Day 3: English countryside villages: Broadway - Snowshill - Chipping Campden - Upper Slaughter - Lower Slaughter - Bourton-on the-Water - Bibury
On the third day of our trip to Cotswolds in 4 days we get up when it is six in the morning, with the sun coming through the window, something that reminds us of how fortunately we are and not just for being in these moments of travel, but also because on this trip traveling the English countryside villages, most likely it was to find that it could rain a lot and it is the opposite, every day is giving us days full of sun and clear skies.
After working a couple of hours in the Windrush House room, the Broadway hotel where we stayed, at eight we went down to the breakfast room where Kate and Robin already have us prepared a typical English breakfast, which includes scrambled egg salmon, that just gave us the energies we will need today to continue touring the English countryside villages, which we will add to the selection of villages of The Cotswolds that we already met yesterday.
Breakfast before touring the villages of the English countryside
It's 8:45 when we say goodbye to Broadway, making our way to what will be the first stop on today's route by English countryside villages, where we will stop first at Snowshill, where we arrive in less than ten minutes, crossing a spectacular area of green fields, surrounded by farms and roads surrounded by impressive trees.
English countryside roads
As soon as we get to Snowshill we leave the car parked on the side of the road, here there is no major problem and without needing much time, we realize that we have just arrived at another of the most scenic corners of the villages of Los Cotswolds.
Approaching Snowshill
Snowshill
Snowshill in a small isolated village, surrounded by beautiful country houses and an incredible 19th-century church, which owes its name to a curiosity: when it snows in the area, Snowshill is the first place that covers it, given its height To the rest of places. And we have to take into account that it is located in the upper area of the cliff that is in the upper part of the towns of Broadway, Buckland and Laverton.
Church of the 19th century of Snowshill. Villages of the English countryside
Views from the top of Snowshill Church
In addition, Snowshill is known for locating a stately Tudor-style house from the 15th century, which we can find right at the entrance of the town coming from Broadway. We did not enter since it was still closed when we arrived and we did not have it as a priority visit, but if you have time, we believe it is a good option to know a typical house in the area.
We have to keep in mind that Snowshill is visited in a little less than half an hour, but in his favor we can say that it is a true wonder, not only because of the scenic location, even some scenes of the film were shot "Briget Jones's diary", if not also for its relaxed atmosphere, and that is that during the whole walk we have been able to enjoy in total solitude the song of the birds and be surrounded by nature, something that without a doubt, is much appreciated.
Walking through Snowshill
It's 9:30 in the morning when we leave Snowshill to get on our way to Chipping Candem, the one they say is another one of the Most visited Cotswolds villages and beautiful of the English countryside, where we take 10 minutes to arrive and that is that most of today's tours will be very short, since most of English countryside villages They are very close to each other.
We park directly on Sheep Street, where there is no charge and we will walk directly along its main street, High Street, which is the most famous and known, since the street makes a curvature, full of a succession of old houses, which They seem to fit together side by side, although at the same time, each of them maintains its own ornaments.
Chipping Candem main street
Chipping Campden was once one of the most important towns in the production of wool, a legacy that it still maintains and that gives the city a very special character. At the north end of the city we find the church of St. James, with a magnificent 36-meter tower and an incredible interior, famous for housing one of the oldest tapestries in England.
St. James church in Chipping Campden
From the church of St. James we get lost in the streets parallel to High Street, as lovely as the main street, at these almost lonely hours and that is contrary to what we thought, no matter how much we are in summer and think that this area Los Cotswolds was going to be full of tourists, we have to say that for nothing, since in most places we are practically alone.
Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden corners
After this walk through Chipping Campden, we return to Sheep Street, a street that you can not miss, since at the end of it and then turning right, on the corner of the B4081, you will find some of the cottages (typical houses of The Cotswolds) more impressive in the area and if not, as our you can see the photos. It makes you want to stay for a while in one of them, right?
