I‘m sitting here in Hotel Galaxie, a delightfully quirky but lovely hotel in Summertown, a 7 min easy bus ride from downtown Oxford.

it‘s rainy but Oxford has been incredibly interesting.

Money-wise, contactless payment has become the preferred method of payment. Many places don‘t take cash anymore.

we‘ve had a private tour of Trinity college, which we loved, and have eaten in the Turf Tavern, which is very crowded indeed.

The covered market is delightful and the Varsity Club lounge on top of the market offers incredible rooftop views of city.

Christchurch college offers a very comprehensive individualized audio guide tour of its college. You‘ll get history of its beginnings, its rooms, its legendary church and of course, its links to Harry Potter.

Ashmolean Museum is an excellent way to spend a rainy afternoon with its collections.

The Bodlien (sp) and Divinity college was sold out so we just admired it from the outside.

we are leaving today for Bourton the Water.

To be continued…

This will be very interesting
DIvinity School I'm guessing

Following, long on my wishlist…

Sorry about mixing up names. I‘m typing this from Burford Garden Center (a huge complex that sales far more than gardening items and has a large cafe to boot.)

We visited Minster Lowell that had 0 tourists and is absolutely lovely with ruins of an old town, an active very old church, a lane of thatched houses and the wonderful Old Swan pub. Seriously breathtaking and quaint.

We wanted to go into the Swinebrook (sp?) church which was closed so we continued to Burford to see its cathedral and we heard the story of the Cromwell rebellion and Elisabeth Tenfield Cary and her notorious parents. After wandering up and down Burford‘s High Street, we are here having lunch.

After a short stop at the 16th century Sherborne gambling and party house somewhere near Bibury, we are now at Arlington Row and Bibury. Not too many people but simply idyllic and beautiful. I can see why it‘s a favorite stopping point. The quaint houses, the babbling brooks and the lushness of foliage and flowers is stunning.

I am enjoying your report! It is a trip down memory lane, we were there in May.
We also, loved Old Swan Pub and had Sunday roast there which was delicious and eating in the fireplace room was what you dream of!

If you are still in Buford, peak in the Bay Tree Hotel, we stayed there. It was the home of Lawrence Tanfield and had many visitors admiring the lobby rooms. I can't wait to hear more! Thank you

Sorry! Typing at the same time, you've moved on. Bibury is lovely! Are you driving?

Glad you are enjoying your visit -- having lived near the Cotswolds for nearly 5 years I've walked in your exact footsteps countless times.

The Turf Tavern is always crowded

The Varsity Club Lounge has been open for about a decade and I have yet to visit. I can imagine the views are remarkable.

A couple of minor - not really 'corrections' or criticism but more just giving some context. Minster Lovell Old hall isn't the ruins of an old town - it is a ruined 15th century manor house. Yes - that is all one house! Isn't it a lovely place?! . And there are seldom many other visitors so usually very tranquil.

St John the Baptist Church in Burford isn't a 'cathedral' but just a local parish church. In medieval times the Cotswolds were a very prosperous area because of the sheep. Almost every town and village had a substantial 'wool church' funded by wealthy wool merchants and farmers. Burford's is one of the best of all the many wool churches

After driving through North Leach, we are now in Bourton on the Water at Chester House. We‘ve just checked in. Our little Venice looks lovely but we haven‘t seen much yet.

I am in charge of a group of 16 so I have hired a coach from Pulham and a very good guide named Sean Callery.

16.
Good luck

Thank you, Janisj. I am writing quickly so mistakes are slipping in.

What a day we had yesterday.

we went to Halie’s Abbey to see the church and its original painting of a Catholic saint that managed to survive the reformation. Then we went further up that road to the apple and farm shop. The group loved it with its local products and quaint cafe.

then we went through Stanton and stopped in stanway (or was it in reverse?) to see the repurposed church walls that include a stone coffin.

we continued on to Broadway (a lovely broad street with inviting shops) and enjoyed the views from Broadway Tower. Afterwards we went to Chipping Camden to check out the silversmiths who still create silver items using century old skills and tools. After walking the the market place, we hand some delightful cream teas at Banthams tea House.

It was then on to Ebrington to see the thatched roofs that feature animals. The beauty of the area and the amazing villages were simply lovely. We then went to Blockley to visit Father Brown’s church (one of my favorite series) and then we ended the day in Daylesford upmarket farm and garden shop. Mrs B wasn’t out to say hi, unfortunately.

This morning we walked from Bourton on the Water to lower and upper Slaughter. We met the new owner of the Old Mill, who is Swiss, and had some wonderful coffee at his food truck. Then two of us walked through the muddy fields to Stow on the Wold, where I am writing this part of the trip report. I’m here in the Porch Inn, near the witches carvings, enjoying a local ale. Gotta rush though because we need to catch the 16.15 bus back to Bourton on the Water.

