Cotswolds, west-centre
'The heart of England'

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Castle Combe in the Cotswolds, west England is one of the best-preserved and finest traditional villages in the country. [No, the double yellow no-parking lines are not Victorian].

The Cotswolds are a range of hills shared by the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Sometimes known as 'The Heart of England' the hills are small [a little over 300m/1000ft] but perfectly formed and studded with pleasant towns and well-preserved old villages [built from yellowish Cotswold stone] inhabited mainly by well-preserved old English folk.

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. This became an official National Trail in 2007.

Oxford photos

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.

A typical Cotswolds hotel, The Swan in Bibury.

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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