North Cotswolds (Tour 1) - The Good Guide to Travel Itineraries in Britain


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UK	/	US


Tour 1 - NORTH COTSWOLDS If you've not been to the Cotswolds before, this is the part to come to, with the cream of the area's highspots. That means it's also a favourite with other visitors - but this tour includes plenty of great places that they won't have heard of.


	This tour starts high on the Cotswold plateau at Stow-on-the-Wold, a handsome market town with fine stone buildings around its square and in the narrow lanes around, and a good few antique shops, book shops and so forth. It's something of an antidote to the more sweetly pretty Cotswold villages, on quite a high plateau and altogether more austere in style - not for nothing was it known as "Stow on the Wold, where the wind blows cold", and the ancient stocks on the village green add a touch of quaint severity. The Queens Head is the best pub for lunch. Take the A429 towards Cirencester, forking left in 1/2 mile on the A424 towards Burford. After another two miles turn off right, then right again, to Bourton-on-the-Water. One of the best-known Cotswold villages, it does have sprawly crowds in summer unless you get there very early in the morning - when it's enchanting. Other times of year are altogether more peaceful here, too. The Old Manse has decent food and garden tables overlooking the Windrush; the riverside Parrot & Alligator is good, too. If you're making a day of it in this area and don't plan to drive much further on, the best walk out of Bourton on the Water is the exit by the church, heading out W past the school and over the old railway line, then following the lanes and tracks S of Upper Slaughter to rejoin the River Windrush and back to Bourton. Among many things in the village aimed at visitors, the pick are: Birdland (Rissington Rd) Rare and exotic birds on banks of meandering River Windrush, inc one of the biggest colonies of penguins outside America. Snacks, shop, disabled access; cl 25 Dec; (01451) 820480; £4. Cotswold Motor Museum And Toy Museum (Sherbourne St) In an old watermill, cars and motorcycles from vintage years to 1950s, along with advertising signs, automobilia, and toy collection. It's the home of Brum the children's TV character. Shop, disabled access; cl Dec-Jan, plus occ winter wkdys; (01451) 821255; £1.75. The price includes entry to the adjacent Village Life Exhibition, with recreated Edwardian rooms, village shop, and blacksmith's forge. Model Village* (High St) Charming replica of the village, modelled from Cotswold stone in the 1930s to a scale of one-ninth, complete with working waterwheel and music in the church. Good home-made food (and lovely river view) in adjacent welcoming Old New Inn, shop; cl 25 Dec; (01451) 820467; £2. Perfumery Exhibition* (Victoria St) Aromatic displays and demonstrations of perfume-making and scent extraction, with scented garden. Shop, disabled access; cl 25-26 Dec; (01451) 820698; £2. Dragonfly Maze A new attraction; you follow clues on engraved flagstones to find your way through a yew tree maze to an ornate central pavillion filled with charming animated sculptures. Shop, disabled access; open daily in summer, best to check in winter; (01451) 822251; *£2.

	Keep on through the village then turn right on A429; then left to Lower Slaughter. Scarcely a stone is out of place in this eye-catching village: bridges cross the shallow River Eye as it flows round the green and past a Victorian flour mill. A perfect harmony of stone, water, grass and trees, it's got a strong claim to being the prettiest village in Britain. But it's nothing like as overwhelmed by visitors as Bourton-on-the-Water. A pleasant path close to the river gives a leisurely stroll of a mile or so to its twin village of Upper Slaughter, with more of the same sort of charm.
	Drive back the way you came, and after two miles on the A429 turn right to Cold Aston. Just beyond the village is Folly Farm Waterfowl - lakes and pools with 160 species of waterfowl, as well as friendly ducks, geese and poultry, and hand-reared animals. Good for children, and a nice spot for a picnic (or to camp). Their lavender fields are in full bloom July. Snacks, shop, disabled access; cl 25 Dec; (01451) 820285; *£3.50.
