South Cotswolds (Tour 2) - The Good Guide to Travel Itineraries in Britain


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UK	/	US


Tour 2 - SOUTH COTSWOLDS Plenty of classic Cotswold charm here again, but some unusual twists, with more intricate scenery, and intriguing places to visit.



	The tour starts in Cirencester, a bustling Cotswold centre since Roman times (many of the straight roads heading in are Roman). It's now a busy country town, particularly on its Mon and Fri market days, with a succession of fine Cotswold stone streets off the long market place. It has many attractive buildings, and interesting antique and other shops inc traditional country saddlers' etc. Though one of the most handsome of all the Cotswold towns, it isn't too touristy. The church of St John the Baptist (Market Pl) is wonderfully grand, and has a striking late Gothic tower. This was one of the most important cities in Roman Britain, and the spacious Corinium Museum (Park St) has a fine collection of antiquities from the period (all clearly displayed and labelled). Reconstructed period dining room and kitchen (complete with menus), with Saxon and medieval galleries too. Snacks, shop, excellent disabled access; cl Sun am, Mon Nov-Mar, Christmas; (01285) 655611; *£2.50. Brewery Court 16 independent craft businesses and shops in former brewery (cl Sun and some bank hols), along with theatre, gallery and cafe. Also worth a look are the 12th-c remains of St John's Hospital, the Norman arch, and the various well-preserved wool merchants' houses. Cecily Hill, one of the town's most attractive streets, gives on to the pleasant strolling-ground of Cirencester Park. Decent places for meals include the Slug & Lettuce, Corinium Court, Tatyans (Chinese) and (very local but good value) Golden Cross.

