England-Scotland Day 1 (Part 3) – The Cotswolds town of Cirencester

3 April 2010 

To visit and explore all the key historic market towns of the Cotswolds in one day is impossible. Maybe even 2 or 3 days may not be enough. So, the plan was to stop at one or two villages or towns in the Cotswolds on our way to Stratford-upon-Avon. As it was approaching lunch time and still raining, we headed to the town of Cirencester, in the general direction towards Stratford in the north.

Cirencester was the ancient capital of the Cotswolds, dating from Roman times. When the Romans conquered Britain almost 2,000 years ago (43 AD) they built the town of Corinium (now Cirencester), second only to Londinium (now London) in size.

It was still raining when we drove into Cirencester at about 2 PM. We walked and dashed towards the town center, looking for cover from the rain and try to locate an interesting tea room and pub to take our lunch. We found a pub showing the Manchester United vs Chelsea EPL game that was live on TV but the pub was full house. Chelsea was leading 2-0 as we stood at the entrance to peek and try to spot an empty table. No luck. At that moment, Manchester United scored a goal. My son and I would have stood there to watch the rest of the game but the ladies were already walking away. 

We caught up with them and managed to find a nearby tea room to have our lunch of hot pies, cakes and hot English tea. No TV, but we heard the news that Chelsea had won.

Row of colourful houses in Cirencester.

The rain stopped after our lunch, and we had some time to walk around the town. We bought 2 foldable umbrellas and some additional socks at one of the stores at the Market Place, just in case. 

The Market Place in Cirencester - town in the Cotswolds, England.

The Market Place is the main street in the centre of Cirencester. The church is at one end and the rest is lined with historic buildings, some from as early as the Tudor era. 

St John the Baptist is a beautiful 15th century "wool" church. The tower is the highest in Gloucestershire.

Statue of a ram. The towns in the Cotswolds have historically grown from the wool trade.

After Cirenchester, our next Cotswolds destination was the small village of Bibury, just 6.5 miles (10.5 km) northeast of Cirencester.

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England-Scotland Day 1 (Part 4) – The Cotswold village of Bibury

3 April 2010

Many had called Bibury the most beautiful village in England. As we drove into the village, we could see why.

We parked our car, on the parking spaces, by the Bibury Trout Farm.

The rain had started again. Thank goodness we bought 2 umbrellas in Cirencester. So we were prepared to explore the beautiful village of Bibury, in the light rain.

One of the highlights in Bibury is the 14th century Arlington Row cottages. We walked on a footpath towards the cottages.

Footpath leading to the Arlington Row cottages.

Mother and daughter bonding.

Peaceful and serene walk by a small stream.

Ducks in stream besides the path.

First glimpse of the Arlington Row cottages.

The Arlington Row is one of the most photographed scene in the Cotswolds. No wonder.

Like us, many visitors were braving the rain to see the 14th century Arlington Row cottages at Bibury.

Jo taking a photo of the Bibury cottages.

Her photo. Not bad.

That was me. Operating the DSLR with one hand, while holding the umbrella with the other hand, to keep the equipment dry.

That’s the photo I took. She was taking a photo of me taking a photo of them. 

Signs of spring in Bilbury.  Wild daffodils starting to bloom.

After we had enough of photos of the Arlington Row, we headed back to the car via the main road, running parallel to the River Coln which passes through Bibury.

River Coln passing through Bibury, England.

Locals were fishing for trout in the river, probably escapees from the Bibury Tout Farm.

Stone cottage in Bibury. Still using the fireplace and chimney.

We spotted this red antique car. Cool.

Antique car in an antique village.

Mother and daughter bonding again. Self-portrait.

This is a hotel in Bibury called the Swan Hotel, right by the river and trout farm. If I would to stay over in the Cotswolds again, this may be a good choice.

For someone used to living in a city, I really enjoyed this walk around Bibury, even in the light rain. Actually, the rain added to the overall experience and memory of visiting this beautiful English village in the Cotswolds.

We left Bibury at about 4.30 PM and head towards Stratford-Upon-Avon where I had booked 2 rooms at the Heron Lodge Guest House. We were the last guests to arrive and the hosts were happy to see us. We were given 2 rooms on the second floor and it was some work getting the luggage up to the rooms. After checking in and leaving our luggage in the rooms, we drove to the Stratford town centre for a good dinner and followed by a good rest in Heron Lodge.