Typical houses of Chipping Campden. Villages of the English countryside
We liked this one to spend a little time at Chipping Campden
If in our walk through Chipping Campden we have not met practically with anyone, in this area of the town, we can say that we are really alone, something that we take advantage of to stop to take many photos and above all to look at all the details of these cottages, that we are really loving and is that there is not one of them that is not careful to the millimeter, to the smallest detail.
Chipping Campden
A little break at Chipping Campden
From here and when it is 11 in the morning, after just over an hour touring Chipping Candem, we return to pick up our rental car in Los Cotswolds and we make our way to Upper Slaughter, another of the English countryside villages more important, located as an hour from here, skipping the option we had to visit Stow on the World, since we see that we do not have enough time and we prefer to leave it for an upcoming visit, which surely there will be.
We arrive at Upper Slaughter and directly park next to the houses in the lower part, where we see that there is no sign of parking or payment, but where we see some cars that we intuit are from the neighbors.
Newcomers to Upper Slaughter
Upper Slaugther is a small town, known for its St Peters church and for being one of the thirteen villages of England and Wales that its members served in the army, throughout the 1st or 2nd World War and then returned to town.
Beautiful corner of Upper Slaugther
The visit to Upper Slaugther does not take us more than 20 minutes and it is so small that we could practically say that it only has one street, although it is worth approaching here, not only by the access road, but also to enjoy Some of the most beautiful corners we have seen so far on this trip to the English countryside.
From here we return to the car and follow the itinerary through the English countryside villages, this time to Lower Slaughter, very close to here, just 5 minutes by car and where we park next to the river.
Lower slaughter
In Lower Slaughter we find Copse Hill Road chosen the most romantic street in Great Britain in 2011, although although we believe it is a totally deserved prize, it is not the only reason to get here, since as we do not get tired of saying, English countryside villages They are one of those destinations that do not need any awards to shine on their own. In Lower Slaughter we can see how the stone houses are located on the sides of the Eye River, being very easy and attractive the walk through the area, since you can go from one shore to another through small bridges.
Following this main street we reach one of the biggest attractions of the town, a renovated mill where we can find handicraft products and where inside they also have a small coffee, ideal for making a stop, cooling off and having a drink.
Lower Slaughter Mill
Another of the great attractions of Lower Slaughter is to make a stretch of the famous 14-mile route “ Wardens way”That runs from Bourton on the Water to Winchcombe and that runs from the Mill Lane area, right next to the mill, and that links Lower Slaughter with Upper Slaugther, on a journey of about an hour. In our case we did not do it due to lack of time, but after being in the area and seeing some photographs, we have to say that next time we will surely not miss it.
It's almost one in the afternoon when we decide that the time has come to follow our route through the villages of the English countryside, making way for Bourton on the Water one of the best known villages in the area, located just 2 kilometers from Lower Slaughter, where we arrived in less than 5 minutes and where we can not help but stop before arriving to take a picture of the Cotswolds Roads And we can say that these roads are some of the most beautiful for which we have been fortunate to drive on our trips.
Cotswolds Roads
Upon arrival we see that there are already signs that indicate the different parkings, so we go directly to parking 3, just 100 meters from the town and where we pay 3 pounds for parking all day, a price more than adjusted, especially if we have in It is one of the most tourist places and the time in which we are.
The first thing that catches our attention is the number of people we meet, especially around the Windrush River, spine from the town, crossed by several low bridges, which are surrounded by green trees, under which people cool in the shade.
Bourton on the Water
Bourton on the Water is known as the "Little venice"Los Cotswolds and after walking through it, we understand the reason why it is considered one of the most popular tourist spots in the region. Proof of that is that every step we take we find many shops, cafes and restaurants, something That had not happened to us until now, since we can almost say that we have not seen a souvenir shop for tourists.
Bourton on the Water. Villages of the English countryside
Seeing what time it is and seeing that all the places are full of people, we decided that it is best to go find somewhere to eat, so we go to Tea Shop, one of the most recommended coffee shops in the area, where we ask for a Panini, a baguette, more coke and water, two cakes and two coffees for 30 pounds. All great and super recommended.
