Cotswolds

The Cotswolds is located in the Central part of England and is like a picture from a chocolate box. The area is a collection of beautiful villages and towns with mellow stone buildings, dotted with fabulous churches and wealthy country houses, and all set in a gentle landscape of pretty streams. The river Thames also rises here.

In the 15-16 centuries the Cotswolds was an important centre of the wool trade and wealthy merchants did not spare any money to build huge "wool" churches in small villages. The Cotswolds has been a magnet for artists and craftsmen for centuries, most famously known is William Morris and his followers, which influences the taste of souvenir and antique shops here.

We will stroll along the shops in one village, we will visit a church in the next one. Each village and town is unique there. My favourite one is Arlington Mill, where they used to wash and dry wool. There is Trout Farm now, where we can catch and eat our own fish in an old pub. And of course, we will visit one of the most unusual gardens of England, Hidcote Manor Garden. We can do this tour within a day or two or we can visit the Cotswolds together with Oxford. It will take us 8-9 hours.