	Continue on this road, bearing right just before Notgrove. Cross the A436, pass through Aylsworth, cross the B4068 and pass the attractive sensitively restored village of Guiting Power (the Hollow Bottom is a good food pub). Keep on to Kineton, where the Halfway House does decent food. Here turn right to the Cotswold Farm Park. Full of delightfully odd-looking species of sheep, cattle, pigs, goats, horses and poultry, this is particularly well organised as far as children are concerned. Rabbits and piglets to cuddle and feed, good safe rustic-themed play areas, and a designated children's shop, with items from 5p to around £2 at the most. You can easily spend most of a day here; nature trails and woodland walks are ideal for a break from the animals, and there are 19 acres to picnic, kick a ball around, or relax on the grass. Lots under cover, so still good when the weather isn't perfect (best to wear wellies then). Meals, snacks, shop, disabled access; cl Oct-Feb; (01451) 850307; £3.50.
	Return to Kineton, bearing right as you enter the village, then at the village crossroads keep straight on. After another 1 1/4 miles turn right at the crossroads. This is remote high country, with little traffic - the scenery hardly changed in decades. Follow the signposts to Winchcombe. Very peaceful and photogenic - once the capital of Mercia, now worth a stop for a look at the church with its grotesque gargoyles, or just to soak up the tranquil atmosphere. The Plaisterers Arms (High St) has good value food, and there are interesting craft and other shops here. In the Old Town Hall, the has a sometimes surprising collection of British and international police uniforms (cl Sun, and Nov-Mar; 80p). Along Gloucester St, the Railway Museum is a Victorian garden full of lovingly rescued railway memorabilia inc booking office, working signals and signal box. Snacks, shop, disabled access; usually open wknds Easter-Sept and daily in school hols in between (exc cl a week or two in Aug); (01242) 620641; £2.25. If you have a virulent case of railway nostalgia, you won't be able to resist the nearby Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Railway (at Greet, just along the B4078 Evesham road), with steam and diesel train trips through around six miles of quiet countryside between Gretton and Toddington, stopping at restored GWR stations. Snacks, shop, good disabled access (though watch out for the potholes in the car park); phone for timetable (01242) 621405; £6.50. The Royal Oak at Gretton, close to the station, does good food.
	From Winchcombe's centre follow the signs to Sudeley Castle. This delightful old house was once lived in by Catherine Parr, the luckiest of Henry VIII's wives. The remains of the original medieval castle were skilfully blended into a 19th-c reconstruction. Rich furnishings, porcelain and tapestries, and notable paintings by Turner, Van Dyck and Rubens. The eight gardens are splendid, and include a knot garden constructed using flowers shown on a 16th-c tapestry on view in the library. Meals, snacks, shop and specialist plant centre, disabled access to garden; cl Mon and all Nov-Feb; (01242) 604357; £5.50, £4 gardens only. There's a working pottery nearby (cl winter Suns).
	From Winchcombe, take the B4632 northwards towards Broadway. After 1 3/4 miles turn right at the brown sign to Hailes Abbey, the graceful ruins of a 13th-c Cistercian abbey, once a centre for pilgrims who flocked to see a phial containing what they believed to be Christ's blood. Walkman tour, shop, some disabled access; cl winter wkdys; (01242) 602398; £2.50; NT. Hayles Fruit Farm just down the road is good for snacks, and has pick-your-own fruit in season.
	Continue on the B4632, keeping straight over the B4077 roundabout. Turn right to Stanton, one of the prettiest Cotswold villages, very small - and never overrun with visitors. The best views over it are from the Mount pub, up the steep no through road beyond the village centre. From here follow the short signposted lane to Stanway. Jacobean Stanway House delightfully placed below the escarpment is one of the most beautiful 16th-c manor houses in the country, a cluster of gabled buildings popping up unexpectedly from the countryside, with charming and clearly lived-in rooms. Joan Collins has just finished several weeks' filming here. The early 18th-c grounds have fine trees and interesting buildings, inc a folly pyramid on a steeply wooded hill. Open pm Tues and Thurs Jun-Sept; (01386) 584469; £3.50.
	Keep on this lane, turning left on to the B4077. In 1 1/2 miles turn off left, and follow this road to yet another attractive village, Snowshill. Snowshill Manor looks like an ordinary Cotswold manor house, but inside is one of those extraordinary collections of ephemera great eccentrics somehow amass. Each room is carefully themed, full of maybe toys, musical instruments, bikes hanging from the ceiling - and even suits of Japanese samurai armour, spookily arranged to look like a group of warriors meeting in the gloom. There's a charming cottage garden, and you can stay in one of three cottages. Meals, snacks, shop and secondhand books by the entrance; open pm Weds-Mon Apr-Oct; (01386) 852410; £5.50; NT. This is one of the Trust's busier properties, and there's a timed ticket system; try and come midweek or out of season. The nearby Snowshill Arms is popular for lunch (busiest 12-1.15).
