A taste of the Cotswolds

Photoshoot at Paddington Station

The green countryside

Part of the group, tour guide Richard in red hat

Chipping Camden 

Market Hall, Chipping Camden

Chipping Camden

3 hungry schnauzers

Chipping Camden

St James', Chipping Camden
a wedding had just finished,
note the gum leaves in the floral decorations

Upper Slaughter Manor

Lower Slaughter

Lower Slaughter

The Mill, Lower Slaughter

One of the many quaint houses, Lower Slaughter

The line behind us at Oxford Train Station

We are off on a tour of the Cotswolds so that means no navigating, no timing, no nothing, just go along for the ride and enjoy. Our rendezvous point is Paddington station and oh, oh, a lot of people have decided today is the day to visit the Cotswolds. Usually, this tour has between 10-20 people but today it is 50 people of all ages and from all over the world.

On the train we go, there are problems with the trains so we have to scoot up to Marylebone station and then head to an alternative start point, Oxford. Our guide Richard III is an expert at navigating the platforms, train and bus to our starting point at the top of the hill above Chipping Camden.

Now the walking begins, down the hill past the tractor, past the funny looking sheep, around the horse droppings, this really is country walking. We enter the edges of the village the houses are so quaint, we past Grahame Green’s house. A church, walkers with dogs everywhere and we are into the main part of the village. 

Chipping Camden started as a wool trading centre in the middle ages and some of the buildings in the middle of the town date back to the 14th century. Th most impressive part is the covered market place. We stand on stones that date back 100’s of years and can see up into the roof and how the slate tiles are attached. Every building has lots of different features to discover and Richard deftly explains them all with stories and style. The only thing I don't like is all the cars parked in the street, could someone just remove them so my photos would look better. 

Along the way, we meet three schnauzers having lunch with their owners on a park bench, but the dog of choice is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Lunch and then we visit St James church high on the hill, again Richard explains it is a Norman church from the 11th century and regales us with excellent tales about the families entombed here.

Back on the coach and we head over to a new area. Off to the side of the road, the coach pulls up and we all hop out to walk out down a country lane. Cows, nice, downhill nice, then it is revealed at the very end of the track is Upper Slaughter Manor House, what a beauty. We marvel, we take photos, its a big group but everyone is very civilised, take your photo, move back, let someone else in.

Now we make a right turn down a secret lane and end in the middle of the village. Richard really has this walking tour worked out well. Churches, cute houses, a telephone box converted into an emergency defibrillator and then a river to cross, a mill to explore and best of all an ice-cream shop. Salted caramel, please Jane. More walking, all in all we cover 5 miles through the picturesque country a great way to get a taste of the Cotswolds. 

Its a relief after walking all these county lanes to finally be back on the coach and heading to train station. But the adventure is not over yet, the train platforms are chockers. Richard works out where the next train to London is and sweet talks the staff and gets us into a line. The station staff are handling everything well but the police have to turn up to do crowd control it really is a madhouse. 

 

Three trains later we are finally back home for pizza and prosecco and our final night celebration. A long but wonderful day.