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England-Scotland Day 2 (Part 1) – Stratford Upon Avon

4 April 2010

Stratford Upon Avon is a good place to stay for a night when doing a road trip through the Cotswold. Although it is known for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare, there was plenty of other sights to see as well. 

The plan for Day 2 of our England-Scotland vacation was to explore Stratford-Upon-Avon in the early morning and then drive to York. I reckon it would take approximately 3 hours to drive from Stratford to York. We would then spend the late afternoon and night to explore the city of York, including doing the famous Ghost Walk in York.

We woke up early and enjoyed our English breakfast in the Heron Lodge Guest House. Delicious breakfast and this was the first time that we tried the black pudding. After check-out, our hosts gave us some tips on where to park and what to see within the town  – the birthplace of William Shakespeare. I had been here before, back in 1986, where I walked by the banks of the Avon river and enjoyed the scenic views there. So, we headed there again.

Houseboats on the Avon Rive, near where we parked our car.

Boats on the Avon.

These boats are not just a means of transport. They are homes for some.

Boat with a roof garden. There are some places that the boat can’t bring you to. Hence the bike.

Thankfully, the sun was out this morning. It made our walk along the beautiful Avon river so much more wonderful. But one member of the family still felt cold.

River Avon with many swans, geese and ducks in spring. Also rowers.

Viewing platform for watching the geese, ducks, swans.

Locks at Stratford Upon Avon.

Bancroft Garden is located next to the river and here we could see the Gower Monument.

Bancroft Garden at Stratford Upon Avon.

Gower Monument at Bancroft Garden, Stratford Upon Avon.

In honour of William Shakespeare who is born in this town. This statue, showing Shakespeare seated, is flanked by life-size statues of Lady Macbeth, Prince Hal, Hamlet, Henry V, and Falstaff, representing Philosophy, Tragedy, History, & Comedy.

We had a bit of silliness and fun at the Bancroft Gardens. 

Hermaphroditus’s butt! 

Shadows of trees cast by the morning sun. Last photo at Bancroft Gardens before we left for York.

It was to be a long drive to York, most parts via the  M1 motorway. Road-signs in England were pretty easy to follow, provided you had a map and know what were the towns/cities en-route to the destination. I was using the AA Great Britain Road Atlas and also some directions printed from the AA Route Planner before leaving home.

Along the way, we made a brief detour from the M1 to recce the town and university in Loughborough. Loughborough University is one of the good university in England that is worth checking out. It was just a drive through to get a glimpse of the university and town. Before long, we were at the outskirts of York.

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Tea at Bourton-On-the-Waters, the Venice of the Cotswold

22 December 2012

On the way to Stratford Upon Avon from Oxford, we drove through the eastern part of the Cotswold and one of the better place to stop for a break was at Bourton-On-the-Waters, the “Venice of the Cotswold”.

It gets its nickname from the several stone bridges across the River Windrush that runs through the town. The High Street is flanked by greenery and trees on both sides of the river and has many tea shops and shops that attracted many visitors.

Bourton-on-Water, the Venice of the Cotswold, with many low arched stone bridges across the Windrush River.

One of the stone bridge across the Windrush. This one carries vehicular traffic leading into the village.

Last remaining signs of autumn.

Bourton has a number of tourist attractions that we could possibly spent some time and money on, such as the model village and the motor car museum. I was considering whether to go see the model village which is a 1:9 scale replica of the village but instead we just spent time exploring the village on foot before settling into one of the tea rooms (called the Chestnut) for afternoon tea.

Inside the Chestnut, a tea room along the High Street. Beautiful decor with Xmas theme and we were fortunate to get a table next to the window.

Interesting teapot and decor on the window sill.

This house is almost on the river. Like those in Venice.

This village is ideal for photography and walks by the river.

What a name for a Inn.

There are many interesting shops along the High Street and ideal place to shop for some unique Christmas gifts to take home, except for the high price tags.

Checking out the Model Railway exhibition. Toys for Boys!

The Model Railway exhibition is worth a visit. Entrance was FOC, so we popped in for a look before heading northwards to our next stop – the village of Lower Slaughter.

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