Lady B, please.

Yes! Of course! We also saw Rupert Murdoch’s daughter come out of her estate in Burford. Although we are very close to the Hawkestone brewery, I don’t think we’ll see Jeremy Clarkson.

You are hitting so many wonderful sites. Who planned out your itinerary - it is quite nice.

Isn't Hailles Abbey lovely? The church is a wonder - its a shame that not many people walk across the road and just visit the Abbey. But maybe that's a good thing and is why the wall paintings still survive.

Thank you, Janisj. I worked out most of it but Sean added Hailes Abbey, the Silversmiths and Ebington. And Lady B’s Daylesford.

I can highly recommend Sean Callery from Offbeat Cotswolds. He was a huge help and the group adored him.

Here is a summary of our trip with 16 people:

Day 1: Oxford
Hotel Galaxie: Highly recommended! A quirky hotel that offers hospitality and easy access to Oxford (7 min) through the frequent buses into Summertown. Tip: Go to the Dew Drop Inn near the hotel for your pub experience in the evening. Also, Mondays are their pub quiz night.

Highlights: The Covered Market, our tour of Trinity College, Bodlien Library and drinks at the Varsity Club, a rooftop bar above the covered market (near the south entrance)

Day 2: Blenheim Palace

Day 3: Christchurch college, a walk down to the Thames, the bookstore across next to the Bodlien library ticket office, the Botanic garden and Turf Inn.

Day 4: Off to the Bourton on the Water
Highlights: Minster Lovell with the Swan Inn and thatched roof houses, Burford, Burford Garden Center for lunch, Swinford church, Arlington Row and Bibury and then ultimately to Bourton on the Water.
Hotel: Chester House in Bourton on the Water, a very comfortable hotel that serves fresh English breakfasts. Very nice staff. BOW is the perfect place to stay because you get to see its charm without the tourists in the evening and morning hours.

Day 5: Tour of Northern Cotswolds:
Highlights: Hailes Abbey and apple farm and store, Stanton, Stanway, Broadway, Broadway Tower, Chipping Camden (with the visit to the silver smiths), Ebrington ,Blockley, Stow on the Wold and Daylesford Garden Center and back to delightful Bourton on the Water. Dinner at the Fish and Chips Shack and a Ghost tour of Bourton on the Water.

Day 6: Walk to drop dead gorgeous Lower and Upper Slaughter. Definitely say hi to the nice Swiss man, Mr. Jakobs, at the old mill in Lower Slaughter. Also, find the atmospheric ford in Upper Slaughter...
Then I hiked up to Stow on the Wold along the Heart of England pathway. It was a two hour hike through fields, paths and roads. Definitely use an app with a map to help you. We grabbed a pint in the Porch Inn after seeing the witches marks above the fireplace.
Dinner at Mousetrap Inn, which was fully booked, but we had reservations. Then we had drinks in the New Old Inn in front of a roaring fire.

Day 7: Shopping in Cirencester, a very busy market town with a lively shopping district. Then back to Heathrow and Zürich

Hope this helps to plan your trip to Oxford and the Cotswolds.

Great trip and trip report. You did hit some of the real high points. You are right about Bourton-on-the-Water - sort of a difficult place to visit because of all the day trippers - but a great place to stay because one is there in the early mornings and evenings before and after the day tripper invasion.

Here is a passage from one of my old trip reports about a group of six I took to London and the Cotswolds, and the affect of the water mill at Lower Slaughter on one lady:

Our car took off for Lower Slaughter. This is just a lovely wee village -- pretty houses, small river, church and a water mill converted to a shop/museum/gallery. We parked across from the church and just wandered around for about an hour. The main site is the Mill - to get there you walk down a pedestrian roadway along the river. Several of the houses along the walk had baskets out on their fence posts or front porch w/ honesty boxes. One was selling fudge, one bunches of lavender, one snapshots of the village.

We came around a bend in the walk and got the first glimpse of the mill and one of the girls got really emotional. Not just tearing up, but really sobbing. Her friend and I were caught up short and tried to console her - but they were tears of utter joy!. Background: this woman had learned about the Cotswolds and fallen in love w/ the "concept" years and years ago when she was a young girl - but never thought she'd actually ever see them in person. Then she got the chance to come on this trip. And THEN - in late Feb her husband passed away! She wavered about coming on the trip - but after a few weeks decided she should. And this place at this time and this perfect view of a mill in a beautiful village in 'her' Cotswolds was sort of the culmination of everything. She was just swept away w/ the emotions of it