The Cotswolds Tour

Bourton-on-the-Water 

The Cotswolds is regarded as one of the loveliest areas of England, and indeed to epitomise the English countryside.

The picturesque villages are the true jewels in the Cotswold crown; their honey-coloured limestone buildings and old-world charm summing up the magic of the Cotswolds.

Our tour travels north through the Cotswolds to visit four of the villages which have captured the limelight and frequently appear on calendars and book covers.

Bourton-on-the-Water is considered by many to be the most beautiful village in the Cotswolds.  Famous for its low stone bridges, dating back to the 17th Century, spanning the River Windrush, Bourton-on-the-Water is a 'must see' for any visitor to the Cotswolds.

Lower Slaughter 

The name of the village of Lower Slaughter stems from the old English name for a wet land or 'slough' upon which it lies.  This quaint village sits beside the little Eye stream and is known for its unspoilt limestone cottages in the traditional Cotswolds style.

The stream running through the village is crossed by two small bridges and the local attraction is a converted mill with original water wheel, selling craft type products.

Stow-on-the-Wold 

At nearly 800 feet, Stow is the highest town in the Cotswolds.  Its Royal Charter was granted in 1107, and it has been an important Cotswold cross roads for a thousand years.  Like so many other Cotswold towns, it owes its original prosperity to wool.

The elevated position and effects of the elements encouraged the creation of a picturesque enclosed town square where pubs, tea rooms, shops and hotels jostle for space.  Running off the square are various narrow alleys and courts that contain unspoiled old buildings.

Tetbury

Tetbury is proud of its 1300 years of recorded history since 681 when Tetta's Monastery was mentioned in a charter by King Ethelred of Mercia.

In the Middle Ages Tetbury was an important market town for the Cotswolds wool trade.  The town centre is still dominated by the splendid, pillared Market House or Town Hall and many of the wool merchants' houses look much as they did 300 years ago.

The town has great charm and has rightly been described as an architectural gem.