Hidden Cotswold Tour 11th June 2024
I was up early this morning.ย When Jernny asked why, I replied that I had three teachers today and needed to do my revision before the tour!
So, I was at the Old Stocks Hotel at 10:00am to meet the delightful, Denise, Sue and Rose.
The Slaughters
Our first stop was Upper Slaughter where we wandered into and around the Church.ย ย
Walking the loop back to the car we stopped to chat to and pat the friendly little shetland pony.
In Lower Slaughter I let everyone out to wander along the River Eye and agreed to meet at the other end.
The name of the villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter stem from the Old English name for a wet land ‘slough’ or ‘slothre’ (Old English for muddy place) upon which it lies. These quaint villages sit beside the little Eye stream and are known for their unspoilt limestone cottages in the traditional Cotswold style.
Bourton-on-the-Water
In Bourton-on-the-Water, I dropped them off whilst I went to find a parking space.ย We met up and I took them to the Cotswolds Distillery shop.ย Some small bottles of gin and whisky were bought๐ธ
Bourton-on-the-Water has been described as the ‘Little Venice’ of the Cotswolds and is one of the most popular tourist spots in the region being serviced by the many shops, cafe’s, and attractions
Burford
Our next stop was Burford.ย Here we all walked down the high street and to the church.
Burford is a beautiful old Cotswold town. Its High Street slopes down from the high Wolds, providing beautiful views over the open countryside, down to the willow fringed River Windrush in the pretty Windrush valley. A fine three arched medieval bridge crosses the river at the foot of the hill.
Bibury
ย As we were approaching the Catherine wheel pub, a huge group of Japanese tourists were walking up to the pub.ย I threw everyone out of the car so they could get in before the crowds.ย This all worked well and we had a good pub lunch.ย Thank you very much for treating me.๐
Lunch was followed by a walk around Arlington Row.ย The weather was overcast and there were a lot of tourists.ย So, I am sorry to say, that this spot was a slight disappointment.
The main attraction of Bibury is Arlington Row. A group of ancient cottages with steeply pitched roofs. Originally built in the 14th Century as a wool store, they were converted to cottages in the 16th Century.
This image appears in some UK Passports.
Tetbury
Then on to Tetbury and the Chipping Steps.
Plus a quick visit to the Highgrove shopย and a look at the top of Gumstool Hill where the annual wool sack races take place.
The town of Tetbury is proud of its 1300 years of recorded history since 681 when Tetta’s Monastery was mentioned in a charter by King Ethelred of Mercia. Now famous for the annual Woolsack Race and numerous antique shops.
Malmesbury
Unfortunately the Abbey was closed as we arrived shortly after 4pm.
But we walked around the back to see the impressive ruins of the ancient abbey.
Malmesbury is rightly called the “Queen of Hilltop Towns” being England’s oldest borough with a rich history over 1000 years. Officially Malmesbury can be traced back to the fifth century, but modern excavations have revealed the remains of an Iron Age Fort, which casts the settlement possibly as far back as 500 BC. Malmesbury is also home to Englandโs oldest hotel, the Old Bell, which has been offering bed and board since 1220.
Castle Combe
Then on to Castle Combe.ย Here there was a group of Asians taking the “Destination Wedding Photographs”.ย Unfortunately, we could not get the classic picture from the bottom of the bridge.ย ย This is my version of that elusive picture.
Castle Combe has been described as the prettiest village in the Cotswolds. This magical and ancient village, mentioned to the Domesday Book of 1086, was once a weaving town at the heart of the Cotswolds wool trade. Now a popular tourist destination with good reason.
Route
It was now time to heard on to Bath and to say our goodbyes.
It was such a lovely day with yinz and thank you for making what I do such a pleasure.
I must now red-up my car ready for the next tour and hope that this report of the day does not need too many red/purple corrections ๐