Help Needed 4-weeks in a Cotswold Village in summer 2018

[ruccik]

Hi All, I am planning a 4-week stay in a quaint Cotswold village this summer with my husband and two daughters (13 & 7). We are traveling in from San Francisco. I would love to integrate with the local community and take short trips to neighboring towns/counties/countries. I would love input and advise on the following:
1. Villages in the Cotswold that would be good to use as a 4-week base
2. How to move around the village and neighboring areas?
3. If I wanted to go to France etc. what would be the best way to travel?
4. How would I access London?
5. Should we rent a car?
6. Is 4-weeks too long/too short or just right?
7. Any other tips or things I should consider?

Thank you, thank you,
Ruchika

 

[Pauline]

Hello Ruchika, I used to travel to the Cotswolds frequently and then moved there for 5 years. I have a small website about the Cotswolds that may give you some info - Cotswolder.

On one of our trips we spent two weeks in one part of the Cotswolds and then two weeks in another part. The Cotswolds is a large area and this made it easier to see more. You might consider that.

1. The north Cotswolds is the best place to stay IMO. There are many good market towns - Chipping Campden, Broadway, Winchcombe, Moreton-in-Marsh, Burford. In one of those towns or in a nearby village would be good. There are many vacation rentals (also called holiday cottages) in the Cotswolds. Most you rent by the week from Friday to Friday, or Saturday to Saturday. Have a look at our UK Vacation Rental reviews to get some ideas where people have stayed. One of our members here, Felicity, has a lovely house that she rents - http://www.sansomecottage.co.uk/ . There are a lot of agencies with rentals. I have a list of them here.

If you need help deciding on which cottage or which town, post your short list here and people will add their comments and suggestions.

2. You need a car in the Cotswolds (and, remember, they drive on the left ). It is possible to get around by bus, but the service is not that good. If you really don't want to drive, stay in a village with good bus service, like Moreton in Marsh.

3. To get to France, you could either fly or take the train from Moreton in Marsh, or Oxford, to London, underground to St Pancras Station, train to Paris. We've taken the train.

4. From the north Cotswolds there are hourly trains to London (I think) from Moreton in Marsh, more frequent from Oxford. They take you to Paddington station. Tickets can be expensive, but are cheaper if bought ahead on sites like www.thetrainline.com . I think it is about 90 minutes in from Moreton. From the south Cotswolds, get the train in Stroud. There are also National Express buses from various places.

5. Yes, rent a car.

6. 4 weeks is not too long especially if you like to go walking/hiking and want to explore a lot of the area. Before we moved there, we spent a month each summer in the Cotswolds and never got tired of it.

7. Things to consider: Time of year. Are you going in summer? Summer is the best time in the Cotswolds - June through September. Cottages are more expensive in summer, but especially during the UK school holidays which go from around mid-July to end of August.

Others will jump in with suggestions. Tell us more about what activities you and your family like and if you've traveled in England before.

 

[sharonov]

We've vacationed in the Cotswolds numerous times, and always end up in Chipping Campden. What's nice about CC is that not only can you use the village as a base to either walk, drive, or bus to numerous other villages, but the town itself is lovely and historic. Heck, there's a house there that is said to once be the home of one of the characters in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales!" We are older and afraid that we might cause an accident while driving on the left, so don't drive. A couple of times we wanted to go somewhere that would be inconvenient by bus, so hired a driver. It wasn't cheap, but it was far cheaper than renting a car for the time we were there!

Felicity's house, Sansome Cottage in Ilmington, is wonderful, so do check that out. There were only two of us so we didn't need so much space.

 

[Eleanor]

Following on from Pauline's very detailed reply...

There’s loads to see and do in the Cotswolds and you can easily fill up 4 weeks... A car will make it much easier to explore ‘off the beaten track’. Base yourselves somewhere central - say Stow on the Wold/Bourton on the Water area - as you can reach everywhere. {Places like Burford or Charlbury are delightful but being on the eastern edge is going to make it further to drive to go west. Also you can do places like Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Cirencester etc as days out.

