Our Interesting World: Discovering the Cotswolds

There are many remarkable places in the world.  Some are far away, some at our doorstep; some are well-known and others cloaked in obscurity. I’ve been lucky to have visited a wide range of these interesting places, and I thought they would be fun to share.  Enjoy!

When I go on vacation, I enjoy going to places less traveled.  My favorite trips have always been to locations you won’t find listed in the top 100 vacation destinations.   For example, off-the-beaten-path places like Tofte, Minnesota, Turkey State Run State Park, Indiana, Assategue Island, Virginia and the beach at St. Joseph, Michigan are a few places I have enjoyed visiting with my family.

When I started planning a recent trip to England, I was ecstatic to find Rick Steves’ book entitled Europe Through the Back Door.  Rick’s travel book was a godsend for people like me who relish finding unique and intimate places.  Not only does he describe the benefit of traveling to lesser known destinations, he also gives lists of his favorites. 

One of the places he recommended was the Cotswolds.  The Cotswolds, a two hour train ride from London, is an area dotted with medieval villages nestled in the rolling landscape of central England.  While I enjoy visiting big cities, the countryside is where my heart lies. Learning the small villages are linked by a footpath, I couldn’t resist exploring. 

My traveling partner and oldest son, Nate, and I started our trip to the Cotswolds by renting a car in Oxford.  Easier, we thought, to start our drive from a smaller town than trying to navigate London’s busy thoroughfares.  It was a good plan in theory. Unfortunately, driving in England, even in the countryside, presents many challenges.  Besides driving on the opposite side of the road, the English don’t believe in stops signs and really like round-a-bouts. Drivers need to be quick spotting the signs for the correct turnoff while not getting run over in the process.  We learned it’s best to go around a second (or third) time than make a wrong turn.  Driving in the country is less congested, but the roads have about a six inch shoulder, not much room for error.  My suggestion, take the train to Morten on the Marsh and hop on the bus to the village where you’re staying.  Most are linked by a good bus service. Also, it’s much easier to see the sights while not behind the wheel. 

Nate and I based our visit in the tiny town of Stow on the Wold.  Its square is filled with tidy shops, pubs and several aged hotels.  We stayed at the Kings Arm, a 500 year old inn.   Their claim to fame is that King Charles I spent the night in 1645.    

After a blissful night’s sleep and a hardy English breakfast of eggs, sausage links, toast, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, we were ready to hit the trail.  We started off by finding the infamous TI (travelers information) office.  Every town, big or small, has one.  The guide gave us a decent map and instructions to follow the trail markers.  We soon discovered that having a good set of eyes is helpful. 

The trail markers are small and often nailed to a fence post or a tree.  Nate and I missed one of the markers and hiked an extra half mile before realizing our mistake.   

The trails are worn, but not heavily traveled and as we disappeared into the English countryside, I knew the day was going to be special.  A light overcast sky hung over us for the early part of the trip, but the air was clear and we could see a distant town in a valley below us. 

The trails in the Cotswolds are mostly on private land. Expect a plethora of gates to traverse and don’t be surprised to meet a fair number of sheep and dairy cows along the way. 

Our morning hike, about 3.5 miles, led us to our first destination, Lower Slaughter. Lower Slaughter is a quintessential Cotswold village.  Tucked along the River Eye, more of a creek than a river, the honey-colored limestone homes seem a picture right out of a Thomas Kinkade painting.  Our goal was to eat lunch at the River Café located in the refurbished old Mill.  We followed the River Eye as it meandered through the village.  Nate and I chuckled when we saw the “No Fishing for Trout” sign. 

The stream seemed too shallow for trout, but soon enough, Nate spotted one, a big brown swimming in the shade along the shore. 

We came to the old Mill and after cleaning our shoes with the appropriated brush chained by the stream, we ordered lunch and found a table with a great view of the mill pond and its white swans. 

With two more towns to explore, we lingered as long as possible before heading upstream to the town of Upper Slaughter.

The hike was a short mile, but took us by aged oak trees, a lovely mansion and tall rock walls. 

The most striking feature for Nate and me was the town’s Anglican church, St. Peter.  Nate and I admired the ancient stonework and stain glass windows and as we entered we noticed something different than the other churches we had visited.  In other churches, we saw large plaques memorializing soldiers from the town who had lost their lives during World War I.  St. Peter didn’t have a single one.  Later we found out that Upper Slaughter is named one of the “Thankful Villages,” a town in England that returned all members of the armed forces during WWI.  Upper Slaughter is also called “Doubly Thankful,” meaning everyone returned safely home from WWII as well.

Nate and I would have enjoyed exploring the small village more, but with the day slipping by and  a bus to catch, we headed back onto the path to our last town, Bourton on the Water.

 It seems each Cotswold village we visited outshined the other.  Bourton on the Water was by far the most picturesque.  The village, situated along both sides of the River Windrush, had  arched footbridges, black lampposts and comfortable benches along the tree shaded stream.  Shops, cafes and small inns line each side of the main thouroughfare.  Nate and I found an ice cream shop, an empty bench and ended our hike watching people and enjoying the beauty of the English village.