The Cotswolds, UK, August, 2015, Part 1

The Cotswolds, UK, August 2015, Part 1

So, I left London for the Cotswolds. I bought a book on the Cotswolds a long time ago and have dreamed of going there ever since.



Here is a list of the villages that I visited in the Cotswolds:

Honeybourne - where my train dropped me off
Wellisley - the Airbnb where I stayed with Mark and Zoe
Moreton-in-Marsh

This is the little café where I ate breakfast everyday at Mark and Zoe's place. I had an "English" breakfast which consisted of ham, sausage, eggs, broiled tomatoes, pork and beans, hash browns, tea and an english muffin (which, by the way) is "crumpets". When they say tea and crumpets, this is what they are referring to.

Here is their grocery store - the only one in the village of Wellisley. They have the grocery, café, b & b, local newspapers, toner cartridge refils and other assorted assistance for this community. And they do a great job!

 

 

Here is a marker honoring the military men who were lost in various wars. I have seen several of these in villages around the Cotswolds. This one is in Broadyway.

 

Broadway is the town where I spent my first afternoon and evening shopping, sightseeing and dining, about 3 miles from Wellisley.

Here is the incredible park they have for children just off the main street in Broadway. It had manywonderful ways for children to creatively exercise and beauty and space for families to be outside.






Here is the hotel with a restaurant where I had dinner in Broadway.

Stratford-on-Avon - Shakespear's birth place and where Anne Hathaway's House is. (William Shakespear's wife)

Here is Anne Hathaway's house - the wife of William Shakespear. There is a wonderful garden outside . . .

 

and lots of history inside.

Here is a bonnet and shoe that was found in the house. Back in those days, it was not uncommon to hide, especially shoes, in the fireplace chimney or under floor boards. They were hidden there to ward off evil spirits.

Bourton on the Water
Stowe on the Wold - one of my favorites
Stanway
Stanton
Hidcote Manor Garden in Chipping Campden - where they have beautiful gardens. I went here with Mark the owner of the Airbnb. Lots of pictures of this. Also, see an article online called "Think a garden won't make you cry? You haven't been to the Cotswolds." by Johanna Schneller in the publication The Globe And Mail, June 30, 2014

Sorry there are so many pictures but I can't begin to tell you in words how beautiful it is here so, a picture says a thousand words so, here are 16,000 words!

Winchcoombe

Sudelely Castle

(this is only the castle gate I am afraid.

We were too late to go in)

Blockley - I liked this village
Broad Camden - I liked this village also
Bretforton
Backford Arboritum
Guiting Powers - I don't remember what this was. I will have to look it up.
Lower Slaughter
Upper Slaughter
Snowshill
Woodstock
Evesham
Burford
Bristol - this is where I caught a plane out to Edinburgh for 3 days then back into "The Lake District" of Great Britain
Bath - there is a whole separate blog about this one. Beautiful!
Bibury

Let me tell you a little story I heard about this area. This district is known for its wool production which commenced in the middle ages. It used to be thriving wool producing community and very wealthy. The wealthy lived in spacious estates. The workers lived in housing districts consisting of little 2 bedroom cottages. Today many "Brits" visit the Cotswolds on holiday.

The color of the buildings - which is a honey color - comes from fossilized sea urchins! How about that? The thatched roofs began some time in the 1500 - 1600's. The roofs are made out of wheat straw. Sometimes the roof straw would fall in on the sleeping residents. Also, sometimes things like birds or mice would also fall in on the sleeping residents. It was a matter of evolution but early on the residents would wear caps to sleep in. It helped somewhat with the straw and varmints. Later they created posted beds with a canopy on them so that if anything fell from the roof, it would fall on the canopies.

Virginia Woolf was a "regular visitor" here in the Cotswolds. A symphony created by Gustav Holst was named after the Cotswolds.

I took a local  bus from Wellisley to Stratford-on-Avon and spent a few hours there then met a driver to drive me around the Cotswolds since I only had 2 days.

Here are some pictures of the beautiful villages that I visited.

This row of houses is the most famous in the Cotswolds. The doorframes are barely over 5 feet tall! I believe these are some of the 2 bedroom worker's units.  

Mark and I went to dinner at The Fleece Inn which is a very famous and popular pub.

 

 

I had a hamburger and  "chips" and Mark had a salmon salad.

This Inn was originally built in the 15th century. It was bequeathed to The National Trust in 1977 but is still privately run as a pub. The National Trust was an organization created to preserve and protect historical sites. Events are frequently held on the grounds.

I think I am going to have to blog another day on the Cotswolds. I have more to say and show you!