The Summer season is well underway, and the Cotswolds, already a popular destination for overseas clients, have now become a destination for British families escaping the cities for scenic vacations during the school holidays. It now becomes even more important to find the Secret Cotswolds, the forgotten parts of the Cotswolds that are away from the major tourist trails. The Cotswolds has many!
Recently, near Shipton-Under-Wychwood I discovered a 1000-year-old Yew tree along with medieval sundials and rare bale tombs which are specific to this area and relate to the wool churches of the Cotswolds. Some of these bale tombs date back to the 17th Century, the mid 1600’s. They are a fascinating reminder of the wealth of the area at the time, due to the wool trade and a reminder of the wealthy wool merchants who once lived in the area.
Along with older medieval tombs in the area, which are Grade II listed, these are all quite remarkable finds when you consider these date from at least the 1450’s to 1650. The medieval tombs may be older but alas Church records are lost to time and my research continues to try and date these ancient tombs.
The Cotswolds are a treasure trove of spectacular churches, which would not look out of place in England’s finest ancient cities, but travel to the Cotswolds, and you can find fine examples in small villages or towns such as in Churchill, Northleach, Burford and Painswick. Some of the churches contains rare medieval paintings dating to around 1300 AD and are a wonder to behold.
Often overlooked is the town of Stow on the Wold, perched on a hill on one of the highest points in the Cotswolds at 880 feet. It has a large and impressive market square with a fine church hidden behind the square. St Edwards church held Royalist prisoners after the last battle of the English civil war in 1646, which took place not only in the fields nearby, but during street fighting in the town which led to a gruesome ending for many of the prisoners. St Edwards church is also famous for its ‘Tolkien’ North door flanked by more ancient yew trees at least 800 years old. This is said to be the inspiration for JRR Tolkien’s ‘Doors of Durin’ in the Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was known to visit this area and a pub in nearby Moreton in Marsh.
Stow has other little secrets which include the ramparts of an Iron Age fort, medieval stocks, the oldest Inn in England dated to around 975 AD and lots of little shops to explore down the medieval lanes and alleys. Less of a secret is the Roman road I travelled on to get to Stow, called the Fosse Way.
Nearby you can visit Daylesford Farm, Sezincote House or Batsford Arboretum which makes Stow on the Wold a perfect place to stay.
Although visitors are attracted, unsurprisingly, to the pretty village of Bourton on the Water near to Stow on the Wold, you will not be surprised to know that it also has secrets to reveal which are often overlooked. Down a hidden lane lies a replica Iron age roundhouse and a discovery barn. This is a fabulous area for children and adults alike to explore and for the little ones to release some pent-up energy. English country meadows, streams and a nature reserve make it a very peaceful and pleasant place to visit. This is Greystones Farm and is home to Salmonsbury Camp, the site of one of Europe’s earliest known towns, and a scheduled monument. Here you will find another iron Age Fort which provides a notable example of the history of this area. People have met and lived here for over 6000 years…. well before Roman times. Visiting this area, you can understand where Bourton on the Water gets its name from as Bourton is a Saxon word ‘BURGH’ meaning a fort or camp and TON which means settlement.
To explore this area at any time of the year is a delight and it’s free, contact us now to book a tour!
A real Cotswolds ‘secret.’ (Well, at least overlooked by many) who visit Bourton on the Water. Nearby the ‘Rissingtons’ hold further secrets and historical stories, but I shall leave them for another time or my next tour!