	Take the Chipping Campden road out of Snowshill, forking left after just over a mile. At the top of the hill is the strategically sited folly of Broadway Tower. Built in 1800 by the Earl of Coventry, the three-turreted tower gives a sweeping view over the Vale of Evesham, a flat, fruit-growing area, to the jagged outline of the Malvern Hills, and in really clear conditions to the distant hills of the Welsh borders. It has exhibitions on the history of the tower and regular visitor William Morris, while the country park around it has farm animals and nature trails. Meals, snacks, shops, some disabled access; cl Nov-Mar; (01386) 852390; £2 tower only, £3 tower and park.
	Continue past the tower to the A44 and turn left to Broadway. Retaining a fine show of Tudor, Stuart and Georgian houses, and ancient inns, this is a real showpiece. An exceptionally harmonious stone-built Cotswold village, with the golden stone and uneven stone-tiled roofs perfectly blending the grand houses and the humbler cottages together, in a long, grass-lined main street. It's decidedly on the coach-tour trail, very busy indeed in summer. Fine things for sale in extraordinarily expensive antique shops, and a very grand old inn, the Lygon Arms, with a useful side wine bar. A good escape from the tourists is the Crown & Trumpet in Church St, and the Buckland Manor does good teas. Broadway Teddy Bear Museum (High St) has a decent collection of old bears and toys. Shop; cl 25/6 Dec; (01386) 858323; £1.50. The A44 west of the village is good for produce stalls; Chapel Hill nursery about 1/2 mile W has good value plants for sale.
	Take the A44 eastwards (towards Moreton-in-Marsh), then at the B4081 turn left to Chipping Campden. This magnificent medieval legacy is extremely attractive, with interesting old buildings inc an ancient covered open-sided market hall, a grand Perpendicular church typical of the area's rich "wool churches", enjoyable shops, and fine old inns. Many of our contributors would put it among the country's most delightful small towns, though until they get the cars out of the centre not all would agree. Stylish and attractive, Forbes Brasserie (High St) has good food, and there's good food in two traditional but contrasting classic English hostelries, the Eight Bells and Noel Arms.
	Take the Broad Campden road out of town, and continue to Blockley - not a touristy village, but perhaps all the better for that. A former textile centre, here mills were powered by the Blockley Brook; first wool was processed, then silk, supplying Coventry's ribbon weavers. An appealing mix of buildings has survived, including fine merchants' houses and Regency terraces, as well as humbler artisans' cottages.
	Turn left on the B4479, then almost at once fork right towards Draycott, and Sleepy Hollow Farm Park. Excellent value, and nicely unspoilt and friendly, this 25-acre farm park has especially good informative talks and displays throughout the day. A highlight is the Big Cat demonstration at 3pm, when a mixture of animals not currently shown in the park's main enclosures are brought out by keepers who've clearly established a terrific bond with the beasts. You can arrange to meet a cub, a unique opportunity that helps the animals get used to meeting different people. Other sessions standing out are the raccoon and pig feeding sessions, the otter playtime, and snake encounter; times vary, but are posted by the entrance. They also have a calendar of events that takes in sheep shearing, fun days, and guest visits from wolves and tiny stallions. The main enclosures are particularly strong on pigs, with ring-tailed lemurs, deer and bagot goats added last year, and plenty of sheep, waterfowl, and other creatures. You can walk in some of the enclosures (lambs, chickens, and some of the goats), and there may be shire horse cart rides in the main season (weather permitting, 50p extra). If you want to feed any of the animals, they sell special pellets (30p a bag). Best to bring wellies if it's rained recently, though some of the talks are indoors. Not overly developed - and all the better for that - this is the kind of place where asking questions can really pay off: the helpful staff are very enthusiastic about their subject. There's a picnic area, with play equipment aimed at younger children, and nice walks in the surrounding woodland - particularly when the bluebells are out. Animal-minded families can happily spend up to half a day here (longer if it's hard to drag young children away from the indoor pet area), quite a bargain considering how low the admission is. Snacks, shop; cl mid Nov-mid Mar; (01386) 701264; *£2.95 (children 3-15 £1.60).