	Take the A417 east out of town, to Fairford. The wonderful 15th-c church is unique for its complete set of medieval stained glass, inc a fascinating depiction of Hell); it also has comical misericords. Just outside the church, very prominent in the churchyard, is a memorial to Tiddles, an evidently distinguished local cat. There are pleasant riverside meadows; the Bull Hotel has decent food.
	At the crossroads at the west end of Fairford, take the side road to Quenington - a pretty valley drive through this attractive village, and through Coln St Aldwyns, where the New Inn is a very civilised place to stop for refreshment, to Bibury - the most beautiful village in England, according to William Morris. It's certainly one of the most popular villages in the area now, with its lovely golden streamside houses; summer crowds can rather blunt its appeal. Worth a visit here is the Trout Farm: long-established working farm breeding rainbow trout in 20 ponds. You can feed the fish, or try to catch your own. Snacks, good shop; cl 25 Dec; (01285) 740215; £2. Arlington Mill has 18th-c machinery in a well restored watermill, demonstrated every day, with guided tours by arrangement. Meals, snacks, shop; cl 25 Dec; (01285) 740368; £2.
	Continue on this delightful riverside road through Winson, Coln Rogers, Calcot and Coln St Dennis to the A429. Turn left then immediately right, following the Roman Villa brown signs past Yanworth to Chedworth Roman Villa - the last word in Roman luxury. The best example of a 2nd-c Roman house in Britain, it was excavated in 1864 and is nicely set in secluded woodland. Well preserved rooms, bath houses and 4th-c mosaics, with smaller remains in museum. One theory for the preponderance of baths here was that the villa was used as a hotel by visitors paying their respects to a spring-cum-temple known as the Nymphaeum. The character of the original Victorian treatment of the site has been deliberately kept, with an old-fashioned little museum of finds; the villa walls were preserved from the elements by building little pitched roofs on top of them - not quite what today's archaeologists would do. Shop, some disabled access; cl Mon (exc bank hols), and Dec-Feb (exc first wknd in Dec); (01242) 890256; £3.20; NT. The Mill at Withington and Seven Tuns in pretty Upper Chedworth are quite handy for lunch - and the walk to or from each is very picturesque and unspoilt, with Chedworth Woods providing further scope for short walks.
	Continue on this road through Withington to Colesbourne. At the A435 turn right, then after 2 1/2 miles turn off left to Elkstone. The little church here is the finest Norman church in the Cotswolds, with a wealth of carving - at its best in the porch, with sundry beasts and human forms, and a tympanum depicting Christ in Majesty. Inside you will find a spiral stair above the pulpit leading up to a columbarium, with 43 holes for doves - the only one we've ever seen in a church.
	Continue to the A417, turning right on to it and then taking the scenic-signed B4070 road left to Birdlip. 1 1/4 miles along this road fork right on a minor road to Great Witcombe Roman Villa. The substantial outlines can still be traced around a courtyard, with several mosaics and evidence of an underfloor heating system. Crickley Hill Country Park just north has a few ancient sites, as well as nature trails, lovely clearly marked woodland walks, and fine views. Some disabled access; visitor centre cl winter; (01452) 863170; free.
	Continuing on the road past Great Witcombe, turn left on the A46, where Prinknash Abbey is signed. This unusual 20th-c Benedictine monastery and earlier house is now home to the world-famous Prinknash Pottery; you can watch production from the viewing gallery. Snacks, shop, disabled access; cl 25-26 Dec, Good Fri; (01452) 812239; £1 for pottery tours. The abbey buildings aren't to everyone's taste but the grounds are attractive, with good views over the Severn Vale. Just past here is Prinknash Bird Park: exotic pheasants, peacocks and other birds, as well as deer, goats and waterfowl; most animals feed from your hand (the fallow deer are particularly friendly). Snacks, shop; cl 25-6 Dec, 1 Jan, Good Fri; (01452) 812727; £3. The Black Horse* in the very steep village of Cranham, off the A46 opposite, has enjoyable food.
	Just down the A46 is Painswick - Queen of the Cotswolds, with a churchyard to match. There's been a settlement here since Celtic times, and Painswick Beacon has the remains of the earliest structures; it's a short ascent from the road, with great views towards the Malvern hills. Plenty of old buildings to look at, such as the 15th-c Post Office and the Church of St Mary with its fine tombs and fascinating churchyard - 99 immaculately clipped yews forming gateways and canopies, interesting tombstones, drifts of wild cyclamen in Sept. Also antique shops and craft workshops. Painswick Rococo Garden (The Stables, Painswick House) Careful restoration of sizeable 18th-c garden to match a 1748 painting showing its fanciful mix of precisely trimmed hedging, paths and shrubs, unrestrained trees, a newly planted maze and slightly zany garden buildings. Pleasant vistas, children's walks - a cheery-feeling place. Snacks, shop, plant sales, some disabled access; cl Mon, Tues, and Dec; (01452) 813204; £3. The Royal Oak is popular for lunch.
	Keep on the A46 to Stroud, where you turn right on the A419 then at the town's final roundabout head out on the B4066 towards Dursley. On the left is Woodchester Mansion - an extraordinary Victorian building-site, in parkland. Construction of this splendid unfinished Gothic mansion was inexplicably abandoned virtually overnight in 1870. It's being repaired but not finished, and you can usually see traditional building techniques like stonemasonry. Five species of bat add to the atmosphere; excellent guided tours. No children inside, for safety reasons. Snacks, shop, disabled access to ground floor only; open first wknd of month Apr-Oct, plus bank hol wknds; (01453) 860661; £3.50. The nearby village of Nympsfield is attractive, and you should be able to explore the surrounding valley, recently purchased by the NT. The walk up Coaley Peak a little further along the B4066 gives tremendous views over the Severn Valley.
	Return up the B4066, turn right along the A419, then in just over 5 miles turn off at the roundabout to Chalford, following the back road to Frampton Mansell and Sapperton. This tracks the derelict but very atmosphere Thames & Severn Canal. Operational 1789-1911, the canal is now in a spectacular state of dereliction, with thick vegetation in the abandoned locks, but very appealing in its own way, and flanking a local nature reserve owned by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. The towpath can still be followed; a particularly interesting section is from Chalford - itself an intriguing former textile village in the once industrial Golden Valley - east to Daneway and then on to the mouth of the 2-mile Sapperton Tunnel. There are still a couple of very individualistic canalside pubs either side end of the tunnel - the Daneway near Sapperton and the Tunnel House near Coates. Sapperton church, just above, has ornate Jacobean bench ends.
	From Sapperton, drive back up to the A419, turn left, then turn off right to Coates. Keep on through Coates to the A433, where you turn right, for Thames Head, where an obelisk marks the source of the Thames. The rather more eye-catching statue of Old Father Thames that once stood here was removed to near Lechlade to avoid further vandalism. Start at a parking space on the track by the railway line, walk north and cross the line where indicated; the path heads across fields to the site.
	Cirencester is just up the A433, 3 miles north-east.

