A day in the Cotswolds

The sun rises late in London just after the Solstice, in fact, a few minutes after 08:00. That didn’t stop us from seizing the day and taking a day in the country, thanks to the generosity of friends Carol and Nigel of the East Midlands.

St. John the Baptist in Burford, a so-called “wool church” as it was funded by wealth from wool.

Carol and Nigel got up before the birds and motored to London on Boxing Day to fetch us for a day in Nigel’s old stomping ground, the darling villages of the Cotswolds. You know you are in the Cotswolds when you start seeing names like Bourton-on-the-Water, Chipping Norton, and Barton-on-the-Heath. Thatch roofs appear and great spires above country churches with picturesque cemeteries and nameless gravestones. It’s like a movie set. No wonder Downton Abbey, Harry Potter, Poldark, The Remains of the Day, Bridget Jones Diary and many British shows have filmed scenes here. Even on a gray winter day (no rain!), it was charming, each village cuter than the last.

On the very edge of The Cotswolds we visited Bladon, where beside the village church, Winston Churchill is buried. Not in a great cathedral, like St. Paul’s or Westminster Abbey, rather this great man is buried in the countryside near his ancestral home, Blenheim Palace.

We toured Burford, Bladon, Bourton-on-the-Water, The Slaughters and more than I can remember. Nigel took us along twisty-turny roads I might not successfully navigate even with left-hand drive. A day is not enough. One only gets a sense of the peace and beauty of the English countryside. Best to come back when one can walk the paths through the green hills.

We wrapped up in Oxford, and while it was quiet on a holiday, it was nice to see the fabulous architecture without tourist hordes. We took so many pictures it has taken considerable time to sort through them. Here I offer you a taste of this gorgeous landscape, although remarkably we did not think to get a group picture of the 4 of us. Click on any picture for a larger view and full caption.

Church in Bladon, resting place of the Churchill’s. We had seen the plaques commemorating Churchill. in St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey. and had wondered where he was laid to rest.

Winston and Clementine Churchill gravesite in Bladon.

St. John the Baptist in Burford, a so-called “wool church” as it was built by wealthy wool merchants.

The ornate, canopied tomb of Sir Lawrence and Lady Tanfield, in St. John the Baptist Church, Burford.

Nativity tableau in St. John the Baptist, Burford. Very simple and sweet compared to the Italian creches.

Burford’s main street, so quaint!

Love this sign in Burford!

Charming pub in Burford.

Sign in Burford.

Burford cemetery. Doesn’t this just look like a scene from a Dickens book?

Burford, The Cotswolds.

Bourton-on-the-Water.

I love the Christmas tree in the middle of the stream, Bourton-on-the-Water.

Bourton-on-the-Water was fairly lively this day, despite gray skies.

Bourton-on-the-Water.

We saw dozens of beautiful pheasants in the countryside. Ric managed to snap one in nice profile.

Great library at Oxford.

Oxford bridge, resembling the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. Note the quiet streets, middle of the afternoon on Boxing Day.

Oxford building detail.

Oxford door.

Oxford, quiet on Boxing Day.

Tags: Bladon, Burford, Churchill, Cotswolds, Oxford