	In Draycott turn right, then after nearly another mile turn right, to Batsford Arboretum. This immaculately kept well grown private collection of over 1,000 rare and beautiful species of tree spreads over 50 acres; hundreds of maples, 90 different magnolias, flowering cherries. Best in May and autumn, but relaxing any time. Meals, snacks, garden centre, disabled access; cl Nov-Feb; (01608) 650722; £3.50. The Park is home to plenty of deer.
	Also in Batsford Park is the Cotswold Falconry Centre: flying demonstrations throughout the day, with a chance to handle some of the birds. Close-circuit TVs give a bird's-eye view of life in the nest. Snacks, shop, disabled access (but no facilities); open Mar-Nov; (01386) 701043; £3.
	Coming out of the Park turn left, eventually turning left again into the B4479. Then at the A44 turn left and then right, to Sezincote. This exotic onion-domed fantasy inspired the Brighton Pavilion: it's stunning from the outside, less interesting inside. Also classic early 19th-c water garden, and a more recent Indian-style garden to match the building. Garden open pm Thurs, Fri and bank hols (cl Dec), house pm Thurs and Fri May-July and Sept; £4.50, £3 garden only. Children are not allowed in the house.
	Keep on this road, then turn left on the A424 to return to Stow-on-the-Wold.

Recommended places to stay for this route:
Stow, Bourton, The Slaughters College House, Chapel St, Broadwell, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 0TW (01451) 832351 £60; 3 lovely big rms, 2 with own bthrm. 17th-c house with large inglenook fireplace in flagstoned sitting room, good breakfasts, and delicious evening meals - which can be eaten on the terrace in summer; no children. Lower Slaughter Manor, Lower Slaughter, Cheltenham GL54 2HP (01451) 820456 £215; 15 luxurious rms with thoughtful extras. Grand 17th-c manor house with 4 acres of neatly kept grounds, a 15th-c dovecot, all-weather tennis court, croquet, and indoor pool; lovely flower arrangements, log fires, fine plaster ceilings, antiques and paintings, excellent modern cooking and award-winning wines in the elegant restaurant, and attentive welcoming staff; children over 12. Old Farmhouse, Lower Swell, Cheltenham GL54 1LF (01451) 830232 £72, plus special breaks; 12 rms, some in main building but most in various barns, stables and outbuildings, and all with own bthrm. Peaceful and unpretentious 16th-c manor farm with log fire in lounge bar, good interesting food using fresh local produce, a thoughtful wine list, friendly staff, and walled rose garden; restaurant. Grapevine, Sheep St, Stow-on-the-Wold, Cheltenham GL54 1AU (01451) 830344 £148, plus special breaks; 22 well furnished rms. Warm, friendly and very well run hotel with antiques, comfortable chairs and a relaxed atmosphere in the lounge, a beamed bar, and good food in the attractive sunny restaurant with its 70-year-old trailing vine. Old Stocks, The Square, Stow-on-the-Wold, Cheltenham GL54 1AF (01451) 830666 £74, plus special breaks; 18 rms. Well run 16th/17th-c Cotswold stone hotel with cosy welcoming small bar, beams and open fire, good food, friendly staff, and sheltered garden; cl 19-29 Dec; disabled access. Royalist, Digbeth St, Stow-on-the-Wold, Cheltenham GL54 1BN (01451) 830670 *£70; 12 rms. Ancient hotel with good claims to origins in 10th c, family-run, friendly and full of character; log fire in charming lounge, cosy beamed bar, all-day coffee shop, good home-made bar food; disabled access. Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter, Cheltenham GL54 2JD (01451) 820243 £130, plus special breaks; 27 rms carefully furnished with antiques, Victorian sketches and paintings. Warmly friendly hotel with mid-17th-c heart (though it's been carefully extended many times), lovely views over 8 acres of grounds from very comfortable library and drawing room, log fires, fresh flowers, fine modern English cooking in attractive candlelit restaurant overlooking the original rectory gardens, good breakfasts, and kind service.
