, on the short road connecting the train station to the town center, is a convenient budget option. The public spaces are a bit tired, but the four rooms (one en suite, the other three share one bathroom) are bright and tidy, and most overlook a lovely garden (D-£60, Db-£65, tel. 01608/650-130, 2 New Road, www.acaciainthecotswolds.co.uk, acacia.guesthouse@tiscali.co.uk).
Moreton-in-Marsh, the only Cotswold town with a train station, is also the best base for exploring the region by bus (see “Getting Around the Cotswolds,” below).
Train Connections to: London’s Paddington Station (every 1-2 hours, 1.5-2 hours), Bath (hourly, 2 hours, 1-2 transfers), Oxford (every 1-2 hours, 40 minutes), Stratford-upon-Avon (hourly, 1.5-3 hours, complicated with 3 transfers and expensive; better by bus). Train info: Tel. 0345-748-4950, www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Bus Connections to: Chipping Campden (hourly, 45 minutes, none on Sun), Stow-on-the-Wold (hourly, 20 minutes, none on Sun), Stratford-upon-Avon (hourly, 1.5 hours, none on Sun). Bus (and train) info: www.traveline.org.uk.
The Cotswolds are so well-preserved, in part, because public transportation to and within this area has long been miserable. Fortunately, a few key buses connect the more interesting villages. Centrally located Moreton-in-Marsh is the region’s transit hub—with the only train station and several bus lines.
To explore the towns, you can take buses that hop through the Cotswolds about every hour, lacing together main stops and ending at rail stations. In each case, the entire trip takes about an hour. Individual fares are around £4. If you plan on taking more than two rides in a day, consider the Cotswolds Discoverer pass, which offers unlimited travel on most buses, including those listed below (£10/day, £25/3 days, www.escapetothecotswolds.org.uk/discoverer).
Unfortunately, the buses aren’t particularly reliable—it’s not uncommon for them to show up late, early, or not at all. The same journey can take, say, from 30 minutes up to 90 minutes, depending on the stops. Leave yourself a huge cushion of time if using buses to make another connection (such as a train to London), and always have a backup plan (such as the phone number for a few taxis/drivers or for your hotel, who can try calling someone for you). Bus service is essentially nonexistent on Sundays.
The TI hands out easy-to-read bus schedules for key lines (or check www.traveline.org.uk, or call the Traveline info line, tel. 0871-200-2233). Put together a one-way or return trip by public transportation, making for a fine Cotswold day. If you’re traveling one-way through the Cotswolds, note that the villages lack official baggage-check services. You’ll need to improvise; ask sweetly at the nearest TI or business.
No single bus connects the three major towns described in this chapter (Chipping Campden, Stow, and Moreton); to get between Chipping Campden and Stow, you’ll have to change buses in Moreton. Since buses can be unreliable and connections aren’t timed, it may be better to call a driver or taxi to get between Chipping Campden and Stow if you’re in a hurry.
The following bus lines are operated by Johnsons Coaches (tel. 01564/797-070, www.johnsonscoaches.co.uk): Buses #21 and #22 run from Moreton-in-Marsh to Batsford to Bourton-on-the-Hill to Blockley, then either to Broadway or Broad Campden on their way to Chipping Campden, and pass through Mickleton before ending at Stratford-upon-Avon.
The following buses are operated by Pulham & Sons Coaches (tel. 01451/820-369, www.pulhamscoaches.com): Bus #801 goes hourly in both directions from Moreton-in-Marsh to Stow-on-the-Wold to Bourton-on-the-Water; most continue on to Northleach and Cheltenham. Bus #855 goes from Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow to Northleach to Bibury to Cirencester.
Despite narrow roads, high hedgerows (blocking some views), and even higher hills, bikers enjoy the Cotswolds free from the constraints of bus schedules. For each area, TIs have fine route planners that indicate which peaceful, paved lanes are particularly scenic for biking. In summer, it’s smart to book your rental bike a couple of days ahead—but note that only Chipping Campden and Bourton-on-the-Water have shops that rent out bikes.