If you are walkers, there is plenty of scope for walking. You will find plenty of walking books when you arrive, otherwise the following web sites will give you some idea what you can do.
http://www.cotswoldlife.co.uk/out-about/walks/10-great-walks-in-the-cotswolds-1-4163117
https://www.cotswolds.com/things-to-do/activities/walking-in-the-cotswolds
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/u...hikes-and-walks-in-the-cotswolds-countryside/

The Cotswolds is renowned for its churches. We spent a couple of holidays just concentrating on the churches and you can find the list of where we went here. Everyone immediately thinks of the great wool churches of Bloxham, Burford and Chipping Campden, but we found the earlier and smaller churches just as fascinating. St Mary's Priory in Deerhurst is over 1200 years old and is one of the best Anglo Saxon churches in England. Close by is Odda's Chapel which became part of a Medieval farmhouse.

St John the Evangelist at Elkstone is a wonderful example of a small Norman church. The insidwe more than makes upo for what could be rather an uninspiring outside.

Some churches still have the remains of medieval wall paintings. Walking into the Church of St James the Great in South Leigh gives a taste of what churches must have been like before Henry VIII.
St Mary’s Church in Swinbrook has the most amazing tombs complete with statues in the chancel. Anotherr St Mary's Church, this time in Fairford has the most amazing mediveal stained glass windows - and don't miss the gravestone of Tiddles, the church cat....

Some churches are no longer used and in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust and are now gently mouldering. St Nicholas Church in Lower Oddington and St John the Baptist in Inglesham are delightful.

Gardens worth visiting include Hidcote Gardens (National Trust) and the neighbouring Kiftsgate Court Gardens (Historic Houses Association - not open Thursdays or Fridays). These can be done together and are very different. Misarden Park Gardens(Historic Houses Association) are definitely off the tourist beat but are delightful.

Stately homes- make sure you visit Blenheim Palace, (Historic Houses Association ) one of the great Treasure Houses of England. It is magnificent. The gardens are pretty good too! It is very easy to spend a whole day here.

Also belonging to Historic Houses is Kelmscott Manor where William Morris lived and described as ‘Heaven on earth’. This has a very good tea room.

Sudeley Castle is also Historic Houses, but to be honest we were terribly disappointed by it. It didn’t live up to the hype. The tea room was disappoibnting too. It is only worth considering if you have HHA membership and get in free...

I’ve not been to Snowshill Manor (National Trust) but again that may be worth visiting.

Then there are the romantic ruins of Minster Lovell Hall - are they haunted? I’ll leave you to decide for yourselves.

And then there are the Rollright Stones with their associated legends too.

And finally, somewhere that has been on my todo list for years but I've not managed yet - The Mechanical Music Museum in Northleach....

 

[Eleanor]

I should perhaps mention that if you are planning to visit several of the Historic Houses properties, it may be worth considering Friends Membership. Blenheim Palace, grounds and gardens alone cost £26. Add on another £11 for kelmscott Manor and £8.50 for Kiftsgate Court Gardens and it soon mounts up. Sudeley Castle is £16.50 too...

 

[Kathy]

My husband and I have been spending time in the Cotswolds for 20 years and lead one of our small group tours here. We love the village of Chipping Campden, and it's an excellent base. You'd definitely need to have a car. With four weeks you might want to base two or three weeks in the northern Cotswolds (as Pauline suggests) but perhaps a week in the south where you could access some different sites. Although places seem close, the driving is often slow.

The last two summers we've spent 2+ weeks in Chipping Campden in addition to our time with our groups. A few years ago we walked the entire Cotswold Way, from Bath to Chipping Campden. The walking is wonderful. We continue to find more to explore and discover, and Eleanor has given some good suggestions. (I'd only differ in her evaluation of Sudeley Castle, which is one of my favorites.... though quite different than Blenheim Palace.) Yes... a full day at Blenheim, maybe 2-1/2 hours at Sudeley. (Nearby you could also visit Hailes Abbey.)

We like staying right in the village of Chipping Campden, which has everything you need: a little supermarket, bakery, several restaurants and more. It does get tourists, but very few big tour buses... and it also has a real "village life" of people who live there year round. We've rented several different cottages there over the years. It's really nice to walk to the shop or to a pub or restaurant, and there are also several footpaths that head right off from the village.

