What is your favorite Cotswold town?

[John Bull]

John,

Thank you so much for the info. We have the Premier Inn booked in Stratford; which I don't believe has parking. I am still looking for a B&B there. I am at B&B's in the other towns that have parking. We are also staying in York, Windermere, Bath and Southampton.

 

Big surface pay-carpark in Stratford, behind the tourist info centre, from the Premier Inn it's a 5 minute walk across the river.

 

York is "up north", where we southern softies rarely stray.:rolleyes:

York Minster is the best known landmark - except to steam buffs, who head for the Nationaal Railway Museum.

Probably too modern-history for you, but I visited an excellent, varied & laid-back WW2 museum half an hour from York at Malton. Eden Camp is a former PoW camp, cleverly converted into an indoor/outdoor museum.

http://www.edencamp.co.uk/index.html

 

Windermere is set in gorgeous & sometimes rugged scenery in the Lake District.

Nearby Coniston Water is where in 1967 Sir Donald Campbell was killed attempting to raise his own world water speed record in his boat, Bluebird. His body was recovered years later & buried in the village cemetery in Coniston.

As well as cruising Windermere on a historic steamer (mandatory for visitors ;)), do get out & about in the car.

Kirkstone Pass is very easy, Honister Pass easy, Hardknott Pass is a little more challenging in places.

Super views & walks from all.

But no thatched cottages :p

 

Bath. Much "prettier" scenery, very refined, very Georgian, very easy to walk the main sights. Lots of overseas tourists. You'll see some thatched cottages in the villages.

 

Southampton. My neck of the woods. A day getting lost in the lanes & villages of the New Forest. Or a more far-reaching day to the Jurassic coast (Corfe Castle to Bridport & beyond) & return through the Dorset downs & villages, through Sherborne & Shaftesbury, across Cranborne Chase & New Forest.

Awash with thatched cottages :)

Or to Portsmouth, with its ring of Napoleonic forts, historic dockyard & ships, the Spinnaker Tower, D-Day museum, Southsea castle, seafront promenade & attractions, etc. Worth a very full day.

Or further in the same direction to the cathedral city of Chichester & the Weald & Downland open-air museum at Singleton, with authentic historic artisan village & farm buildings from all over the south, threatened by road improvements, new reservoirs etc, which have been dismantled, brought to Singleton & re-built.

http://www.wealddown.co.uk/

Yet further, though still only about an hour from Southampton, to Arundel with its very complete castle - continuously occupied & extended, showing history over a number of centuries.

 

I can expand on these or other places that take your fancy.

 

JB :)

[MVPinBoynton]

Big surface pay-carpark in Stratford, behind the tourist info centre, from the Premier Inn it's a 5 minute walk across the river.

 

York is "up north", where we southern softies rarely stray.:rolleyes:

York Minster is the best known landmark - except to steam buffs, who head for the Nationaal Railway Museum.

Probably too modern-history for you, but I visited an excellent, varied & laid-back WW2 museum half an hour from York at Malton. Eden Camp is a former PoW camp, cleverly converted into an indoor/outdoor museum.

http://www.edencamp.co.uk/index.html

 

Windermere is set in gorgeous & sometimes rugged scenery in the Lake District.

Nearby Coniston Water is where in 1967 Sir Donald Campbell was killed attempting to raise his own world water speed record in his boat, Bluebird. His body was recovered years later & buried in the village cemetery in Coniston.

As well as cruising Windermere on a historic steamer (mandatory for visitors ;)), do get out & about in the car.

Kirkstone Pass is very easy, Honister Pass easy, Hardknott Pass is a little more challenging in places.

Super views & walks from all.

But no thatched cottages :p

 

Bath. Much "prettier" scenery, very refined, very Georgian, very easy to walk the main sights. Lots of overseas tourists. You'll see some thatched cottages in the villages.

 

Southampton. My neck of the woods. A day getting lost in the lanes & villages of the New Forest. Or a more far-reaching day to the Jurassic coast (Corfe Castle to Bridport & beyond) & return through the Dorset downs & villages, through Sherborne & Shaftesbury, across Cranborne Chase & New Forest.

Awash with thatched cottages :)

Or to Portsmouth, with its ring of Napoleonic forts, historic dockyard & ships, the Spinnaker Tower, D-Day museum, Southsea castle, seafront promenade & attractions, etc. Worth a very full day.

Or further in the same direction to the cathedral city of Chichester & the Weald & Downland open-air museum at Singleton, with authentic historic artisan village & farm buildings from all over the south, threatened by road improvements, new reservoirs etc, which have been dismantled, brought to Singleton & re-built.

http://www.wealddown.co.uk/

Yet further, though still only about an hour from Southampton, to Arundel with its very complete castle - continuously occupied & extended, showing history over a number of centuries.

 

I can expand on these or other places that take your fancy.

 

JB :)

 

John,

Thank you so much for all the tips. There is just too much to do in your lovely country. I already thought my schedule would be tight and now you have made it more challenging. I will be sure to check with you in the coming months.