In Chipping Campden your only choice is Cycle Cotswolds, at the Volunteer Inn pub (£12/day, daily 7:00-dusk, Lower High Street, mobile 07549-620-597, www.cyclecotswolds.co.uk). If you make it to Bourton-on-the-Water, you can rent bicycles through Hartwells (£14/day, Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-18:00, on High Street, tel. 01451/820-405, www.hartwells.supanet.com).
If you’re interested in a biking vacation, Cotswold Country Cycles offers self-led bike tours of the Cotswolds and surrounding areas (tours last 2-7 days and include accommodations and luggage transfer, www.cotswoldcountrycycles.com).
Consider venturing across the pretty hills and meadows of the Cotswolds. Walking guidebooks and leaflets abound, giving you a world of choices for each of my recommended stops (choose a book with clear maps). If you’re doing any hiking, get the excellent Ordnance Survey Explorer OL #45 map, which shows every road, trail, and ridgeline (£8 at local TIs). Nearly every hotel and B&B has a box or shelf of local walking guides and maps, including Ordnance Survey #45. Don’t hesitate to ask for a loaner. For a quick circular hike from a particular village, peruse the books and brochures offered by that village’s TI. Villages are generally no more than three miles apart, and most have pubs that would love your business.
Each of the home-base villages I recommend has hiking opportunities. Stow-on-the-Wold, immersed in pleasant but not-too-hilly terrain, is within easy walking distance of several interesting spots and is probably the best starting point. Chipping Campden sits along a ridge, which means that hikes from there are extremely scenic, but also more strenuous. Moreton-in-Marsh—true to its name—sits on a marsh, offering flatter and less picturesque hikes.
Here are three hikes to consider, in order of difficulty, with the easiest listed first. I’ve selected these for their convenience to the home-base towns and because the start and/or end points are on bus lines, allowing you to hitch a ride back to where you started (or on to the next town) rather than backtracking by foot.
• Stow, the Slaughters, and Bourton-on-the-Water: Walk from Stow to Upper and Lower Slaughter, then on to Bourton-on-the-Water (which has bus service back to Stow on #801). One big advantage of this walk is that it’s mostly downhill (4.5 miles, allow 2 hours one-way, more for dawdling). For details, see here.
• Chipping Campden, Broad Campden, Blockley, and Bourton-on-the-Hill: From Chipping Campden, it’s an easy mile walk into charming Broad Campden, and from there, a more strenuous hike to Blockley and Bourton-on-the-Hill (which are both connected by buses #21 and #22 to Chipping Campden and Moreton). For more details, see here.
• Broadway to Chipping Campden: This hardy hike takes you along the Cotswold Ridge; attempt it only if you’re a serious hiker (5.5 miles).
If you’d prefer to take a guided walk, ask at any TI for the free Cotswold Lion newspaper. The walks range from 2 to 12 miles, and often involve a stop at a pub or tearoom (Lion newspaper also online at www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk—click on “Publications”).
Or leave the planning to a company such as Cotswold Walking Holidays, which can help you design a walking vacation, provide route instructions and maps, transfer your bags, and even arrange lodging. They also offer five- to six-night walking tours that come with a local guide. Walking through the towns allows you to slow down and enjoy the Cotswolds at their very best—experiencing open fields during the day and arriving into towns just as the day-trippers depart (www.cotswoldwalks.com).
Joyriding here truly is a joy. Winding country roads seem designed to spring bucolic village-and-countryside scenes on the driver at every turn. Distances here are wonderfully short—but only if you invest in a good map. The £8 Ordnance Survey Explorer OL #45 map sold at TIs and newsstands is excellent but almost too detailed for drivers; a £5 tour map covers a wider area in less detail. Here are driving distances from Moreton: Stow-on-the-Wold (4 miles), Chipping Campden (8 miles), Broadway (10 miles), Stratford-upon-Avon (17 miles), Warwick (23 miles), Blenheim Palace (20 miles).
Car hiking is great. In this chapter, I cover the postcard-perfect (but discovered) villages. With a car and the local Ordnance Survey map, you can easily ramble about and find your own gems. The problem with having a car is that you are less likely to walk. Consider taking a taxi or bus somewhere, so that you can walk back to your car and enjoy the scenery.
