25th & 26th of September, 2025 - The Cotswolds

Spent Thursday tripping between the beautiful villages of the Cotswolds - Chipping Campden, Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water, Upper and Lower Slaughter, Snowshill, Moreton-in-Marsh and Broadway with its (not that impressive to be honest) Tower, although I didn't climb up because it was expensive and the view was just as good from where I was at the base.

Lower Slaughter

A full on scenery day, although the really well known places like the Slaughters and Bourton-on-the-water were jam-packed with tourists - and I mean JAM packed. I don't think mum would like Bourton the way she used to. Sad, but I guess we were just lucky that mum and dad took us there before the massive influxes. I still have memories of our visits in the 70s. And that's not to say it's not beautiful. I fed the ducks and did all the touristy things, it was lovely, even if it was crowded.

Bourton-on-the-water

Snowshill is just gorgeous, it was my favourite, although I don't think it's any coincidence that I liked it best because it was deserted.

No idea where this was, but isn't it gorgeous?

The deer and Broadway Tower

Snowshill

Don't you just love the colour of the stone?!

I had dinner in the local pub, squashed in the corner listening to the locals chatting away and then headed back to the farm, where Lucy took me and another guest on a tour of the farm. They own almost all of the village and run charolais cattle (white ones) and lots of different types of sheep. There were white faces and black faces and little black legs, all sorts. I'd have liked to have gotten out and walked around, I bought my gumboots from Australia, just for this! but it was a tour from the back seat of the Range Rover. I was a bit surprized that there wasn't a single horse to be found but Lucy said they used to breed and train race horses and got out of it last year when their last horse retired. Shame, but I'm still carrying my bag of apples ready to jump out and feed a horse in a field at a moment's notice!