[Cotswold Eagle]

 

Warwick isn't far, no thatched cottages but a historic centre and an excellent castle.

 

Relatively few thatched roofs in the Cotswolds - it's not cereal-growing territory & it's known for its stone (most Cotswold houses are stone), & the stone is used for some roofing, as well as clay tiles & Welsh slates.

You'll see a few thatched roofs, including Ann Hathaway's cottage, but they're much more common in other parts of the country (Norfolk, mainly reed) & the south/south-east (mainly wheat straw). Most will be seen by diverting down country lanes - they're relatively uncommon in towns, due to the risk of the spread of fire.

 

JB :)

 

Generally true, of course, JB, but the poster staying in S-u-A is no more than 15-20 minutes from Chipping (and Broad) Camden, which have some excellent Cotswolds thatched cottages.

[John Bull]

Generally true, of course, JB, but the poster staying in S-u-A is no more than 15-20 minutes from Chipping (and Broad) Camden, which have some excellent Cotswolds thatched cottages.

 

This google street-view in Chipping Campden proves my point.:)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Chipping+Campden&hl=en&ll=52.046262,-1.78545&spn=0.019162,0.132093&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=10.405166,33.815918&oq=chipping+camden&hnear=Chipping+Campden,+Gloucestershire,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=52.046288,-1.785416&panoid=esOVSd35BsJc7yuAln2LnQ&cbp=11,60.19,,0,6.89

 

Spinning the camera thro 180 degrees proves the Eagle's point.:)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Chipping+Campden&hl=en&ll=52.046262,-1.78545&spn=0.019162,0.132093&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=10.405166,33.815918&oq=chipping+camden&hnear=Chipping+Campden,+Gloucestershire,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=52.046288,-1.785416&panoid=esOVSd35BsJc7yuAln2LnQ&cbp=11,240.19,,0,6.89

 

JB :)

[MVPinBoynton]

Now that is what I am looking for. Having done some research today, it looks like Chipping Campden and S-u-A have some drop dead gorgeous homes with and without the thatched room. I am sure I will love the area. And I am sure my camera will get a very good workout. :D

[Cotswold Eagle]

This google street-view in Chipping Campden proves my point.:)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Chipping+Campden&hl=en&ll=52.046262,-1.78545&spn=0.019162,0.132093&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=10.405166,33.815918&oq=chipping+camden&hnear=Chipping+Campden,+Gloucestershire,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=52.046288,-1.785416&panoid=esOVSd35BsJc7yuAln2LnQ&cbp=11,60.19,,0,6.89

 

Spinning the camera thro 180 degrees proves the Eagle's point.:)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Chipping+Campden&hl=en&ll=52.046262,-1.78545&spn=0.019162,0.132093&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=10.405166,33.815918&oq=chipping+camden&hnear=Chipping+Campden,+Gloucestershire,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=52.046288,-1.785416&panoid=esOVSd35BsJc7yuAln2LnQ&cbp=11,240.19,,0,6.89

 

JB :)

 

Nice job, sir :) The only unusual feature of the second view is that there are no tourists standing in the road taking photos of the thatched houses!

[dogs4fun]

Now that is what I am looking for. Having done some research today, it looks like Chipping Campden and S-u-A have some drop dead gorgeous homes with and without the thatched room. I am sure I will love the area. And I am sure my camera will get a very good workout. :D

 

No kidding! I just checked-out the google street view via the provided link ... simply breathtaking!

[jamrockgirl]

Hello Cotswold Eagle,

We shall be in London a few days prior to cruising in August and would very much like to visit The Cotswolds on a day trip using public transit any suggestions as to the towns to visit for the day as well as the best train and buses to take would be most welcome.

[TLCOhio]

YES!! Lots to see, love, do and enjoy in and around the Cotswolds. Have visited there twice to enjoy the charming towns/villages and scenic countrysides. Great names and places like Stow-on-the-Wold and Burton-on-the-Water. Plus, aren't the names and setting for Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter so spectacular.

 

Below are a few of my photo highlights of certain areas and attractions we really liked.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 113,778 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 91,010 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Here’s a sampling of the fun from the country-focused Cotswolds, including the sights in Burton-on-the-Water, historic buildings in a cute village and spectacular Blenheim Palace where Winston Churchill was born and many films have been shot:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a sample from Bath with its river and bridge. This historic town has some old Roman ruins, including the “baths”, hence its name!:

 

 

 

At Oxford University, the Radcliffe Camera, meaning "room" in Italian, is in the English Palladian style and built in 1737–1749 to house the science library. It is a part of the famed Bodleian Library, one of the oldest libraries in Europe and second in size only to the British Library for the UK. It has four copies of the Magna Carta among its many different historic collections.:

 

 

 

Much of the wealth in the Cotswolds comes from and was connected with sheep. Raising them, producing high-quality wool, etc. :

 

[MVPinBoynton]

Terry,

Thanks for the great pics and preview of our upcoming trip there.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Terry's second photo is of Stow-on-the-Wold. The Kings is not a bad place for a drink or bite to eat if you happen to be there :-)

[Cotswold Eagle]

Hello Cotswold Eagle,

We shall be in London a few days prior to cruising in August and would very much like to visit The Cotswolds on a day trip using public transit any suggestions as to the towns to visit for the day as well as the best train and buses to take would be most welcome.