Car Rental: Two places near Moreton-in-Marsh rent cars by the day—reserve yours in advance. Value Self Drive, based in Shipston-on-Stour (about six miles north of Moreton) and run by Steve Bradley, has affordable rates (£32-49/day plus tax, includes insurance, discount rates available for longer rentals; open Mon-Sat 8:15-17:30, Sun by appointment only; call ahead to arrange, mobile 07974-805-485, stevebradleycars@aol.com). Conveniently, Steve will pick you up in Moreton (£18) or Stratford-upon-Avon (£20), and bring you back to Shipston to get your car. Robinson Goss Self Drive, also six miles north of Moreton-in-Marsh, is a bit more expensive and won’t bring the car to you in Moreton (£31-61/day plus extras like navigation and gas, Mon-Fri 8:30-17:00, Sat 8:30-12:00, closed Sun, tel. 01608/663-322, www.robgos.co.uk).
Two or three town-to-town taxi trips can make more sense than renting a car. While taking a cab seems extravagant, the distances are short (Stow to Moreton is 4 miles, Stow to Chipping Campden is 10), and one-way walks are lovely. If you call a cab, confirm that the meter will start only when you are actually picked up. Consider hiring a private driver at the hourly “touring rate” (generally around £35), rather than the meter rate. For a few more bucks than taking a taxi, you can have a joyride peppered with commentary. Whether you book a taxi or a private driver, expect to pay about £25 between Chipping Campden and Stow and about £20 between Chipping Campden and Moreton.
Note that the drivers listed here are not typical city taxi services (with many drivers on call), but are mostly individuals—it’s smart to call ahead if you’re arriving in high season, since they can be booked in advance on weekends.
Moreton: Try Stuart and Stephen at ETC, “Everything Taken Care of” (tel. 01608/650-343 or toll-free 0800/955-8584, cotswoldtravel.co.uk) or Iain Taxis (mobile 07836-374-491, iaintaxis@btinternet.com). See also the taxi phone numbers posted outside the Moreton train station office.
Stow: Try Iain (above) or Tony Knight (mobile 07887-714-047, anthonyknight205@btinternet.com).
Chipping Campden: Call Iain (earlier), Paul at Cotswold Private Hire (mobile 07980-857-833), Barry Roberts at Chipping Campden Private Hire (also does tours, mobile 07774-224-684, www.cotswoldpersonaltours.com), or Les Proctor, who offers village tours and station pick-ups (mobile 07580-993-492, Les also co-runs Cornerways B&B).
Tours: Tim Harrison at Tour the Cotswolds specializes in tours of the Cotswolds and its gardens, but will also do tours outside the area (mobile 07779-030-820, www.tourthecotswolds.co.uk).
Departing from Bath: Lion Tours offers a Cotswold Discovery full-day bus tour. If you request it in advance, you can also use the tour as transportation to the Cotswolds; you can pay extra to be dropped off with your luggage in Stow or Moreton. Or, if you want to head to London in time for a show, ask to be let off at Kemble Station (www.liontours.co.uk; also see here of the Bath chapter).
Departing from Moreton-in-Marsh: Cotswold Tour offers a smartly arranged day of sightseeing for people with limited time and transportation. Reserve your spot online, then meet Becky at Moreton-in-Marsh’s train station at 10:15 (10:30 on Sundays). Her minivan tour follows a set route that includes a buffet lunch and cream tea served in her cottage and returns to the station by 16:30—good timing for day-trippers returning to London for the evening. This tour is also a fine option if you’re staying in Moreton without a car (£85/person, Mon-Sat departs Moreton-in-Marsh station at 10:15, Sun at 10:30, must reserve ahead online, no luggage allowed—if you’re traveling with bags you’ll have to find somewhere in Moreton to store them for the day, tel. 01608/674-700, www.cotswoldtourismtours.co.uk).
Oxford, founded in the seventh century and home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world, originated as a simple trade crossroads. Ever since the first homework was assigned in 1167, the University of Oxford’s stellar graduates have influenced Western civilization; its alumni include 26 British prime ministers, more than 60 Nobel Prize winners, and even 11 saints.
