The Cotswolds is an area in south central England containing the Cotswold Hills. This is the place where you can enjoy nature, sheeps and this typical grey colour of the houses coming from the Jurassic Limestone. The area stretches roughly from Stratford-upon-avon in the North to Bath in the South and Oxford in the East. I love this part of England and I have spent already some week-ends there taking time to discover each village. Today, I will offer you an overlook of the eastern part of the Cotswolds, near Oxford.

Burford

I liked this beautiful town on the river Windrush. Burford was my first approach of the Cotswolds that week-end and I keep in mind a town with a strong personality, proud of its origin. Indeed, the town grew to be an important crossroads and very wealthy wool town. It is today very popular and visitors come from all over the world, as the many international coaches can prove it.
The broad main street slopes gently down to the river and is lined with old houses and many shops. All of the shops seem to have barely changed over the last centuries…which makes it even more authentic and charming!
A place to eat ? I would recommend the Golden Pheasant Inn, where you can eat grill dishes or great salads in a small outdoor courtyard.
A place to see (and buy) artwork? Go to the Brian Sinfield Art Gallery hosting contemporary artists, mainly British ones. It’s a great space which offers lots of styles…

Bourton on the Water

Bourton on the Water is always incredibly crowdy! No wonder as the town is called “the Venice of the Cotswolds”. The river surely conveys a friendly atmosphere, and if you are lucky enough to go there on a sunny day it’s delightful…
I enjoyed wandering in the main streets, looking at the traditional shops (including one that exhibits a model railway every kid would be fond of!).
A place to eat? Go to the Green and Pleasant Tea Room. We had a wonderful time there with good tea and original salads. Service there was a bit slow but the staff was nice.
Another great thing to do in Bourton on the Water is to go to Birdland.
This is a wonderful place to enjoy lovely gardens and observe birds of any kind including beautiful flamingos and funny penguins and learn about them.
We had wonderful time there and staff are incredibly experts and passionate about the animals leaving in the Park.

Stow-on-the-Wold

The town was famous for its annual fairs, where 20,000 sheep were sold at one time. Stow-on the-Wold is also the highest of the Cotswold towns and holds England’s oldest Inn, founded in 947AD (picture above: The Porch House)! And last but not least: The funeral of John Entwistle, the famous bass guitarist of The Who, was held at St Edward’s Church Stow-on-the-Wold on 10 July 2002.

Eynsham Hall

We chose a wonderful Country House to stay in the eastern part of the Cotswolds: Eynsham Hall. It is such a romantic place with far reaching views that you forget about time and the hustle and bustle of the city, which is only one hour away…
This quiet place offers many facilities from wide spaces in a beautiful park to a fitness/spa center and of course many dining rooms…
This 18th century Manor mixes modern interior design (especially in the dining and living rooms) with a more authentic style made of wood and many decorative items…
The Cotswolds are really interesting as they have preserved their authenticity whilst adapting to modernity. The beauty of the villages make this part of England unavoidable.

Go and visit the Cotswolds and give your impressions, share your experiences on this blog!