Cotswolds Pictures
England
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Castle Combe village in Wiltshire, seen in the movie 'War Horse'.
Photo by W. Lloyd MacKenzie
Castle Combe in the Cotswolds, central west England is one of the finest traditional villages in the country. (No, the double yellow no-parking lines are not Victorian).
Sometimes known as 'The Heart of England' the Cotswold hills are small (a little over 300m/1000ft) but perfectly formed and studded with pleasant towns and well-preserved old villages inhabited mainly by well-preserved old English folk.
The Cotswolds are a low range of rural hills about 25 miles (40kms) by 90 miles (145 kms) designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and divided among the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. The region has been occupied since 4000BC, evidenced by carbon dating of neolithic pottery found in Slaughter.
Bourton-on-the-Water, River Windrush, Gloucestershire
Photo by W. Lloyd MacKenzie
Since Roman times the Cotswolds have been home to the affluent and the Middle Ages (5th - 15th centuries) were no exception as locals developed a remarkably successful sheep and wool a business that enabled the building of many fine houses, castles and churches, known as wool churches. Since then large scale farming and retirement homes have been the economic mainstay.
The stone seen in most of these photos is yellow Cotswold limestone.
Bourton-on-Water Attractions
• a superbly made scale model of the village built in Cotswold stone.
• Cotswold Motoring Museum.
• Birdland Park ( including penguins, flamingoes, and parrots) and Gardens
• a model railway.
• many walking trails start or finish in this village, including the 100 mile (160 kms) 'Heart of England Way'.
Cirencester
Photo by Bruno Girin
Cirencester was an important Roman town known as Corinium and today houses a Roman museum, the Corinium Museum, with a fine collection of Roman artifacts.
The two largest towns in the Cotswolds are Gloucester and Cheltenham.
15th century Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire, and its award-winning gardens near Winchcombe.
Photo by Gordon Robertson
An excellent hiking route offering some terrific views is the Cotswold Way, a 103 mile (165 kms) footpath that runs from Bath to Chipping Campden and visits various sites of interest such as Sudeley castle, Hailes Abbey and Broadway Tower (photos below). This became an official National Trail in 2007.
Broadway Tower, Worcestershire. Pay to enter, but the panoramic views are magnificent.
Photo by Newton2
Broadway Tower provides an outstanding viewpoint over the Cotswolds and situated at 1024 feet (312m) above sea level is the second highest point of the Cotswold range. Located on the Cotswold Way hiking trail, Broadway Tower is a convenient place to start a walk, be it a short circuit or long hike. There is ample car parking for patrons of Broadway Tower and refreshments inside.
Chedworth, the site of a well preserved Roman Villa. No, not the white/black stripey building! That's Tudor.
Photo by Pasicles
Chedworth Roman Villa was home to some of the richest people in the country during the 4th century who built one of the largest Romano-British villas in the country and installed mosaics, bathhouses, latrines and even underfloor heating.
A lavish floor mosaic of a satyr at work in Chedworth Roman Villa.
Photo by Pasicles
The Chedworth mosaics, some of which were excavated just this year, are little by little being uncovered and restored.
The gate and East Banqueting Hall of Campden Court with St James Church in Chipping Campden.
Photo by W.Loyd MacKenzie
A
typical Cotswolds hotel, The Swan in Bibury. Next, Oxford Pictures
Photo by W.Loyd MacKenzie
Not far away are the wonderful ancient sites of Stonehenge, Avebury and the White Horses, as well as some magnificent Stately Homes such as Bowood and Stourhead; Longleat and its self-drive Safari Park are particularly popular.
Oxford lies to the east of the Cotswolds while just 12 miles north of Bath is Castle Combe with its terraced houses - many hundreds of years old and classified as ancient monuments - built from local stone with thick walls and split-stone tile roofs. Strict regulations ensure that this village will be preserved like this indefinitely.
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