Kineton Halfway House, Kineton, nr Guiting Power, Cheltenham, Gloucs GL54 5UG (01451) 850344 £36, 3 rms, shared bthrm. Friendly little stone pub with a good mix of customers, a warm fire, farm tools and pictures in the unpretentious bar, tasty food inc themed nights, and well kept real ales.
Winchcombe Manor Farm, Greet, Cheltenham, Gloucs GL54 5BJ (01242) 602423 £45; 3 rms. Carefully restored 16th-c manor house on mixed farm, fine views, big garden and croquet; also, s/c cottages; cl Christmas. Sudeley Hill Farm, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Gloucs GL54 5JB (01242) 602344 £44; 3 no smoking rms. Friendly 15th-c farmhouse on working mixed farm with log fires, guest sitting room, and dining room overlooking the large garden; no dogs; cl Christmas. Wesley House, High St, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Gloucs GL54 5LJ (01242) 602366 £75, plus special breaks; 5 cosy rms with showers. Pretty half-timbered 15th-c house with quiet friendly atmosphere, log fire in comfortable lounge, and very good food in attractive beamed restaurant; cl 14 Jan-9 Feb.
Broadway Broadway Hotel, The Green, Broadway, Worcs WR12 7AA (01386) 852401 £95, plus special breaks; 20 well kept rms. Lovely 16th-c building, once a monastic guest house, with galleried and timbered lounge, cosy beamed bar, attractively presented food served by attentive staff in airy comfortable restaurant, and seats outside on terrace. Collin House, Collin Lane, Broadway, Worcs WR12 7PB (01386) 858354 £88, plus special breaks; 7 warm, comfortable and quiet rms. Golden-stone 16th-c Cotswold house in three acres of gardens, orchard and meadow, with restful public rooms, oak beams, log fires, very good English food and carefully chosen wines in candlelit beamed restaurant with mullioned windows, and friendly helpful service; cl 5 days at Christmas. Lygon Arms, High St, Broadway, Worcs WR12 7DU (01386) 852255 £193, plus special breaks; 65 lovely period rms (some more modern, too). Handsome hotel where Oliver Cromwell and King Charles I once stayed, with interesting old beamed rooms, oak panelling, antiques, log fires, fine traditional food in the Great Hall with minstrels' gallery and heraldic frieze, excellent service, and charming garden; health spa; disabled access. Buckland Manor, Buckland, Broadway, Worcs WR12 7LY (01386) 852626 £195, plus special breaks; 13 sumptuous rms. Really lovely 13th-c building in 10 acres of beautifully kept gardens, comfortable lounges with magnificent oak panelling, flowers and antiques, and elegant restaurant with fine food using home-grown produce; outdoor swimming pool, riding, tennis, croquet, putting; children over 12. Old Rectory, Church St, Willersey, Broadway, Worcs WR12 7PN (01386) 853729 £65, plus special breaks; 8 attractive, well equipped rms. Quietly set and friendly 17th-c house opp church (nice walks from the churchyard), with a log fire in dining/sitting room and pretty flower-filled walled gardens with an ancient mulberry tree; good breakfasts, but no evening meals - though several places nearby; cl Christmas; children over 8; disabled access.
Chipping Campden Eight Bells, Chipping Campden, Gloucs GL55 6JG (01386) 840371 *£45; 2 rms. Neatly restored heavy-beamed 14th-c pub by church; three log fires, interesting food with fresh local produce, friendly staff, decent wines and beers, and pleasant courtyard; cl 25 Dec; disabled access. Noel Arms, High St, Chipping Campden, Gloucs GL55 6AT (01386) 840317 £99, plus special breaks; 26 comfortable, recently refurbished rms. Bustling 14th-c inn with comfortable traditionally furnished small lounge areas, open fire, armour and antiques, conservatory, restaurant, and decent wines; disabled access.
Westonbirt Hare & Hounds, Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucs GL8 8QL (01666) 880233 £92, plus special breaks; 31 comfortable rms. Cotswold stone hotel in 10 acres of grounds with two tennis courts, squash and croquet; a pleasant old-fashioned bar, relaxed spacious and comfortable lounges, open fires, good food, friendly service, table tennis, and snooker; limited disabled access.

Overview Tour 1 - North Cotswolds Tour 2 - South Cotwolds