Welcome to Dopplr,
an online service for smarter travel.
Mr & Mrs Smith

on Cotswolds


Cityscape: Sloping hills and honey-coloured hamlets
City Life: Gently does it

More typically English than a bowler-hatted Bertie Wooster whistling Elgar, this chunk of gently undulating and seemingly evergreen countryside is enough to send Anglophile tourists into apoplexy.

Britain's largest designated area of natural beauty, the Cotswolds covers an area roughly bounded by Oxford to the east, Cheltenham to the west, Stratford to the north and Bath to the south. Long before the tourist invasion, the Romans left their legacy in towns such as Cirencester, and remains of villas and forts can be seen from Bury Hill to Woodchester. Today, besides sheep, the area is home to some of the country's most scenic towns and villages - all thatched cottages, ducks waddling across village greens and honey-hued churches. Other sensory delights include strolls on the beautiful banks of the River Wye, or following Fosse Way, the arrow-straight Roman road that still pierces through the loveliest landscapes imaginable.

  • + Getting There

    Automobiles

    From London, the Cotswolds is a couple of hours away along the M4; the nearby M5 offers access from Bristol and Birmingham. It's worth taking a car to the Cotwolds: the country-lane driving is unparalleled.

    Planes

    Airports closes to the region are Bristol, where easyJet (www.easyjet.com) flies from Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Newcastle; and Birmingham, which has connections from Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Jersey with BMI Baby (www.bmibaby.com).

    Trains

    Direct trains from London Paddington run regularly to Cotswold stations, including Chippenham, Kemble, Kingham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stroud, Gloucester and Cheltenham. Most journeys will only take an hour or two.

  • + Local Knowledge

    Dialing

    Country code for the UK: +44.

    Reads

    Cider With Rosie, Laurie Lee's childhood recollections of rural Gloucestershire, is perhaps the most lyrical literary evocation of the area. Jerome K Jerome's protagonists in his masterpiece of Victorian wit, Three Men in a Boat, drift through the Cotswolds on part of their journey. Local poet UA Fanthorpe also writes about the region - try her erudite Collected Poems.

    Do go / Don't Go

    Cuisine

    Taxis

    The smaller towns have limited taxi services - book minicabs in advance. Hotel staff will know the best local firms.

    Tipping

    10 or 15 per cent is standard, but many restaurants now add a discretionary 12.5 per cent, so be careful not to tip twice.

    Currency

    Pound sterling (£).

    Packing

    Take a packet of indigestion tablets if you intend to gorge on the region's renowned cheeses; and some decent walking boots and a waterproof jacket will serve you well if you plan to do any exploring on foot.

  • + Worth Doing

    Arts

    The Arts and Crafts design movement began in this area in the 19th century, and its influence is everywhere: Kelmscott Manor, the house William Morris shared with Dante Gabriel Rossetti, is well worth a visit (www.kelmscottmanor.co.uk). There are more Arts and Crafts wonders at Rodmarton Manor in Cirencester (+44 (0)1285 841253) and Hidcote Manor Garden, near Chipping Campden (+44 (0)1386 438333). The Cheltenham Festival of Literature (www.cheltenhamfestivals.com), held every October, is attended by eminent writers such as Stephen Fry, Maya Angelou and Bret Easton Ellis.

    And...

    Before railway timetables were first drawn up in the mid-19th century, villagers in Stroud set their time by the sun. Being some 90 miles west of the meridian, noon was nine minutes later than in Greenwich. Some locals are still campaigning to bring back what was known as Stroud Time.

    Shopping

    Stow-on-the-Wold is the epicentre for antiques - but equally worthwhile is a pokeabout in the dusty shops of Burford, Cirencester, Moreton-in-Marsh and Tetbury. Cotswold markets are invariably rewarding: head for Moreton-in-Marsh on Tuesdays, Tetbury on Wednesdays, and Cirencester on Mondays and Fridays. Foodies can also spend many happy hours in Tetbury's House of Cheese (www.houseofcheese.co.uk), home to a life-affirmingly wonderful selection of fromage, as well as chutneys and pickles; and pick up mouthwatering luxuries at the pre-eminent Daylesford Organic Farm Shop, which also has an excellent café and an indulgent homewares shop (www.daylesfordorganic.com).

    Viewpoint

    Just north of Stow-on-the-Wold, the Broadway Tower is a glorious folly, built like a mock castle and perched 312 metres above sea level, offering soul-soothing views across the Severn Valley to the Welsh mountains.

    Something

  • + Diary

    March The Cheltenham Festival horse-racing fixture culminates in the famous Gold Cup in the middle of the month (www.cheltenham.co.uk). May Cheltenham Jazz Festival brings in big musical names for goateed men to nod along to (www.cheltenhamfestivals.com). May/June Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire hosts an annual cheese-rolling competition in which people hurtle down the slope in pursuit of an eight-pound 'squircle' of Double Gloucester - then wince at the broken bones that inevitably result. August If it's flared nostrils and shimmering fetlocks you're after, head to the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park for daredevil displays of dressage, showjumping and cross-country riding (www.gatcombe-horse.co.uk). September Find a tuffet to sit on and enjoy the curds and whey at Cheltenham's Great British Cheese Festival and British Cheese Awards. Tastings, workshops and cheese tossing! Ring +44 (0)845 241 2026 for details.

A printable version of this destination guide is available from Mr & Mrs Smith.
©2008 Mr & Mrs Smith