For Oxford’s many tourists, it’s all about its historic colleges, grassy quads, and literary connections. But that doesn’t mean Oxford is stodgy. This is a fun college town, filled with rollicking pubs.
Oxford is a convenient stop for people visiting the Cotswolds, the magnificent Blenheim Palace (just outside town), Stratford-upon-Avon, and Bath. Because of Oxford’s proximity to other worthwhile destinations (and the relative economy of sleeping in a smaller town B&B), a stop here on the way to somewhere else is ideal.
While a typical American-style university has one campus, Oxford (like Cambridge) has colleges scattered throughout town. But the sightseers’ Oxford is walkable and compact. Many of the streets in the center are pedestrian-only during the day.
Day Plan: You could spend a lot of time going from college to college here—but they all have similar features, so I’d focus on just a few. My top choice is the historically important Christ Church College. Then take a spin through the free Ashmolean Museum, and leave time to sample a pint of local ale at one of the many pubs that dot the town.
To include Blenheim Palace on this day, arrive in Oxford in the morning, head to Blenheim first (by bus), then on your return, visit Oxford. Drivers can visit Blenheim on the way in or out of Oxford.
The spires of All Souls College, Oxford
Getting There: Oxford is linked by train with London (Paddington Station, 2/hour direct, 1 hour), Bath (hourly, 1.25 hours), and Moreton-in-Marsh (every 1-2 hours, 40 minutes). Competing bus companies run frequently from London to Oxford’s Gloucester Green bus station (2 hours, www.oxfordtube.com or www.oxfordbus.co.uk).
Arrival in Oxford: From the train station, the city center is a 10-minute walk or a £5 taxi ride; the bus station is just 5 minutes from town. Drivers day-tripping into Oxford should use one of the outlying park-and-ride lots and take a 10-minute shuttle bus to the center. There’s also time-limited pay-and-display street parking north of the Ashmolean Museum, on St. Giles Street.
Tourist Information: The TI offers daily “City and University” walking tours (£9, 2 hours), as well as various themed tours—book ahead on summer weekends. If you’re headed to Blenheim Palace, you can buy tickets here at a discount (Mon-Sat 9:30-17:00, Sun 10:00-15:00, 15 Broad Street, tel. 01865/686-430, www.experienceoxfordshire.org).
Private Guide: William Underhill is a good Oxford-educated guide (£45/hour, £150/half-day, williamunderhill@gmail.com).
Tours: Blackwell’s Walking Tours focus on literary and historic Oxford (£8, 1.5 hours, check Blackwell’s bookstore or website for current tours and times, 48 Broad Street, reserve ahead at www.blackwell.co.uk/oxford). The more casual Oxford Walking Tours depart hourly from the Trinity College gates across from the TI (£10, 1.5 hours, www.oxfordwalkingtours.com).
Rick’s Tip: Oxford’s colleges are generally open to visitors, but each has its own hours. The entrance to each college is easy to spot—just look for a doorway with crests and a flagpole on the top. Each entry has an office with a porter who can tell you which buildings are open to visitors and if any special events are scheduled.
▲▲ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM OF ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Of Oxford’s colleges, Christ Church is the largest and most prestigious. It was founded in 1524 by Henry VIII’s chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, on the site of an abbey dissolved by the king. The buildings survived the tumult of the Reformation because the abbey and its cathedral served as part of the king’s new Church of England. While all colleges boast of their esteemed alumni, none can match Christ Church College: 13 of 26 Oxford-educated prime ministers were Christ Church alums. William Penn (founder of Pennsylvania), John Wesley (influential Methodist leader), John Locke (English Enlightenment thinker), and Charles Dodgson (a.k.a. Lewis Carroll) also studied here.
Cost and Hours: £9, family ticket-£16, Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 14:00-17:00, last entry 45 minutes before closing, tel. 01865/276-492, located on St. Aldate’s. To confirm opening times, call ahead or check the website (www.chch.ox.ac.uk).
Evensong: Most evenings in Christ Church Cathedral, an excellent choir service is open to anyone (free, Tue-Sun at 18:00, arrive 15-20 minutes early, Monday service is spoken rather than sung, enter at Tom Tower).
