the cotswolds
 

I am going to the cotswolds and was wondering where the best places to see are? Thanks

&quot;<i> . . . where the best places to see are?</i>&quot;

for what??

Gardens? Villages? Churches? Walks? Castles? Roman settlements? Pubs? or??

What places are you thinking of visiting, what sorts of things do you enjoy, and when is the trip?

Where are you staying? When we were in Oxford, we took a tour of several of the villages in the Cotswolds. When you get to where you are going, check out the local excursions. The Cotswold villages we went to were adorable. Disney comes to mind.

&quot;<i>Disney comes to mind</i>&quot;

OMG! nuff said . . . . .

lahdans: I also meant to add - besides the questions I already asked - how long will you be there? And are you renting a car or doing it by public transport?

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;
Disney comes to mind.
&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

i agree.




but others will throw a fit. you get a near bloody revolt when you describe the cotswolds as 'quaint' (it isn't????)

i can't wait for the reaction to this one!

darn...janis beat me to it.

Hi Lahdans: I love the Cotswolds and have been a few times. Some of my favorites are:
1. Oxford - I would visit Christ Church College (tower built by Chris.Wren).
2. Blenheim Palace near Woodstock which is the ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill.
3. Two of my favorite little towns are Upper &amp; Lower Slaughter (not as well known but worth an afternoon picnic on the bank of the river.
4. Hidcote Manor Gardens(astounding!)
5. Stratford-Upon-Avon to see a Shakespearean Play!
6. Warwick Castle
A B&amp;B that you might check out is Barn House at 152 High Street in the town of Broadway (owner Jane Ricketts). It sounds cool because it has 16 acres of paddocks and gardens. I have not stayed there--anyone know of it?
Keep us posted how your itinerary develops.

i don't think of disney as quaint.

I certainly don't mean to be picky,:) but neither Oxford nor Stratford are located in the Cotswolds.

According to my guide book they are considered part of the Cotswolds. Although they are at the extreme end of the area. Oxford being in the southern/western area AND Stratford &amp; Warwich being in the northern area. At any rate,I would include them on my trip to the &quot;Cotswolds.&quot;

lazy guide book authors do tend lump them together - but trust us - they aren't

will trust you! you're probably from england!!

Here's a link to my website for my trip journal and photographs of the Cotswolds. We based ourselves in Broadway. I hope it's of assistance. http://www.travelswithdiane.homestea...Cotswolds.html

diane:
what a great travel post. i really enjoyed reading it. thanks for sharing. the photos are so beautiful.

&lt;&lt;According to my guide book they are considered part of the Cotswolds. Although they are at the extreme end of the area. Oxford being in the southern/western area and Stratford &amp; Warwich being in the northern area.&gt;&gt;

Sorry nanabee, but I have to point out that Oxford is not on the southern/western side of the Cotswolds, it is to the EAST of the region.

I actually live in the south west Cotswolds, closer to Bath and Bristol than Oxford.

lahdans... the Cotswolds is quite a large area, though most visitors only go to the north part - Broadway, Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh, the Slaughters and Chippings (Campden and Norton). And there are some very chocolate-box pretty villages (please, not quaint, not Disney). Here the stone is more mellow and golden, the hills gentler, more rolling. It is indeed a very lovely part of England.

Down in the south of the region the stone is greyer, the hills steeper, soaring up above narrow valleys with fast flowing streams. Here the cottages cling to the valley sides, clustered closely together. It is a more rugged charm you will find here.

But to go back to janis's original reply, what exactly do you want to get out of your visit to the Cotswolds?

julia -thanks for pointing out my mistake i realized my error re oxford after i posted it.
i gave suggestions so lahdans could have some ideas of what others thought interesting places to visit - he/she can pick and choose what is desirable. if he/she hates gardens then don't go there. i would not definately not skip stratford upon avon (if i wanted to see a shaespearean play) just because it &quot;wasn't in the cotswolds&quot; for heavens sake!! it is close enough.

Disney because had Walt set out to design a small, charming and picturesque village, I don't think it could be done any better than the ones I saw. No negative commercial connotations are implied.

We also based ourselves in Broadway when we finally visited last September.

With a car we found it to be very convenient although one reason we stayed there is because of a particular hotel we wanted to use.

The area is wonderful IMO, including some of the even smaller villages such as Stanway which a lot of people never seem to hear much about.

IMO just driving around in the area and perhaps allowing yourself to get a little lost at least once (or twice) will allow you to come upon some truly remarkable places.

julia t

What a lovely description of the area and a very good guideline to decide where exactly to stay. Thanks!

Diane -

Great travelogue with excellent information. Thanks for posting the link.