I have always wanted to explore the beautiful Cotswolds and I thought the easiest way would be through a tour group. I knew I would be staying in Oxford, so I booked The Famous Cotswolds Tour with Cotswolds Guided Tours.
It was a fantastic small tour group with a maximum of only 7 people! Richard and Lucy are the husband and wife duo that own and operate this tour company. Richard was a fantastic tour guide and handed out amazing laminated pamphlets at each stop with a short description of the town, as well as a map with highlighted attractions.
Our pick-up point was Moreton-in-Marsh, which was just a short 50-minute train ride from Oxford. The price was only £45 per person which was very reasonable for the tour! The tour was 6 hours and we visited Lower and Upper Slaughter, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Great Tew, and a secret Jane Austen village!
Table of Contents
Lower Slaughter
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- Water Mill
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- The Manor House
We departed Moreton-in-Marsh and headed toward Lower Slaughter, a waterside village set along the River Eye. Lower Slaughter is a tiny village and we spent about 30 minutes exploring the famous water mill, the Manor House, and St. Mary’s Church. There was a wonderful little shop that was situated next to the water mill called Museum Craft Shop. They sold lovely English style products and crafts.
Bourton-on-the-Water
After Lower Slaughter we made our way to Bourton-on-the-Water. This Cotswolds village was my absolute favorite because it was the perfect mix between a town and a small village. Bourton-on-the-Water is the most famous village in the Cotswolds and we had about 45 minutes to 1 hour to explore! There were five beautiful bridges crossing the River Windrush and lovely shops lining the streets. I wondered around the village stopping in the small shops and taking in the beautiful sights.
Upper Slaughter
Upper Slaughter was the smallest of the villages that we toured. We only spent about 15 minutes wondering down the lane and exploring St. Peter’s Church. Down the hill, the River Eye made for an absolutely stunning photograph!
Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold was our lunch spot so we spent about 1.5 hours touring this lovely market town. I walked a short distance to St. Edwards Church and saw Tolkien’s Door. It was surrounded by stunning Yew trees and Tolkien’s Door is said to be where J.R.R. Tolkien got his idea for Lord of the Rings. We ate lunch at The Porch House, which was the oldest inn in England dating back to 947 AD! After lunch, I saw the Market Square where there are still gallows from the 1500s. I also stopped by the Cotswolds Chocolate Company and purchased homemade Cotswold chocolate!
Secret Jane Austen Village
We drove through the beautiful Cotswolds and stopped at a village called Adlestrop. Since Richard and his wife live in the Costswolds, they are privy to the knowledge of secret villages. Adlestrop is a tiny village associated with two famous writers, Edward Thomas and Jane Austen. Edward Thomas wrote the poem ‘Adlestrop’ that can be seen on a plague in the village bus shelter. Jane Austen also spent some time in this small village because her mother’s side of the family (Leigh) lived in a house in town. Jane Austen would attend church at St. Mary Magdalene when she was staying with her family.
Great Tew
Our last spot of the tour was the village of Great Tew but before we arrived, we stopped in the town of Cornwell. We saw Cornwell Manor which is famous for the film ‘The Holiday’. The Manor was stunning and I could pinpoint exactly which scenes were filmed there.
We drove up the street to arrive in Great Tew and this village has beautiful thatched cottages scattered throughout. Richard told us that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle rented a home for awhile in town and David and Victoria Beckham also just recently purchased a large estate in the village. We walked through the gorgeous lanes with thatched cottages on either side. I stopped for a pint of beer at Falkland Arms, the only local pub in town.
Our tour ended at 4pm and we were dropped back off at the Moreton-in-Marsh train depot. The tour was absolutely fantastic and I would definitely book their other Cotswolds tours!
Until next time,
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