Self-Guided Tour: Gentlemen wearing bowler hats, called custodians, are posted around the college to answer questions. You’ll be routed along a one-way course with these main stops: dining hall, quadrangle, cathedral, and picture gallery.
Dining Hall: There’s a Harry Potter commotion as you near the college’s famous dining hall (which was the inspiration, not the setting, for the Hogwarts’ version). The grand hall—with its splendid Gothic, hammer-beam ceiling and portraits of honored alumni looking down on its oh-so-old-English tables—is an amazing scene. The primary sponsor of the college is centered above the high table: Henry VIII in his younger, slimmer days.
Notice the Alice in Wonderland window (above the fireplace, on the left), rich with symbolic references to that book. In the upper half (left, in the yellow circle) is the real Alice (Alice Liddell), and opposite (right, in a similar circle) is Lewis Carroll, who was a math professor in the college.
Quadrangle: Now enter Tom Quad, a grassy field surrounded by college buildings. In the middle is a small fishpond with a statue of Mercury.
The tall tower, designed by Christopher Wren, holds a seven-ton bell called Great Tom. According to tradition, every night at 21:05 the bell clangs out 101 times—each chime calling the curfew for the 101 students who first boarded here. This gives the students 4.5 minutes to get from the pub through the gate by the last ring.
Cathedral: The college’s 800-year-old chapel also serves as Christ Church Cathedral (the seat of an Anglican bishop). Built in the 12th century, it’s one of oldest buildings in Oxford and one of England’s smallest cathedrals. For 400 years, this was a monastery church, and it’s one of the few to survive the Reformation. Bishop Berkeley (who inspired the founding of a great university in California) and John Wesley (who founded the Methodist Church) both preached from the pulpit here. Vibrant Pre-Raphaelite windows from 1858 by Edward Burne-Jones tell the story of St. Frideswide, an obscure local saint. A 1320 stained-glass window shows the martyrdom of Thomas Becket.
As you exit, you’ll be steered around the church cloister, back through the Tom Quad again, and through Peckwater Quad. Note the graffiti on the walls there. This is the only allowable graffiti in Oxford: When rowing teams win, they can chalk their victory on the wall for all to see.
Picture Gallery: The sleepy Christ Church Picture Gallery has a good collection that houses a rotating exhibition of drawings and sketches by Albrecht Dürer, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and other Old Masters. There’s also a permanent collection of oil paintings by the likes of Tintoretto, Veronese, Van Dyck, and Frans Hals (£4, £2 if you paid to enter the college; generally open Mon & Wed-Sat 10:30-17:00, Sun 14:00-17:00, closed Tue; if visiting without touring the campus, enter at Canterbury Gate, off Oriel Square).
Rick’s Tip: For great views of Oxford’s many spires and colleges, climb the 127 narrow, twisting stairs of the bell tower of the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin (£4, High Street) or the 99 steps of Carfax Tower (£2.50, intersection of High and Cornmarket streets).
The complex of buildings dominated by the Bodleian Library is where the university was born—and where it’s run from today. With some 11 million books and more than 100 miles of shelving in its underground stacks, “the Bod” is one of the world’s largest and most famous libraries.
Bodleian Library
Guided tours allow visitors inside some of the Bodleian’s historic rooms. Among the highlights is the Divinity School—rated ▲▲—the university’s first purpose-built classroom, constructed with a magnificent Gothic ceiling in the 15th century, and used for teaching theology. Duke Humfrey’s Library is a world of creaky old shelves of ancient-looking books, stacked neatly under a beautifully painted wooden ceiling (£6 for 30-minute tour, £8 for 1 hour, best to use Catte Street entrance via the Great Gate, tel. 01865/287-400, www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/whatson/visit).
For locations of these colleges, see the map on here.
Exeter College is next to the Bodleian Library, free to visit, and worth a peek. The highlight is its jewel-like Neo-Gothic chapel—oh-so Victorian from the 1860s and inspired by Paris’ Sainte-Chapelle. It features William Morris’ The Adoration of the Magi tapestry (on the right). A bust of J. R. R. Tolkien, who studied here, is in the back (www.exeter.ox.ac.uk).
