Burford:
There are many outstandingly beautiful places to visit in Britain and many quaint and gorgeous villages to explore. It would be remiss of me to even entertain the thought that the places I enjoyed are the be all and end all of where to go and what to see. I can only convey to you the beauty of what I have seen and hope it will inspire you to seek these places out and many of the others found throughout this beautiful island.
From the start I can only ask that you be thoughtful in your driving:
Many of the country roads are narrow and you may need to back up to allow the passage of other vehicles. How is it decided as to who should reverse? Common sense rules. You know how close you are to a passing area if you are driving thoughtfully or maybe you are able to pull over safely. Do not forget to give a courteous wave.
The roads are shared with horse riders ....... slow down to a crawl when passing. Do not forget to wave.
Most of all, enjoy the experience for there is no other country in the world where the drivers are more courteous.
On this trip we will breakfast in Minster Lovell, morning tea at Burford and a late lunch at The Bell Inn in Langford.
Before setting out pack a flask of hot water for a cup of tea or brew a coffee and fill the flask. Unless of course you enjoy the non flavour of powdered instant. Pack also something to eat for breakfast. Whatever you fancy although maybe Croissants and jam to spread would be a delicious choice. Also a blanket to spread on the ground on which to sit and enjoy the location.
Firstly to Minster Lovell where breakfast will be the perfect meal to enjoy beside the River Windrush. From Oxford take the A40 toward Witney. Continue past Witney and begin to enjoy the beautiful views across the Cotswalds. There are rolling hills, small areas of woodlands, drystone walls and gorgeous stone villages dotting the countryside. This truly is an area of great beauty.
Continue along the A40 until you come to a roundabout showing Minster Lovell B4047 to the right. Take the B4047 and continue along making sure you pass the White Hart Pub on the right, a beautiful old white building. Further along the road turn left at the well signposted turn and continue toward Minster Lovell. Turn right across the stone bridge passing playing fields on your right. Turn right at the next intersection and enjoy the view of beautiful houses and thatched stone cottages as you slowly pass through the village. Continue on through the village and up the hill to the next intersection where you will turn right at the sign which points to 'The Church'. Park your car in one of the marked bays at this point. Be early to get a park. From there it is a short, pleasant walk down the hill to the church and Minster Lovell Hall.
The entrance to Minster Lovell Hall is through the grounds of St. Kenelm's Church. A pretty little church surrounded by a grave yard with headstones leaning a precarious angles. Just walking through here is gorgeous and worthy of taking some delightful photographs. Fro the river side of the building there are some interesting views of the Minster Lovell Hall to be seen through the headstones.
The ruins of Minster Lovell Hall, a 15th century manor house is now in ruins with much of the stone removed by locals. The grounds are magnificently kept and there is a dovecote in the manor farm nearby. The River Windrush flows peacefully by at the bottom of the grounds. It is beautiful and peaceful and a perfect place to spread out the blanket and enjoy breakfast before moving on to the not so peaceful Burford.
After breakfast and a wander around the ruins head back to your car and make your way in the reverse direction back to the A40. Be careful to turn right after crossing the stone bridge.
At the big roundabout turn right toward Burford. Continue on to the Burford Roundabout at which a right turn will take you to the top of the hill looking down to this gorgeous, quaint and very busy town. It is a truly beautiful view so do not drive too quickly so you capture it in your memory for all time. If you are lucky you may find a car park space on your way down through the town. If not, turn right when you are almost through the town, and you will find parking at the end of the lane. There is a sign on the left pointing to the lane although be guided by the Cotswold Arms pub on the left. It is the next turn right just past the pub. It is a narrow lane so be careful as you continue on to where the lane turns sharply to the right and a lane continues on straight ahead. There is a low down signage which points to the parking on the corner yet keep in mind to simply continue on the 'straight and narrow' across the bridge over the River Windrush. find a car park and pay and display. If you have any left over crusts from breakfast you can always feed the ducks down by the River before setting off to explore.
This is a beautiful town to explore with so many gorgeous shops filled with all manner of wares to tempt those wanting to purchase mementos, clothing, or any other item which will take your fancy. One shop to visit is the old sweet shop filled with sweets from yesteryear. If you leave without a purchase you must be unwell. The fudge is to die for. Any one of the delightful cafe is a great place to enjoy morning tea. The prices differ so simply check out the menu and the decor to see which you would like to be pampered in. Because the is so much to see and do in Burford keep an eye on the time so as to not suffer the wrath of the parking inspector.
Having enjoyed your wander around Burford it is now back to the A40 turning right at the roundabout the left not long after into the B4425 down to Bibury.
On the River Coln beside which you hopefully will find a car park, Bibury is, as the artist John Morris described it, the most beautiful village in England and wanted to transport it back to America. The village is truly beautiful with its honey-coloured stone cottages with steeply pitched roofs. Also in Bibury is Arlington Row which comprises a picturesque row of cottages built in 1380 and converted in the seventeenth century to a row of weaver's cottages for the local Arlington Mill.
Back in the car continue down the B4425 to Cirencester with its beautiful St. John the Baptist parish church. This is a market town and delightful to wander around and explore.
From Cirencester travel along the A417 to Lechlade on Thames. This is the highest town on which narrow boats can travel up the River Thames. It also boast the highest lock and it is from here you can walk to London along the Thames Path. I dare say you would need more than a cut lunch to do that walk.
After exploring Lechlade on Thames take the A361 turning right at the end of the long drystone wall to Little Farrington. Continue on through Little Farrington turning left toward Langford just through the village. There is a small sign pointing to Langford at the intersection. At Langford visit the Bell Inn on Station Street for a delicious lunch in traditional English pub setting. Here is their website for you to investigate. http://bellatlangford.co.uk/
After lunch it is back to Oxford. Two ways to return are back to the A361 to the A40 then back to Oxford the way you came or back down to Lechlade on Thames with a left turn onto the A417 down to Farington then onto the A420 to Oxford to complete the round trip.
Remember, this is just a brief look at the delightful places I have been. Choose any or all to visit mixed of course with other places you wish to see or have heard about. The main thing is, enjoy each place you visit and above all .... do not rush. The idea is quality not quantity. I had four years to see what I saw.
Bibury:
Cirencester:
Lechlade on Thames:
No comments:
Post a Comment