I appreciate the info on the Friends Membership @Eleanor. We've had a Royal Oak membership before (a National Trust membership for Americans). With a pass like this, you don't have to hesitate about going to a garden or property that interests you because of the cost.

You could do a long day trip or overnight to London (good train connections from Moreton-in-Marsh). And you can take the bus to Stratford upon Avon from Chipping Campden (it's not far)-- easier than driving and dealing with parking.

Kathy

 

[ruccik]

Hello Ruchika, I used to travel to the Cotswolds frequently and then moved there for 5 years. I have a small website about the Cotswolds that may give you some info - Cotswolder.

On one of our trips we spent two weeks in one part of the Cotswolds and then two weeks in another part. The Cotswolds is a large area and this made it easier to see more. You might consider that.

1. The north Cotswolds is the best place to stay IMO. There are many good market towns - Chipping Campden, Broadway, Winchcombe, Moreton-in-Marsh, Burford. In one of those towns or in a nearby village would be good. There are many vacation rentals (also called holiday cottages) in the Cotswolds. Most you rent by the week from Friday to Friday, or Saturday to Saturday. Have a look at our UK Vacation Rental reviews to get some ideas where people have stayed. One of our members here, Felicity, has a lovely house that she rents - http://www.sansomecottage.co.uk/ . There are a lot of agencies with rentals. I have a list of them here.

If you need help deciding on which cottage or which town, post your short list here and people will add their comments and suggestions.

2. You need a car in the Cotswolds (and, remember, they drive on the left ). It is possible to get around by bus, but the service is not that good. If you really don't want to drive, stay in a village with good bus service, like Moreton in Marsh.

3. To get to France, you could either fly or take the train from Moreton in Marsh, or Oxford, to London, underground to St Pancras Station, train to Paris. We've taken the train.

4. From the north Cotswolds there are hourly trains to London (I think) from Moreton in Marsh, more frequent from Oxford. They take you to Paddington station. Tickets can be expensive, but are cheaper if bought ahead on sites like www.thetrainline.com . I think it is about 90 minutes in from Moreton. From the south Cotswolds, get the train in Stroud. There are also National Express buses from various places.

5. Yes, rent a car.

6. 4 weeks is not too long especially if you like to go walking/hiking and want to explore a lot of the area. Before we moved there, we spent a month each summer in the Cotswolds and never got tired of it.

7. Things to consider: Time of year. Are you going in summer? Summer is the best time in the Cotswolds - June through September. Cottages are more expensive in summer, but especially during the UK school holidays which go from around mid-July to end of August.

Others will jump in with suggestions. Tell us more about what activities you and your family like and if you've traveled in England before.

Thank you, Pauline! I really appreciate the time you took to write in such details. I am getting very excited about the Cotswolds. One question - except for easy transportation, does Moreton in Marsh have anything else over Chipping Campden?

 

[ruccik]

We've vacationed in the Cotswolds numerous times, and always end up in Chipping Campden. What's nice about CC is that not only can you use the village as a base to either walk, drive, or bus to numerous other villages, but the town itself is lovely and historic. Heck, there's a house there that is said to once be the home of one of the characters in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales!" We are older and afraid that we might cause an accident while driving on the left, so don't drive. A couple of times we wanted to go somewhere that would be inconvenient by bus, so hired a driver. It wasn't cheap, but it was far cheaper than renting a car for the time we were there!

Felicity's house, Sansome Cottage in Ilmington, is wonderful, so do check that out. There were only two of us so we didn't need so much space.

Thank you, Sharonov! CC is sounding more delightful by the minute!

 

[Pauline]

Thank you, Pauline! I really appreciate the time you took to write in such details. I am getting very excited about the Cotswolds. One question - except for easy transportation, does Moreton in Marsh have anything else over Chipping Campden?

Chipping Campden is the prettier village, but Moreton is nice too. Both have good food shops and restaurants. Moreton has a main road thru the center so gets more traffic.

 

[Kathy]

Just to add to Pauline's comment about Chipping Campden vs. Moreton-in-Marsh... I definitely agree with her that Chipping Campden is prettier surrounded more by farmland. It's a bit more isolated, whereas the main road cuts through Moreton and sometimes there's a lot of traffic. Moreton has a big market on Tuesdays and more shops, including a good Budgens supermarket. In addition to the rail station it has better bus connections. If you don't have a car, Moreton would be a better place to stay.

