The Picturesque and Stunning Cotswolds

I feel like I’m in a dream

When I first saw a photograph of The Cotswolds in England, I knew I had to visit.

It looked like something out of a fairy tale. A make-believe little village that is full of charming cottages, cafes and bakeries, greenery, flowers, and little rivers that ran through the square.

Once leaving the crowded city of London, we were ready for a slower pace. The easy drive with green hills and pastures to look out upon was relaxing.

The Cotswolds cover a large area, so it was hard to choose a village to stay in because they all looked amazing from the pictures online.

We settled on the county of Gloucestershire because of the quaint nature of the small villages but that made it even harder to make the next decision.

It’s always hard for me to pick an Airbnb. I will have my wishlist will be piled high with so many options to widdle at but I was able to narrow it down to three different areas: Bilbury, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Stow-on-the-Wold.

Out of my list of 8 different places to stay, my daughter was the ultimate decision maker because I just couldn’t pull the trigger.

She chose an Airbnb titled “Cotwolds Country Comfort”. It sounded lovely and it was in the cute little town of Bourton-on-the-Water.

How could you go wrong with this charming town?

My family and I couldn’t stop talking about how cute it looked from the pictures. We had never seen anything like it in the US and now having seen it, nothing compares.

When we left London, we decided to make a stop in Oxford to check out a few Harry Potter filming sites. We got lost and it didn’t help that it was my husband’s first time driving on the opposite side of the road and about 15 years since driving a manual car.

The last time I drove a manual car was in 1999. He was more qualified so I let him do it although he did begrudgingly.

Our next stop before hitting the village was at Diddly Squat Farm. My husband just finished watching the series “Clarksons Farm” that you can find on Amazon. It is a hilarious show about a man that attempts to run a farm with no previous experience.

We found out that the show was quite popular when we arrived at the farm. It was full of people and a biker gang that stopped for some fresh food, beer, and goods.

We bought a few shirts, and snacks, and took some pictures then went on our way to Burton-on-the-Water. That seems like what most people did at the farm.

After a quick jaunt, we arrived and couldn’t believe our eyes when they fell upon the town. There is a river that runs through the main area of town, that is lined with a few shops and restaurants.

It’s a small village, which is what we wanted but it was bustling because it was the first day of the summer for the children here in England.

I forgot to mention that my daughter picked a bed and breakfast to stay in for the two nights that we would be here.

My husband and I stayed in one BnB about 20 years ago and we were not fans so I was a bit nervous. We didn’t like the common spaces with the owner because we felt awkward but I decided to give it a go.

The reviews stated that the host made the best breakfast that they’d ever had. I knew my husband would like that although he wouldn’t be a fan of staying with people. It was also reasonably priced compared to everything else.

Again, the 5-star reviews helped me agree. We were not disappointed. The place was even better looking than the pictures and the host was so sweet upon arrival yet gave us our space.

After we checked in, we decided to take a 10-minute stroll back down to the town for dinner. The weather was perfect, brisk but not cold, and when we arrived on foot it was even more pleasing to the eye than from the car.

We walked around, checked out the small town, took some photos, and decided on a riverfront restaurant to eat dinner outside. The Croft was an amazing find and we all were delighted with the food.

Afterward, we hit up one of the few ice cream shops to get one to go for our walk home. They even had some dairy-free options. I was a happy girl!

The following day we made the 1.5-hour drive early in the morning to Stonehenge. Even though it is a major tourist attraction, my husband really wanted to see it up close and personal so I booked the Stonehenge circle experience.

You can only do this before the park opens or after it closes.

I really wanted to view it at sunset but it was already booked, even months in advance so we settled on the 8 am arrival. It was a struggle to get everyone out the door at 6:30 am but we made it happen.

And, we were all so glad that we did. There were only 20 other people with us on the bus up to Stonehenge and the guide told us that 5,000 people would be visiting the monument that day. We were so lucky.

Also, with the experience, you can get up close and personal, even inside the circle. It was an incredible moment and I suggest thing over looking at it from afar with the regular tickets.

On our way back to the BnB, we made a quick stop in Bilbury because Instagram told me to. Ok, it didn’t tell me to but as I browsed the local area, I came upon the most picturesque street in all of England.

Yes, that is how this place was described. The directions that I put into the navigation took us down this super skinny street that we almost got stuck in, with the stick shift on a hill.

My husband wasn’t a happy camper at this point and we were all nervous if we would make it out of this area. It was a struggle but when we finally were able to park and walk, we couldn’t believe our eyes.

Many other people also had this idea because it was so crowded, which was nothing like the photos. I guess that is what we get for traveling in the summer but it’s our only time with our daughters that dance year-round.

If you are in southern England, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the most picturesque place in the country. It’s only a 1.5-hour drive from London and they do tours here from the city if you don’t have a car. Or, if you don’t want to drive a manual car on the opposite side of the road because you are an American.

I’ve had to pinch myself while we’ve been here because it feels like I am dreaming while wandering through this fairy tale land.

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Thanks for reading!

Much love, Michele