All Souls College, named for the dead of the Hundred Years’ War, is notorious for having the toughest entrance exam. Famous alums at this research institution include Lawrence of Arabia and Christopher Wren. Looking through its gate on High Street, you’ll see twin spires that resemble Westminster Abbey’s (because they were designed by the same man) and, on the far left, an ornate sundial by Christopher Wren (www.asc.ox.ac.uk).
Balliol College is one of the oldest (founded 1263), most charming (fine grounds, chapel, and dining hall), and cheapest (£2 admission) of the Oxford colleges. While you’ll see better in Oxford, this is a delightful little side-trip if you’d like to pop in (www.balliol.ox.ac.uk).
Magdalen College (pronounced “maudlin”), sitting on the upper edge of town, gets my vote for the prettiest in Oxford. Magdalen has the largest grounds of any of the Oxford colleges—big enough to include its own deer park. A relaxing café overlooks the river and lively punting scene. Evensong services take place in the exquisite chapel (Tue-Sun at 18:00 except July-Sept; www.magd.ox.ac.uk).
In 1683, celebrated antiquary Elias Ashmole insisted his collection of curiosities deserved its own building. Half of his trove originated with an even-more-eccentric royal gardener, John Tradescant, who loved to seek out interesting items while traveling in search of plants. Since its founding, this eclectic museum has expanded its reach across art forms, cultures, and centuries. The vast and exceptionally well-presented collection features everything from antiquities to fine porcelain to paintings by some of the Old Masters.
Cost and Hours: Free but £4 suggested donation, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, audioguide-£3, rooftop café, Beaumont Street, tel. 01865/278-000, www.ashmolean.org.
Long, flat boats can be rented for punting (pushing with a long pole) along the River Cherwell. Chauffeurs are available, but the do-it-yourself crowd has more fun...even if they get a little wet. Punting looks easier than it is, and you’ll likely see first-timers creating log jams of incompetence. The guided ride includes a short lesson so you can actually learn how to do it right.
Cost and Hours: £20/hour per boat, £30 deposit, chauffeured punts-£25 per boat for 30 minutes and up to four people, rowboats and paddle boats available for the less adventurous, cash only, daily Feb-Nov 9:30-dusk, closed Dec-Jan, Magdalen Bridge Boathouse, tel. 01865/202-643).
The Bear, close to the Christ Church Picture Gallery, is one of Oxford’s most charming pubs (corner of Alfred and Blue Boar streets). The big and boisterous Turf Tavern is popular for its solid grub and outdoor beer garden (4 Bath Place). The Eagle and Child was the gathering place for the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis (49 St. Giles Street). The Covered Market—a farmers market maze of shops and stands—has fine selections for lunch or a picnic (between Market and High streets, near Carfax Tower).
If staying the night, $$$ The Buttery Hotel has good-value rooms (11 Broad Street, www.thebutteryhotel.co.uk), and the $$ Holywell Bed & Breakfast is a real gem, hidden away in an ancient row house (14 Holywell Street, www.holywellbedandbreakfast.com).
Just 30 minutes’ drive from Oxford (and convenient to combine with a drive through the Cotswolds), Blenheim is one of England’s best palaces—worth ▲▲▲. The 2,000-acre yard, designed by Lancelot “Capability” Brown, is as majestic to some as the palace itself.
John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough, defeated Louis XIV’s French forces at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. This pivotal event marked a turning point in the centuries-long struggle between the English and the French, and some historians claim that if not for his victory, we’d all be speaking French today. A thankful Queen Anne rewarded Churchill by building him this nice home, perhaps the finest Baroque building in England. Eleven dukes of Marlborough later, the palace is as impressive as ever. In 1874, a later John Churchill’s American daughter-in-law, Jennie Jerome, gave birth at Blenheim to another historic baby in that line...and named him Winston.
Rick’s Tip: Americans who call the palace “blen-HEIM” are the butt of jokes. It’s pronounced “BLEN-em.”