Recommended places to stay for this route:
Cirencester Bathurst Arms, North Cerney, Cirencester GL1 9XX (01285) 831281 £45; 5 refurbished rms. Civilised and handsome old inn with lots of atmosphere, notably friendly staff, a nice mix of polished old furniture, warm fires, very good food, good wines, and attractive garden running down to river.
Bibury Bibury Court, Bibury, Cirencester GL7 5NT (01285) 740337 £98.90; 19 individual rms. Lovely peaceful mansion dating from Tudor times, in beautiful gardens, with an informally friendly atmosphere, panelled rooms, antiques, huge log fires, conservatory, and good imaginative food; cl Christmas. Swan, Bibury, Cirencester GL7 5NW (01285) 740695 £150, plus special breaks; 18 very pretty individually decorated rms. Handsome creeper-covered hotel on the River Coln with private fishing and attractive formal gardens, lovely flowers and log fires in carefully furnished comfortable lounges, a cosy no smoking parlour, good food in opulent dining room, nice breakfasts, and attentive staff; disabled access. Market House, The Square, Northleach, Cheltenham GL54 3EJ (01451) 860557 £44; 4 rms, mostly shared bthrm. Pretty 400-year-old stone house with flagstones, beams and inglenook fireplace, and good breakfasts; cl Dec/Jan; children over 12.
Around Withington Winstone Glebe, Winstone, Cirencester GL7 7JU (01285) 821451 £58; 3 rms. Small Georgian rectory in quiet countryside with five acres of gardens and paddocks, tennis, lots of surrounding walks, friendly hosts, traditional furnishings, and delicious food (by arrangement); dogs welcome; cl Christmas. Halewell Close, Withington, Cheltenham GL54 4BN (01242) 890238 £87; 6 beamed and comfortable rms. Lovely old Cotswold stone house, dating back to the 15th c, with relaxed house-party atmosphere, beamed sitting room, late breakfasts, and good English food in the panelled dining room; high tea for children; 50 acres of grounds inc big garden with stone terraces, heated outdoor swimming pool, and fish in trout lake and on River Coln; riding can be arranged; children and dogs by arrangement; good provision for the disabled.
Painswick Painswick Hotel, Kemps Lane, Painswick, Stroud GL6 6YB (01452) 812160 £150; 20 well equipped comfortable rms. 18th-c Palladian mansion - once a grand rectory - with fine views, antiques and paintings in the elegant rooms, open fires, good food using the best local produce, and a relaxed friendly atmosphere; garden with croquet lawn.
Stroud Egypt Mill, Nailsworth, Stroud GL6 0AE (01453) 833449 *£75, plus special breaks; 18 comfortable airy rms. Carefully converted 16th-c watermill with original millstones and lifting equipment in the spacious lounge, a split-level restaurant, ground floor bar where two waterwheels can be seen, good freshly made food, friendly service, and seats in the waterside gardens; disabled access.

Overview Tour 1 - North Cotswolds Tour 2 - South Cotwolds