Beauty of the Cotswolds

Why the Cotswolds? Well, Arlington Row in Bibury is the reason. I saw a picture in a magazine one day of a row of beautiful stone cottages adjacent to a running brook and I decided I'd add it to my list of places to see. The Cotswolds is a rural area located in south central of England near Bath and Oxford. This area is well known for its rolling hills known as 'Wolds" and beautiful honey colour stone houses and pretty villages.  It is definitely Jane Austen country...... I was expecting to bump into Mr Darcy walking through the fields towards some of the most beautiful country estates we drove past.
The commute to this area from London was simple and cheap. We booked with National Express Coach and it cost us 11 pounds for the 2 hour journey to Cirencester. Because we were staying in Earls Court, we simply caught the tube on the District Line and got off at Victoria Station where the coach station was just a short walk down the street. In hind sight, we should have caught the Piccadilly Line and changed at Green Park for Victoria. There are no lifts coming out of the tube on the District line and having to drag a large suitcase up a flight of stairs was a DRAG (literally.....). I have been to London numerous times now and I find this time, Londoners are a lot friendlier. Twice I had been assisted up the stairs with my bag by commuters who saw a tiny girl with a big bag!!! A lovely gentleman sensed we were a bit lost and offered us directions without having to be asked. Such a refreshing change..... makes me love London even more now.
Back to the Cotswolds....... You do have to have a car to really see the beauty of the Cotswolds. The public buses only go into the bigger towns and they are far and few in between.
Our first stop was Burford as it was lunch time and we are hanging out for a hot meal and a pint.

 

"The Cotswold Arms" looked inviting with its roaring fireplace.

We chose the pub classic of Beef pie, peas and chip. Perfect for a grey winters day.

From here, we made our way to Stow on the Wold", a small village which was once a famous market town. We booked into a gorgeous pub, The Porch House for a couple of nights. Beautifully appointed rooms wth all the old charms. The biggest fireplace I have ever seen (it can double as a single bedroom, its that big !!!).

We had dinner at the Porch House tonight. Delicious country fare, rich full-bodied French Red, seated in front of a warm roaring fire while tiny droplets of snowflakes hits the window outside....... such indulgence....

Breakfast was included in our room rate. Best way to start a cold day.

Driving around the cotswolds, we come across Lower Slaughter, consisting a handful of houses, a water mill and a grand church.

Bourton on the Water, a bit artificial and too touristy for my liking.

We did visit Arlington Row in Bibury, but we were in the wrong season, so the scenery was not as picturesque as I had hoped. But still, I can say I have been there now.

Out on a whim, we decided to drive out of Gloucestershire and head towards a small village call Lacock in Wiltshire. It has featured in Harry Potter Films, Pride and Prejudice, Downtown Abbey just to name a few. Well worth a visit if you are in this part of the UK.

We also stopped off at the Roebuck Inn at Marlborough on our way to Lacock for a bite to eat. For a non descript roadside inn, we were totally blown away by the delicious food, nice beer and friendly owner and locals. Apparently, this is where Merlin came from, so we were told by the local at the pub.

From here, we head off to Swindon in the Midlands via Stratford upon Avon.