 

I would suggest taking the train from Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh, which takes about 1hour 40 minutes and goes via Oxford. Moreton has good bus links as it is on one of the main roads through the Cotswolds, the Fosse Way.

 

You could take buses down to Stow-on-the Wold and Bourton-in-the-Water (the same bus goes through one of the Slaughters, as mentioned by Terry), which are two of the "highlight" towns. Alternatively head over to Chipping Camden and Broadway on a different bus service, or get off in one of the smaller villages such as Blockley, very close to my house.

 

You will need to study timetables, as buses are not frequent (they do often link with the train services). It will be a long day, but a great contrast from London.

 

This is a good place to start planning - http://www.escapetothecotswolds.org.uk/visitor-info/gettinghere/north/ Also look for information on the Cotswolds Discoverer ticket, which covers trains from Oxford and Cotswolds bus services (you could buy both a ticket to Oxford and the Discoverer at Paddington and stay on the same train).

 

David

[TLCOhio]

Terry, Thanks for the great pics and preview of our upcoming trip there.

 

Cotswold Eagle: Terry's second photo is of Stow-on-the-Wold. The Kings is not a bad place for a drink or bite to eat if you happen to be there :-)

 

Appreciate the added follow-up and comments' date=' especially the kind ones from Mike. Glad to know the specifics from super savvy Cotswold Eagle on that one picture being from Stow-on-the-Wold. I will update that info for my file. We stayed a couple nights in a charming place in that wonderful village. It was the Old Farmhouse Hotel, Lower Swell, Stow-on-the-Wold, phone: 011-44-1451-830 232. Love these older places made into 20th Century accommodations. So many great towns and places to see in this area, but clearly [b']Stow-on-the-Wold was one of the "best of the best"!![/b]

 

Also checked my old notes from a 1997 visit there to see this little item: Cotswolds is Old English for “God’s high open land”. True!! That year we stayed at Gorselands Farmhouse B&B in Woodstock, northwest of Oxford, phone 011-44-1993/881 895. It is Cotswold stone period farmhouse, has billiards room; in Oxfordshire area; one hour from Heathrow.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 113,893 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Cotswold Eagle]

Here's another useful link - a guide to exploring the Cotswolds. We have been talking about the North area (colour coded green in this guide), because of the easy access from London and places to see.

 

http://www.escapetothecotswolds.org.uk/userfiles/file/public-transport/1-cots-aonb-explore-guide-2012.pdf

 

The map on page 25 is v useful and the Taster Day Out starting on page 10 is the Stow-Bourton route I mentioned above (with Northleach added on). I wouldn't worry too much about "attractions", a lot of the point of visiting is just to see the lovely countryside and buildings (if wet, there are plenty of pubs and tearooms!)

 

Terry, "wold" originally meant a wood or area of forest on a hill, but most of the wolds are open now after the deforestation of Britain. The "Cots" part is open to interpretation :) You will also find Wolds in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire in England.

 

Interestingly, Moreton-in-Marsh was originally Morton Henmarsh - it's not clear what Henmarsh meant, but most people accept it was a wetland where fowl could be taken. It's only fairly recently (last couple of hundred years!) that it became -in-Marsh, perhaps to match the descriptive style of many other place names in the area.

[txladycruiser]

We land at Heathrow at 6:00 am on July 14th (Sunday). I know our hotel won't be ready that early. Would it be a good idea to have a driver pick us up at Heathrow and take us to some of the Cotswold villages? I know we'll be really tired that day but I would rather do something than just sit around the hotel waiting to get our room. We have been to London many times and try to do something new outside of the city each time.

 

Would this work or not? If so, what villages would you recommend from Heathrow?

 

Thanks so much.

 

 

Karen

[Cotswold Eagle]

It certainly could work, but it could be a long day, especially if you are staying in central London. To put some context on that, the easiest part of the Cotswolds to hit would be just the other side of Oxford and that will take you a little over an hour from Heathrow, all being well. You'd be going against most traffic, providing the M25 orbital motorway isn't too bad just outside Heathrow, but could hit rush hour round Oxford.

 

But here's a plan - head to Minster Lovell and Burford, just west of Oxford on a main road, the A40, as mentioned very early on in this thread. Then think about Stow-on-the-Wold, Burton-on-the-Water and Northleach, which are all on another main road, the A429 (the Fosse Way) and maybe some of the smaller villages, such as the Swells or Slaughters. Northleach puts you back on the A40 for the run back towards Oxford, then Heathrow by motorway and into London if required. All being well you are perhaps a little over two hours into the centre of town, but if you hit traffic stretch that to three hours.

 

Easier to visualise if you look on a map, but essentially I'm suggesting a loop from Burford and very easy to cut short or decide to stay in one place and skip stopping in another as you go.