Hidden Cotswold Tour 8th August 2023
Oh dear! today’s forecast was not looking good.
But, I met Cara, Anthony and Nick at Kingham Station all in good spirits and looking forward to the day ahead.
Burford
I took the back lanes via Swinbrook to Burford.
Here I dropped them all off while I went to park the car. We had arranged to meet up at the bottom of the high street after about 45 minutes. Giving plenty of time to visit the shops and to pick up a snack of a sausage roll for Anthony.
We met at the Church and had a good look around.
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.
Bourton-on-the-Water
Back in the car we took the Taynton/Barrington road to Bourton-on-the-Water.
Once in Bourton I dropped them off and agreed a meeting spot outside the motor museum about 45 minutes later.
The rain was not giving up, fortunately, they had sensibly brought rain coats with them, but were still looking a little wet.
It was now time to get some lunch and I had promised Fish and Chips in Broadway.
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
Broadway
We made Broadway in good time and I dropped everyone off at Russel’s. They were in at just the right time to find a table inside out of the rain.
When they were done we met up and wandered along the high street back to the car.
It was now a choice between going to Sudeley Castle, inside, or continue to Chipping Campden and ignore the rain. Happily, they chose the latter.
I took a small detour to see Broadway Tower in the rain!
The Cotswold village of Broadway is often referred to as the ‘Jewel of the Cotswolds’ and the ‘Show Village of England’ because of it’s sheer beauty and magnificence. The ‘broad way’ leads from the foot of the western Cotswolds escarpment with a wide grass-fringed street lined with ancient honey coloured limestone buildings dating back to the 16th century and earlier.
Chipping Campden
My first stop in Chipping Campden was at Hart’s the Silversmiths.
We spent some time chatting with one of the craftsmen who was making a pair of silver candelabras.
I left them to walk along the high street and arranged to meet up by the church.
With no improvement in the weather we headed off to towards Blockley.
Chipping Campden is one of the loveliest small towns in the Cotswolds and a gilded masterpiece of limestone and craftsmanship. The main street curves in a shallow arc lined with a succession of ancient houses each grafted to the next but each with its own distinctive embellishments.
Donnington Brewery
We drove through Blockley, the home of Father Brown, if you ever get to watch it 😊
And then on to Upper Slaughter. But on the way I stopped off at Donnington Brewery to give them a view of the lake and the swans.
Sadly, today the black swans and Patrick the peacock were nowhere to be seen ☹️
Some of the brewery’s buildings date from 1291.
Like many mills in the Cotswolds, where the wool trade was so dominant, the one at Donnington probably started life as a cloth mill. However, in about 1580, it was rebuilt by the Lord of the Manor of Donnington and used for milling corn.
Today, the mill wheel is still used to drive pumps and machinery to brew our beer the same way 150 years on.
Upper Slaughter
Next stop was Upper Slaughter and this time there was a little break in the weather and we got out and walked up to the church and took the loop back to the car via the ford.
We then drove from Upper to Lower Slaughter stopping only to have a look through the car’s windows.
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. Upper Slaughter is known as a ‘Double Thankful Village’ due to all their then members of the armed forces surviving both World War I and World War II.
Stow-on-the-Wold
From Lower Slaughter it was a short journey up to Stow-on-the-Wold. Anthony’s gift for finding parking spaces was washing off on me and we found the perfect space as we drove into the square.
First stop was the door between the yew trees at the back of the church.
Then walking down one of the narrow sheep counting passageways “Tures” we popped into our shop to have a look.
Then after stopping outside the Porch House it was nearly 6pm and time for supper at the Old Butcher’s.
Stow-on the-Wold is the highest of the Cotswold towns standing exposed on 800 feet high Stow Hill at a junction of seven major roads, including the Roman Fosse Way. The vast Market Square testifies to the towns former importance. Around the square the visitor is faced with an elegant array of Cotswold town houses and shops.
Route
Well, despite the weather I think we all had a good day out in the Cotswolds.
It was lovely spending time with you.
I hope you enjoyed your meal at the Old Butcher’s and that the taxi arrived in time to get you to the station.
Good luck with the weddings next year 😊
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