Chipping Campden has about 2200 people and Moreton-in-Marsh about 3500.

 

[sharonov]

Chipping Campden is the prettier village, but Moreton is nice too. Both have good food shops and restaurants. Moreton has a main road thru the center so gets more traffic.

I was surprised at the number of really good restaurants in CC. There's a restaurant on the high side of the main street that had the best moussaka I've ever tasted (I forget its name, but if you want I'd look it up.) And 8 Bells is terrific. Lyons Arms, with its 14th century pub, had really good food.

There are several very good walking trails from the village; one of my favorite walks was to the little village of Ebrington, where there's an excellent pub. Another is the relatively short walk to a town that starts with a B (forget again) where there's yet another good pub. We walked to Hidcote Gardens one day. Another day we took a bus to Batsford Arboretum, looked around, then walked from there to M-i-M and took a bus home after doing some shopping. By the way, the market is pretty crummy. Another day it was a bus to Stratford-on-Avon. We also liked Winchcombe, but no bus goes there so we hired a driver there and back. We really enjoyed Sudely Castle, but then we're the kind that read every single story on the walls, and reading about the castle, its occupants (including Richard III) http://tudorhistory.org/places/sudeley/ was fascinating.

Shoot, I'd go back again this year, but my husband says we've never been to Devon or Cornwall, so that is that.

 

[Pauline]

Another is the relatively short walk to a town that starts with a B (forget again) where there's yet another good pub.

Broad Campden.

 

[sharonov]

Broad Campden.

That's it!!

 

[Kathy]

And the name of the restaurant in Chipping Campden with the good moussaka is Michael's. It's a Mediterranean restaurant.

I also recommend the tea shop, Badgers Hall for lunch or afternoon tea. Great cakes! They have a pretty outdoor space for warmer weather.

And I'll second sharonov's recommendation of Lygon Arms, a family-owned inn with a pub. The menu changes every day. We especially recommend their steak-and-ale-pie and sticky toffee pudding.

About the market in Moreton-in-Marsh... the first time I went, I expected a market like we know in Provence. It's definitely not that! This is kind of a cross between a flea market and an outdoor food market of practical foods (fruit and veg, breads, butcher, etc). There's also now a small area of artisans. I like watching the sellers who demonstrate something. If your expectations are adjusted, I think it's a interesting cultural experience. And I've bought quite a few practical things, as there can be some very good deals. Some clothes, a rainjacket, a suitcase, paperback books, puzzles and calendars, kitchen items, shampoo. (It can also be interesting to look in the charity shops in Moreton... if you're out of reading material, there are always very inexpensive books.)

 

[Galgano]

Worimi Ruchika
Wiltshire and Cotswolds
Ches and I spent a day in the north eastern section of the Cotswolds around ten years ago and were always determined to return for a week. We finally made it in late July last year.
Our son now lives in Southampton, so after two weeks there, we traveled to Chipping Campden via several towns in northern Wiltshire. In many respects, they were as great as the Cotswolds towns. If I had two weeks to revisit the region, I'd stay for a week in Chipping Campden and a week in Bradford on Avon.

Apart from the fact that Chipping Campden is about the prettiest town in the Cotswolds, it doesn't attract any tourist buses. The streets are too narrow. While there are plenty of day trippers in cars, the streets are never crowded and of an evening, it's just you and the locals. We stayed in an apartment, ten minutes walk from the town centre. It was extremely quiet, inexpensive and very comfortable.

From Chipping Campden, it is only short drives to Bilbury to the south and Stratford upon Avon in the north and Blenheim Castle (or Oxford) to the East.

From Bradford on Avon, you can easy reach plenty of southern Cotswold towns and villages in northern Wiltshire.

I've got to say, with the Cotswolds, we saw and experienced what we expected. With northern Wiltshire ... a total surprise.
I've posted a link to my blog. If you start with page 5 and then go to page 4, it covers around 8/9 days.

Yanu
Gavin

 

[Jean M]

Love you blog. Very interesting travels you've had.
Thanks for sharing.