cotswolds

Red House.

View of the garden from the entrance.

Entrance off the Gloucester Road. We visited in February 2015 to see the snowdrops.

Morris Dance is a type of folk dance that originated in medieval times in England. It is popular today in the Cotswolds and the South West. Male and female dancers dress in costume with bells and bows attached. They wave hankies or sticks during the dance. The dancers are usually accompanied by...

Morris dancing in Bridport, Dorset.

Morris dancing in Bridport, Dorset.

Morris dancing in Bridport, Dorset.

Morris dancing at The Fleece Inn in Bretforton.

Morris dancing at The Fleece Inn in Bretforton.

Morris dancing in Bridport, Dorset.

Morris dancing in Bridport, Dorset.

Morris dancing in Bridport, Dorset.

Morris dancing in Sheepscombe, in the Cotswolds.

Morris dancing in Sheepscombe, in the Cotswolds.

Giffords Circus, based near Stroud, gives performances on village greens around the Cotswolds from May to September. The circus is in a tent that seats about 400 and has acts with jugglers, fire eaters, acrobats, horses, dogs and even a duck! Leading the events is the wonderful Tweedy the Clown...

Well off the tourist trail these delightful gardens are set in the depths of the Cotswold countryside between Stroud and Cirencester. They are reached along narrow lanes running through bluebell woods and grass verges covered with wood anemones, primroses and cowslips. There are small signs to...

Minster Lovell Hall, near Witney, Oxfordshire - Are there ghosts? Husband had grown up in Oxford and knew all the stories connected with Minster Lovell Hall. It was a place you didn’t visit and you crossed yourself if you went past on the road... He wasn’t too keen on visiting. The first time...

Several long distance footpaths run through the Cotswolds. Some of these are part of the National Trails system with trail signs marked with their acorn symbol. Many of the popular walking trails in the Cotswolds will include part of one of these long distance paths. The benefits of walking on...

The Cotswolds is one of the best areas in England for walking and hiking. The public footpaths are plentiful, well signed and well maintained. They range from short, easy walks to longer, vigorous hikes. Note that in most cases Brits don’t use the term hikes or hiking but instead use walks and...

How to find the supermarkets and grocery shops in the Cotswolds. All Cotswold market towns have a small supermarket in the center of town and most have other small food speciality shops (bakery, butcher, fruits and vegetables, deli). There are several large supermarkets throughout the...