Cotswolds villages

Costwolds has always been popular for its very beautiful villages. I find the best time to visit the villages is in Autumn as the autumn colours are simply stunning against the natural limestone colours of the villages. Each village is quite unique which I will detail. However, beware that some of these villages are becoming  extremely busy with tourists. Parking can be very hard. Please respect the local residents!

 

Here are the villages I visited so far:

-            Moreton-in-Marsh - Moreton-in-Marsh is widely regarded as the inspiration for the fictional town of Bree, which features in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The Bell Inn is often cited as the inspiration for the Prancing Pony, the inn at Bree and you can grab a beer or more! It is one of the quieter villages of the Costwolds. There’s quite a few attractions including Batsford Arboretum and Cotswold Falconry Centre: Home to a large collection of birds of prey with daily flying displays, situated next to the arboretum. However, a very unique attraction is Sezincote House and Garden which on the exterior looks like a Indian Palace from the Mughal era. The Garden also is very unique with a Surya Temple, Grotto and water features. You can visit the house by booking  a  tour. I booked a tour online to make sure I don’t wait! I loved seeing the interior which is not like its exterior! It is still inhabited and felt so jealous of the beautiful grounds they own. Visiting the house took more than half a day to thoroughly enjoy the house and gardens!

-            Cirencester is a town and another quiet part of the Costwolds. It used to be a Roman town and to learn its Roman History, you can visit the Corinium Museum which some of the most beautiful Roman mosaic tiles I have ever seen! It is so well layed out with a comprehensive history of the town and nearby villages. There’s a small entry fee but totally worth it! The cathedral is also very nice. Next to the chapel, if you see the walls you can see some old paintings coming through the walls! You can also see the original Boleyn cup which was given to the town as gratitude! I also enjoyed walking through the park with its lake and beautiful view of the cathedral.

-            Bibury – this village was so busy even on a weekday during a work week! I went by bus but the roads were full with cars with no parking spaces! Bibury is famous for many things. Arlington Row was a bit disappointing. I thought it will be more the cottages so this was a just a very quick walk around. However, the Trout Farm is well worth your time and money! You can fish and BBQ your own fish on site at an extra cost. As part of the entry fee, you will also be given fish food which I was so excited about so I can see the trouts. They were different types of trouts too. There’s lots of information boards so you can learn more about the trouts and the farm! There’s also a small park to keep the kids entertained and plenty of picnic tables! I cannot recommend this attraction enough! I also enjoyed the riverside views!

 

I will keep exploring the rest of the Cotswold villages soon!

Castleton

 Castleton is a little village in the Peak District outside Sheffield and it is famous for its caverns and its Blue John stone which is a  semi-precious ornamental fluorite. Castleton is also popular it’s walking trails so you will never be bored! It’s also famous for the iconic limestone gorge of Winnats Pass.

So here was day trip itinerary:

-            Treak Cliff Cavern – I booked tickets online as it was cheaper and wanted to make sure I was guaranteed entry. This cave is where the Blue John Stone is located. You go through the cave through a self-guided tour and you will also be instructed to download the audio guide to get the full history of the cave! The gems were so stunning. The cave was moderate size however it also had a small museum. The highlight for me though was the unique experience of stone polishing which comes with an extra cot but you can take the Blue John stone as a souvenir! I really enjoyed the polishing and it was beautiful to see the veins! Treak Cliff Cavern is also the starting point for the walk to Mam Tor which is a famous hill!

-            I then walked to the viewpoint of Winnats Pass which is  right opposite Speedwell Cavern and a short walk from the car park. You are guaranteed beautiful pictures!

-            I then booked a tour at the Speedwell Cavern which is an old lead mine but the highlight of this cavern had an underground waterway where you are able to go by boat. Best to book online to make  sure you get tickets! It as quite an experience and a very long boat journey. Our guide was amazing with great stories that happened in the mine. The waterway stops in a cavern which a high roof and once upon a time had a waterfall. I really enjoyed the boat ride! Bear in mind you will need to climb down and come back up the many flights of stairs which are uneven and quite slippery so take extra caution! It also is cold no matter what the weather is outside so take a sweater or cardigan.

-            I then did a small walk to see the Peak Cavern aka the Devil’s arse to see the largest natural cave entrance. The cave also hosts many events and you can visit it. Guides will walk you through the system, telling the history of the Peak Cavern rope makers.

-            On top of the Peak Cavern is the ruins of Peveril Castle which is quite an uphill walk but with beautiful views of Castleton. It was here that William the Conqueror’s trusted knight William Peverell built one of the first stone castles in England.

 

There were also plenty of places to eat with some unique shops too! You will thoroughly enjoy this gem of a village. Some of these caves also offer extra activities so do visit the websites to explore all events and book tours!