Hidden Cotswold Tour 9th October 2023

Karen and Susan were waiting for me in the reception at the Chester House Hotel in Bourton-on-the-Water at 10am.
So, following introductions, we set off on our tour.

Burford

The first stop was Burford, a beautiful hillside market town.
I dropped them off at the top of the hill so that they could walk down the hill, with a little time on their own, and do some shopping.
We met again at the bottom of the hill and I took them around the impressive Wool Church of St. James, dodging a bus load of tourists!

Burford High Street

Burford, a beautiful old Cotswold town, its high street sloping from the high Wolds, where you have 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

Our next stop was Bibury which was busier than I thought it would be on a Monday morning in October.ย  But it was turning into another beautiful day.
I dropped them off and went to park the car.ย  We met up and wandered around Rack Isle.

Arlington Row Bibury June 2024

The main attraction of Bibury is Arlington Row.ย  A group of ancient cottages with steeply pitched roofs dating back to the 16th Century.
This image appears on UK Passports.

Malmesbury

Driving on from Bibury we by-passed Cirencester and on to Malmesbury.
We parked up and I took them for a walk into and around the ancient Abbey and the ruins.
It was time to get some lunch and I suggested a little cafe and arranged to meet in the market square.ย 

Malmesbury 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 Englandโ€™s oldest hotel, the Old Bell, which has been offering bed and board since 1220.

Castle Combe

Back in the car and a longish drive down to Castle Combe.ย  Fortunately there was a parking space close to the village and we walked down the high street, and on to the bridge to try and capture the view up the hill.ย  Photographs were made a little difficult by a woman in a red jacket!ย 
Then a little visit to the church and back to the car.ย  The woman in red was there too!!!

Castle Combe

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.

Tetbury

Another drive, this time going North, to Tetbury.
Here we parked up and we went to see the Chipping Steps and I talked about the Mop Fairs.ย  Next, I took them to the King’s Highgrove gift shop.ย  Then I left them to wander along the high street and arranged to meet back at the car.

Chipping Steps in Tetbury
A34 on a good day!

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.

Upper Slaughter

I had planned to visit Cirencester, but the square was closed off due to a Mop Fair being held there.ย  So we continued on, passing by Bourton-on-the-Water and to Upper Slaughter.ย  Here we got out and had a gentle stroll past the ford and back up to the car.

Upper Slaughter from the ford

The building that dominates Upper Slaughter is the beautiful gabled Manor House which is one of the finest buildings in the area. The Manor is now a hotel.ย  Upper Slaughter is known as a ‘Double Thankful Village’ย due to all their then members of the armed forces survivingย both World War I and World War II.

Chastleton House

Chastleton is a place I love, because it is off the beaten track and usually very peaceful. With some places in the Cotsolds you are fighting to park and fighting through crowds.ย  But here it is a place of tranquility.ย  And today we were the only people there to enjoy this rural, bucolic peace.

Image Chastleton House

Chastleton House was built between 1607 and 1612 as a statement of wealth and power by prosperous wool merchant, Walter Jones. Owned by the same increasingly impoverished family for nearly 400 years, Chastleton has remained a time capsule and hidden treasure-trove for generations.

Route

It was now coming up to 6pm and time to get them to Daylesford Farm Organics as they had a restaurant reservation

It was a lovely day with both of you.

Susan you asked for the link to Jenny’s Pepper Mills. Just click HEREย 

If you enjoyed my tour and would be happy to share any thoughts or photos please click on the TripAdvisor link below.ย  Thank you