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Lower
Slaughter
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The
name "Cotswolds" is rightly applied to a high
escarpment running north from the outskirts of Bath and
petering out somewhere near the borders of Worcestershire.
Along that ridge, and in the valleys that radiate out from
it, lie some of the prettiest, most "English"
villages in the entire country. Although some, like Broadway,
are well-known and frequented by tour buses, others slumber
on. Among the latter are Lower Slaughter, and Burford,
where the ivy-clad Swan Inn provides a relaxing break from
exploring the medieval cottages and delightful church.
At
pretty Bourton-on-the-Water
the River Windrush meanders through the centre of town,
and is crossed by stone bridges so low you can trail a foot
in the water. The cottages are built of lovely golden "Cotswold
stone", a warm-toned limestone that gives the villages
of this region a charm found in few other places.
The
Cotswold area is famed for its "wool churches",
large and highly decorated parish churches built with the
proceeds of the profitable wool trade during the late medieval
period. Large parish churches like that at Northleach
look as though they should belong to a busy, prosperous
town instead of a sleepy little village.
 At
Stow-on-the-Wold rose-covered antique shops surround a village
green with its medieval stocks still in place. The village
church is entered through a door framed by the branches
of an ancient tree. The town's exposed position on a high
hilltop is emphasized by a famous rhyme; "Stow-on-the-Wold,
where the wind blows cold". Just north of the village
are The
Rollright Stones, an unpretentious prehistoric stone
circle.
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Bath
Abbey
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Bath
is one of the tourist magnets of Britain, and rightfully
so. It is less crowded than London, and its attractions
are concentrated in an area easily walked in a day of sightseeing.
Bath
Abbey
is one of the last major churches built in England before
the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and it contains some
wonderful fan vaulting.
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The
Roman Baths
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At
the Roman
Baths
museum you can see the hot springs and baths that gave this
city its name. Above the baths are the Georgian Pump Rooms,
familiar to readers of Regency romances the world over.
Here you can drink a glass of the waters that drew health-seekers
and fashionable society in Georgian and Regency times.
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narrowboat
at Bradford-on-Avon
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Near
Bath is Bradford-upon-Avon, where the largely unaltered
Saxon church of St.
Lawrence provides a rare glimpse of Dark Ages worship. At
pretty Lacock the entire village is preserved by the National
Trust, and at Lacock
Abbey you can see mementos of William Fox-Talbot, who
helped pioneer photography from this former medieval nunnery.
The village also houses a Museum of Photography, with many
rare cameras. Lacock featured in the film version of Jane
Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Cheltenham
preserves a different era in English history - the town
owes its prosperity - and much of its fine architecture
- to the spa which became enormously popular here in the
Georgian period. The town is resplendent in Regency terraces
of cream-white houses and wrought-iron railings. The Promenade
is the heart of Regency Cheltenham, a refined main street
filled with beautiful architecture. In the summer months
baskets of flowers are hung from the buildings that verge
on The Promenade.
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Avebury
Circle
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Far
from the elegance of the Regency are the prehistoric remains
clustered around the small village of Avebury. Part of the
village is built within the bounds of the stone
circle which bears the village's name. Unlike Stonehenge,
visitors can wander through the circle - and dodge sheep
who are doing the same! Nearby is West
Kennet Long Barrow, one of the best-preserved burial
mounds in England, and across the busy A4 road is the mysterious
cone of Silbury
Hill, in volume the largest man-made structure in Europe.
At
Bristol the city's proud history as a port is preserved
in the dry-docked SS Great Britain, at one time the largest
vessel in the world, and the Maritime Heritage Centre, with
displays on the history of shipbuilding. At Gloucester a
different kind of waterborne heritage is celebrated at the
National Waterways Museum. Visitors can explore the colourful
history of England's traditional canal boats, and go for
a ride in a "narrowboat".
For
more in depth information about the Cotswolds region:
Avebury
Bath
Lacock
Abbey
Cotswolds
Attractions Map
Silbury
Hill
Tourist Information Centres
Web links
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Britain
Express Virtual Tour of England