Just to the west of Oxford lies the Cotswolds, an area of tranquil rolling hills, with its famed honey-coloured cottages, churches, and aristocratic manor houses…
Let me guide you round this fascinating and beautiful part of England. We’ll visit historic market towns such as Stow-on-the-Wold and Burford; follow the trail of highwaymen to the Coaching Inns of Broadway; and trace the winding river Windrush to romantic ruins such as Minster Lovell Hall.
“We found the tour with Edward fascinating.
He had a huge amount of knowledge and a good sense of humour. Would definitely recommend this tour.”
– Helen W., UK
Elsewhere we’ll find the ‘chocolate box’ villages of Bibury, Bampton and Snowshill, where visitors may even recognize the film locations of Downton Abbey or Bridget Jones’s Diary.
The Cotswold Lion
On a tour of the Cotswolds I will show you how these hills became the source of England’s great wealth in the middle ages. Not from silver or gold, but from the wool on the backs of the sheep that peacefully graze there – most famously, the wool of the ‘Cotswold lion’ that was exported to Italy and Flanders to make the finest cloth. The revenues went into creating the renowned ‘woolgothic’ churches of the area, with their elegant towers, brasses and stained glass.
Today, in addition to flocks of sheep, we find thoroughbred racehorses on the gallops at some of the best stables in the country. Game birds such as pheasants and partridges hide in the hedgerows, while circling above are birds of prey such as buzzards and red kites. A glimpse of deer amongst the trees reminds us that the Cotswolds were also the hunting ground of Kings and Queens.
Glorious gardens and fine arts
From the late 19th century, the Arts and Crafts movement led by William Morris saw a revival of traditional artisan skills in furniture-making, pottery and stone work, which continues today in the workshops of Chipping Campden.
Generations of gardeners also left their mark, with the blooms of Hidcote and Kiftsgate Court at the Cotswolds’ northern edge. Elsewhere, a thousand years of history is captured at Sudeley Castle, and the most eccentric styles of architecture at Sezincote house.
Please contact me using the button below to discuss booking and pricing, and I can begin building your ‘taylor made’ tour.
