A trip to the Cotswolds

~ beetleypete

In 2010, Julie and I decided to rent a house in the Cotswolds, to celebrate our first anniversary. We chose a large 1930s Art Deco bungalow, close to the town of Stow-On-The-Wold, Gloucestershire.

(All photos can be enlarged, for detail)

This picturesque part of England is comprised of areas in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. Many local towns and villages attract thousands of tourists, from all over the world. In one small village, we found an old house converted into an all-year-round Christmas shop.

The main feature of the buildings there, is the distinctive Cotswold Stone. Still popular today, it has been used in the construction of houses for centuries.

If you are ever lucky enough to be in that part of England, be sure to visit Bourton-On-The-Water, Broadway, Burford, and Stow. You won’t be sorry.

77 thoughts on “A trip to the Cotswolds”

      1. Dear Pete,
        it was a great trip very well planned by Dina, who likes to prepare journeys, reading lots of guides and searching the net.
        She is coming home from Norway today and then our Christmas season begins with baking Norwegian and German Christmas cookies and decorating the house. Siri and Selma love it, Dina and me as well.
        With lots of love from the sunny frosty coast
        The Fab Four of Cley xxx

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  3. 🙂 I live on the edge of the Cotswolds (Witney) and everything you say is spot on, I’ll add one qualification Oxford City Council removed all bus subsidies so the bus companies decimated their routes……….. so my advice is to hire bikes and hit the tiny villages around Burford or Lower Slaughter if you don’t have a car………….fab photographs.

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    1. Thanks for the comment, Andrew. I know Witney fairly well, as I had a friend (now sadly deceased) who came from there. He later moved to Chinnor, just about still in Oxfordshire. Thanks for the tips about the buses, and I am pleased that you enjoyed the post. I left a comment on your blog, thanking you for following this one.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  4. We don’t live too far away from the Cotswolds (Coventry) so regularly visit for birthdays/days out. You’re right, parking can be a bit of a nightmare especially in the summer. It is a truly lovely part of the world though and it seems like you had fun 😊

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    1. Pricey indeed, Eddy. Easy access into London via the A40/M40, and a lot of second homes owned there too. A 4-bed house is at least £600,000. Not bad compared to London prices of course, but double and a bit those of Norfolk.
      Cheers, Pete.

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    1. We married in 2009, but have been together since 2000, so 17 years in November.
      I only managed 8 years in each of my first two marriages, so this one is something of a marathon!
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Congratulations to the two of you and many more happy years to come. Karen and I have been married six in September and together 9 in August. This too feels like a marathon compared to my previous record of eight months. 🙂

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    1. Nice to see you, WS. I have visited most of that area, and you can’t really go wrong, whichever part you choose. Maybe best to avoid the peak tourist season though, as parking can be a real issue, and the sights are crowded. (We went in September, after the school holidays.)
      Bets wishes, Pete.

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  12. What a marvellous and very beautiful place. I can almost sense yours and Julie’s love for the place as It seems very fitting for moi too since I have always dreamed of vacating in a place such as this. (Minus any heavy crowds ofcourse). It’s one part of England that looks like my type of getaway from the busy London life. ☺

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    1. If you miss the main tourist season from July to late September, it is a magical place, MV.
      It serves to remind you of an England from long ago, so worth the effort in every way. (And easily accessible from London, on the A40)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  15. I’ve only ever been in the area briefly in passing, but I have it on my neverending list of places pending to visit (it is almost as long as my list of books). Great pictures and thanks for the recommendation!

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  17. Beautiful photos of a remarkable place. I often have this conversation with my American friends of how a 200 year old building in the USA is considered old and in England and other place in Europe, 200 years is like being newly built.

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  21. Great photos! I’ll let you judge whether or not I enlarged them….
    (1) I love the doorbell on the bungalow! Also, plenty of benches to sit on…
    (2) I like the milk can with the flowers, and also the red train in the window.
    (3) So, the photo was taken at 1:19 in the afternoon. It would be fun to visit Fenwick & Fenwick Antiques. I noticed that the building in the foreground is called Little Gables.

    I’ve always loved stone, both wild (rock scrambling; negotiating a passage between rocks them on the river) and domesticated (sculpture; monuments; building construction). You’re lucky to be only a stone’s throw away from the Land of Cotswold.

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    1. Thanks for appreciating the details, David. It is a lovely part of the country, although very crowded with tourists much of the year, and commanding eye-watering house prices too. We must go back there, one of these days.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. Very true, Sue. We went in mid-September on that occasion though, and it wasn’t so crowded then.
      I have been many times before, and it can be just as lovely in the winter, sans tourists.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. You would be in good company with lots of other Americans, Susanne. They love this part of England. Well-worth your time, but best out of high season. (September-December)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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