Cotswolds- visiting a charming English countryside in one day

09.05.2022.

Probably my fantasy of Cotswolds started with Instagram or realising how beautiful England is. The dreamy images of stone houses looked so alone and untouched by tourists. Definitely I would love to explore the whole England, but Cotswolds came in the first plan.

Bibury floated on surface as the only place I could visit due to the challenging transport. But one-day trip from London saved my dreams. In London don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy its stunning parks.

Other day trips from London: Bath, charming spa town

Get Your Guide- your solution to the one day trip to Cotswolds

Googling on Internet I found Get Your Guide that sells the local trips, this one was Go Tours precisely. Similar pages sell different trips so the decision was made. Between the option of one-day trip with lunch and without lunch (in the legendary Swan hotel in Bibury), I chose without lunch. This literally saved me some money. For 70€ I got the chance to visit 4 villages in Cotswolds, how happy I was. How could I do this on my own, with the bus? Renting a car would maybe be as an option or even doing a cycling trip.

The small van arrives at 7,30 when our local guide tells us the authentic stories. During 9 hours we visited Burford, Bibury, Burtoun-on-the-water and Stow-on-the-wold.

About Cotswolds

Cotswolds covers a huge area in south-central England and flows through five counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire). Honey-coloured stone houses and market towns each have their own melody and world full of identity.

The rolling hills lie in the plainland with their tranquil beauty. Entitled as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this fairy tale landscape definitely deserves a protective status.

The name means an area with gentle hills full of sheeps. To be precise, wolds means gentle hills and cots sheep enclosures.

When seeing images of Cotswolds in brochures, you will most probably see Bibury. It’s known as the most beautiful English village, small place full of tourists.

The main town of Cotswolds is Cirencester.

The Cotswolds stone is rich in fossils, often described as golden coloured.

The best souvenir of Cotswold is its sweet delicacy called fudge, which reminds me of halva.

Burford- lovely town on the entry to Cotswolds

Burford represents the doors to Cotswolds. High Street rolls from the church down to the river with the picturesque shops and houses. Burford literally means „the fortified town“ living within its medieval magic.

There are plenty of things to do in Burford like visiting the Tolsey Museum, going to the Zoo park and garden or admiring the view from the top of the High Street. The Britain’s oldest pharmacy also takes place in Burford and the beautiful church of the St. John the Baptist.

Bibury- the prettiest village of the Cotswolds

Bibury is one of the loveliest villages in Cotswolds, lying on the river Coln. The title of the „most beautiful village in Cotswolds“ comes from the poet William Morris.

Bibury is a small village where Arlington Row attracts visitors by the sweetness of its houses. Arlington Row is the image we assume about Cotswolds.

In the picturesque ambience of Bibury you will find lovely church or St. Mary Church with its high tower. There’s also the Arlington Baptist Church.

The only pub of Bibury is the Catherine Wheel, but there’s also a Bakery and Pancake House. Bibury Fish Trout Farm is one of the oldest in Cotswolds with the excellent choice of sandwiches and fishes.

Swan Hotel is a dreamy place to stay overnight, in the tranquil atmosphere of Cotswolds that was my initial plan.

The William Morris Tea Rom, B&B & Shop is a cozy place to enjoy the wonderful village.

Bourton-on-the-water, the vibrant atmosphere of the Cotswolds

Bourton on the water is a delightful retreat where people just enjoy sitting near the river. It’s definitely a place that I would stay few days full of treasure. Its small bridges are so picturesque where around 4000 residents find their home.

The river Windrush shines upon five stone bridges.

Main attractions in Bourton-on-the-water

The Model Village which represents the little Bourton is among the loveliest attractions. The Motoring Museum collects the old cars and bikes. The Cotswolds Perfumery creates the luxurious perfumes for more than 50 years.

Birdland park & Gardens lies at the entrance of the village giving home to more than 500 birds. Event he colourful flamingos are here.

The dragonfly maze is a playful labyrinth and pretty chellenging. Greystones Farm Nature Reserve is an organic farm, only 10 minutes walking from the centre.

Besides, Bourton on the water is full of lovely souvenir shops, restaurants and caffe bars.

Stow-on-the-wold & its fairy tale church in the Cotswolds

Stow in the wold is the highest Cotswolds village, known by its fairy tale church. It’s a market town full of antique shops and traditional pubs. Stow on the wold literally means „Holly place on the hill“.

St. Edward’s Church lies in the lovely park and inspired also the Tolkien’s trilogy. The Yew Tree Door looks totally magical and very instagrammable.

Walking to the Bourton on the water is very scenic covering a little less then 7 km or 2h.

Conclusion- the fairy tale land of Cotswolds

Final thoughts- the fairy tale land of Cotswolds

Visiting Cotswolds is so dreamy, a place where tranquil beauty brings magic. I’m sure it’s not my only time as the place just shines with the charm.

Visiting Cotswolds is the best way to learn about England and the marvels of its rural areas.

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