Exploring the Cotswolds
Stratford-upon-Avon
We left the Warwick Castle and drove for just 15 minutes to Stratford-upon-Avon… the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Fun to wander around the streets for a little while before heading to our cute cottage.
Emily found a door with the number of her age. It’s a favorite pass time while wandering through cities. Love these cute brick and half timbered buildings… especially that cute public library.
High Ridge - in Milton-Under-Wychwood
A picture of our cute Cotswold home with our huge Rental van — which served us well for a little over a week from Edinburgh all the way down to London.
We were pleased with our little Cotswold home. It’s always a little tricky finding a house big enough for 8 people but this one worked well. Chris and I slept up in the attic and it was adorable.
A Walk through Milton-Under-Wychwood
Love the greenery, flowers and peach roses climbing on the walls of these beautiful brick houses. And love these stormy clouds developing as we headed back to the house.
Bourton-on-the-Water
The next morning we woke up ready to explore a few more Cotswold villages. We started with Bourton-on-the-Water and loved these cute flags and bridges - and especially loved picking out a few things at the Bakery on the Water and enjoying them by the stream.
I don’t have a picture of it… but as I was taking a video of them in the same spot a large garbage truck drove by, slowed down and waved with enthusiastic faces to be part of our video. So funny!
Stow-on-the-Wold
A six minute drive to our next village… Stow-on-the-Wold which means "meeting place on the uplands" — and is the highest point in the Cotswolds.
The kids loved it when they locked Dad up in the stocks. Stocks were originally used to publicly ridicule people as punishment. And now a visit to Stow is not complete until you've been locked in the stocks.
We enjoyed the turquoise, green and red doors as we walked around. The architecture is so charming.
Around the churchyard towards the north porch of the St. Edwards Church is a 13th Century church door known as ‘The Yew Tree Door’ and looks remarkably like something out of The Lord of the Rings. We eagerly sought it out and knew Ryan and the kids would love it. So cool.
Check out the tree that Ryan is standing by… with it’s cute little face and Ryan loved this store name since it is also a place in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Middle Earth. It was a good little English village for Ryan.
Chipping Campden
“Chipping Campden was once the home of the richest Cotswold wool merchants. Both the great British historian G. M. Trevelyan and I call Chipping Campden's High Street the finest in England. As in most market towns, the street was wide enough for sheep business on market days, when livestock and packhorses laden with piles of freshly shorn fleece would fill the streets. Campden was a sales and distribution center for the wool industry, and merchants from as far away as Italy would come here for the prized raw wool.
Lining High Street is a parade of stone buildings. Despite differing architectural styles, they are all made from the same Cotswold stone — the only stone allowed today. At the center of town is the 17th-century Market Hall, Chipping Campden's most famous monument. Back then, it was an elegant — even over-the-top — shopping hall for the townsfolk who'd come here to buy their produce. Today, the hall, which is rarely used, stands as a testimony to the importance of trade to medieval Campden.” Rick Steves
Fun to find a W. A. Walton on the monument. This is the Chipping Camden Market Hall in the middle of High Street.
The store decorated with English flags is where I bought a cute little scalloped edge light wood frame. Such a cute little place to shop! We sat on the grass and played a few clapping games while we ate some snacks.
We stumbled upon a cute little ‘secret garden’ and entered to find little wood benches and sat for awhile. Dad started a game of ‘Telephone’ and I love seeing everyone’s faces as they hear the whispered phrase. This little event ended up being a strong memory for everyone!
Love both of these pictures. So much fun to explore these cute little Cotswold towns with Chris and the kids.
A few more amazing cottages on our way out of town. These gardens are amazing!
Back at High Ridge… Luke reading a book in the backyard.
Date Night at The Hare
This was such a fun night. We left the kids back at the house with home cooked spaghetti and then Chris and I walked through the neighborhood down to the Village Pub for dinner. It was a cute place and had fantastic food.
Burford
Burford is often referred to as the 'gateway' to the Cotswolds. It’s famous High Street sweeps downhill towards the river, medieval bridge and impressive church. We parked, and enjoyed walking up the street with different kinds of antique shops, restaurants, and modern stores.
Love the blue and yellow bunting up from tree to tree.
We found a darling shop that sold purses and bags and the girls each picked up a church/scripture bag. Katie couldn’t decide and wanted them all. Definitely a fun souvenir from England.
Bibury
The village is known for its honey-colored 17th-century stone cottages with steeply pitched roofs, which once housed weavers who supplied cloth for fulling at nearby Arlington Mill. Absolutely charming.
Quaint Arlington Row in the little town of Bibury.
Castle Combe
Our last Cotswold town of the day… and such a lovely view with stream, old bridge and quaint brick homes. I read that this city was used to film Dr. Thorpe - one of the BBC shows I’ve enjoyed.
Ryan and Luke by the Bybrook River.
I loved this particular half timbered house. This picture is printed and up on my walls now!