Day Plan: Start with the included state rooms tour and Winston Churchill Exhibition (allow 90 minutes to see both). From there, head to the delightful gardens. If you’re into all things palatial, add on the private apartment tour (requires a special ticket). If you have limited time, skip the “Untold Story” exhibit. Give the “Churchills’ Destiny” a 15-minute walk-through. Late in the afternoon, the palace is relaxed and quiet, even on the busiest of days.
Getting There: Blenheim Palace sits at the edge of the cute cobbled town of Woodstock. The train station nearest the palace (Hanborough, 1.5 miles away) has no taxi or bus service.
From Oxford, take bus #S3 from the Gloucester Green bus station (2/hour, 30 minutes, www.stagecoachbus.com). It goes to the Blenheim Palace Gates stop, about a half-mile from the palace, and the Woodstock/Marlborough Arms stop, in the heart of Woodstock; this adds a few more minutes’ walking than the other bus stop but offers a spectacular approach to the palace and lake.
If you’re coming from the Cotswolds, your easiest train connection is from Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford, where you can catch the bus to Blenheim.
Drivers should simply head for Woodstock; the palace is well-signposted once in town. Parking is available near the palace.
Cost and Hours: £22.50, park and gardens only-£14; family deals; open mid-Feb-Oct daily 10:30-17:30; Nov-mid-Dec Wed-Sun 10:30-17:30. Palace doors close at 16:45, it’s “everyone out” at 17:30, and the park closes at 18:00. Recorded info toll-free tel. 0800-849-6500, www.blenheimpalace.com.
Rick’s Tip: You can get discounted tickets for Blenheim Palace at the TIs in neighboring towns, including Oxford and Moreton-in-Marsh, and even on the #S3 bus from Oxford.
Tours: Guided tours of the state rooms are included with your admission (2/hour, 45 minutes, daily except Sun); free walking tours also run daily in the gardens (11:30, 1 hour, book a spot when you arrive). From Feb-Sept, you can book a tour of the private apartments as well as “Upstairs” and “Downstairs” tours (£6, offered regularly throughout the day, reserve a spot when you arrive or in advance online).
Eating: The lovely Water Terraces Café sits at the garden exit for basic lunch and teatime treats.
Self-Guided TourYour visit begins in the truly great Great Hall. While you can go “free flow” (reading info plaques and talking with docents in each room), it’s better to take the included guided tour of the state rooms.
These most sumptuous rooms in the palace are ornamented with fine porcelain, gilded ceilings, portraits of past dukes, photos of the present duke’s family, and “chaperone” sofas designed to give courting couples just enough privacy...but not too much.
Enjoy the series of 10 Brussels tapestries that commemorate military victories of the First Duke of Marlborough, including the Battle of Blenheim. After winning that pivotal conflict, he scrawled a quick note on the back of a tavern bill notifying the queen of his victory (you’ll see a replica). Finish with the remarkable “long library”—with its tiers of books and stuccoed ceilings.
This is a fascinating display of letters, paintings, and other artifacts of the great statesman, who was born here. Along with lots of intimate artifacts from his life, you’ll see the bed in which Sir Winston was born in 1874.
Blenheim Palace
For a behind-the-scenes peek at the palace (book a spot as soon as you arrive), take a 30-minute guided walk through the private apartments of the duke. Tours leave frequently throughout the day—when His Grace is not in.
You’ll see a chummy billiards room, luxurious china, servants quarters with 47 call bells (one for each room), private rooms, 18th-century Flemish tapestries, family photos, and more.
This exhibit in the “stables block” traces the military leadership of two great men who shared the name Churchill: John, who defeated Louis XIV at the Battle of Blenheim in the 18th century, and in whose honor this palace was built; and Winston, who was born in this palace and who won the Battle of Britain and helped defeat Hitler in the 20th century. It’s remarkable that two of the most important military victories in the nation’s history were overseen by these distant cousins.
The palace’s expansive gardens stretch nearly as far as the eye can see in every direction. From the main courtyard you’ll emerge into the Water Terraces; from there, you can loop around to the left, behind the palace, to see (but not enter) the Italian Garden. Or, head down to the lake to walk along the waterfront trail; going left takes you to the rose gardens and arboretum, while turning right brings you to the Grand Bridge. You can explore on your own (using the map and good signposting), or join a free tour.