Eating at Bourton on the Water
It is 2:30 pm when we go back to the streets of Bourton on the Water, which at this time of the afternoon are still as lively and where we would not mind staying a few more hours, but the trip calls us, so when they pass A few minutes after three in the afternoon, we set off to Burford, another of the key points of The Cotswolds, where we will arrive in 20 minutes and where we park directly on High street, where the row of the most scenic houses of this beautiful town of the Cotswolds.
High street. Burford
The parking on High Street in Burford is free from Monday to Saturday for two hours, and Sundays all day so apart from parking in the best area of town, we do it for free. What else can we ask for in the afternoon? Burford, is considered as the gateway to the south of The Cotswolds.
Surrounded by old houses, houses of incredible architecture and many shops, the truth is that walking through its streets is like going back in time, since few things have changed since the time of the Tudors, as evidenced by the incredible corners that we can see both in the main street and in the parallel streets.
Burford
After enjoying High Street and the wonderful side streets of Burford full of traditional pubs, charming corners and antique shops, including a 15th-century church, which leaves us with a good taste, we approach one of the enclaves more scenic, located in the high area of High Street, where we find a row of honey-colored stone houses, which seem taken from another time.
Charming corners in Burford
When we realize we have been in Burford for almost an hour, so when it is almost 5 in the afternoon, we make our way to Bibury, which will be the last point of the day, where we stayed, thanks to The Swan Hotel, one of the most special hotels in the area, located right in front of the most scenic enclave of Bibury and one of the most beautiful corners of the Cotswolds, and to the British Tourism and Tourism Office Cotswolds.
It takes just under 15 minutes to reach Bibury, approaching directly to the private parking of the hotel, although before we can not less than stop a minute in front of the famous Arlington Row Street and it is impossible not to do so, since we have just reached a of the images that we have seen more times when we were looking for information about this area of the country.
Arlington Row Bibury
At this time of the afternoon, something we did not think, this area is full of people, finding about 30 cars parked on the main street of Bibury plus a bus that has just arrived and is approaching Arlington Row, so we decided to go at The Swan Hotel, take the opportunity to download the photos we have taken today and rest for a while, after a most complete day touring the English countryside villages.
The Swan Hotel. Bibury
A few minutes past 6 pm when we can not stand in the room any more and it is because the hotel is very cozy, being in front of the most beautiful corner of Bibury, does not help too much, so we decided to go out again and get closer to there, seeing nothing else leaving that there is practically no one and we have the area for ourselves, something that you can not imagine what is appreciated and for what we are almost certain, or you have to come very soon or very late or if not , stay here to enjoy the area in this way.
Bibury Villages of the English countryside
After walking around the area and touring Arlington Row more than 4 times, looking for every corner of this small street, we approach to the upper end, from where we have another perspective, which undoubtedly, despite not being as well known as the Main, leave us with your mouth open.
Bibury
After enjoying Bibury for almost an hour, we return to the hotel, where we sit on one of its terraces to make a last stop in the day, drinking a coke and a beer for 4 pounds that serve us to make time until dinner and enjoy Bibury much more relaxed and rested. But as usually happens in these cases, when you least expect it something appears that catches your attention and that happens when we see that the sun is starting to set and how could it be otherwise and seeing that Arlington Row is totally alone right now , we return to approach (it is not more than 100 meters from our hotel) and we return to tour the most famous street of The Cotswolds, this time as farewell to one of the most complete days of this trip to the Cotswolds.
Walking through Bibury
Bibury Villages of the English countryside
It's almost 10 at night when we return to The Swan Hotel directly entering the bar / restaurant area, where we ordered a vegetarian burger and a chicken with more waters for 25 pounds with which we ended today and we go straight to the room to rest after a full day.
Day 4: Bibury, the most beautiful town in England - Bristol Airport - Girona
