ROLLING IN THE SHEEP

Christy Waller delves deep into England’s Cotswold region

Written by Christy Waller of CW Luxury Travel / Photos Courtesy of The Lygon Arms and others

Delving deep into England’s rural countryside feels like stepping back in time—where red-cheeked farmers still plow patchwork fields, cottage gardens spill over with roses, and stately homes host glittering events in great halls dripping with art by Old Masters. An afternoon drive from London, you will be transported to some of the most picturesque settings in all of Great Britain. During the Middle Ages, thanks to the breed of sheep known as the Cotswold Lion, the Cotswolds became prosperous from the wool trade with the continent, with much of the money made from wool directed towards the building of churches. Cotswold means “sheep enclosure in rolling hillsides,” incorporating the term wold, meaning hills.

Chelsea Flower Show

The Cotswolds is England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) designated in 1966. It is a landscape of almost 800 square miles of rolling hills and unspoiled countryside dotted with picturesque villages, market towns, castles, country houses, gardens, and arboretums. The Cotswolds AONB, the largest in England and Wales, stretches from South Warwickshire and Worcestershire’s border regions through West Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire and takes in parts of Wiltshire and of Bath and North East Somerset in the south.

The Cotswold Hills run from the meadows of the upper River Thames to the Cotswold Edge, a steep escarpment looking out over the Severn Vale. The hills are formed of a type of Jurassic limestone you will only find in the Cotswolds, which gives the area’s towns and villages their distinctive honey-colored look.

The stone varies in color from north to south, being honeycolored in the north and northeast of the region, as shown in Cotswold villages such as Stanton and Broadway; golden-colored in the central and southern areas, as shown in Dursley and Cirencester; and pearly white in Bath. The Cotswolds’ mix of rare limestone grassland and ancient beech woodland has made it a refuge for endangered native wildlife.

Lygon Arms Hotel

Of the choices to stay in the Cotswolds, The Lygon Arms Hotel is on top of our list. It is as charming as it is beautiful. It is nestled in the English Village of Broadway in the middle of the Cotswolds. Guests will enjoy all the necessities of the modern world while being transported into a special piece of history. In addition, the hotel boasts a renowned spa, a fabulous restaurant, and, most importantly, welcomes your furry friends.

Under the direction of notable Head Chef Ales Maurer, Lygon Arms Hotel offers guests real dining treats.

• Lygon Bar & Grill—guests will dine in a cozy informal environment where all ingredients are locally sourced and the menu is seasonal, inspired by the Cotswolds

• Lygon Wine Bar—new to the hotel, this new dining option offers freshly made pastas and pizzas, complemented by a sensational wine list

• Afternoon Tea—no trip to the United Kingdom is complete without Afternoon Tea—enjoy tea with delicious homemade scones, finger sandwiches, and sweet cakes or champagne is what your heart desires…

The Cotswolds and Lygon Arms emphasize families and offerings available in the area:

• Everyman Theatre Cheltenham—presents a wide range of shows from comedy, drama, musicals, and opera

• Canal Boating—12-seater Tewkesbury boat Aqua Patio offers a 45-minute tour around Tewkesbury

• Lavender Fields—walk and relax in 20 acres of beautiful lavender, also known as one of the most Instagrammable spots in the countryside

• The Royal Shakespeare Company—visitors will enjoy plays from Shakespeare and his contemporaries

• Gruffalo Discovery Land at Twycross Zoo—this four-acre land brings together characters from the bestselling children’s book The Gruffalo

• Evesham Light Railway—enjoy a picnic, visit the platform, walk the River Avon and enjoy the views overlooking the Vale of Evesham There are also excellent public walking paths veined throughout the Cotswolds. The best routes take in various scenic vistas, winding over hills and past stately homes. The National Trust is a resource for plotting journeys, and local pubs will have maps and recommended walking trails from their doors. The quality of antiques is exceptional in the Cotswolds. The town of Tetbury is particularly rich in antique shops. Poke around the villages for uncharted finds; those large enough will likely have an antique shop or two.

No trip to the countryside is complete without visiting Blenheim Palace. Blenheim Palace is one of Britain’s largest castles and is located adjacent to Woodstock. It was built between 1705 and 1724 on land bestowed as a “gift to the nation” to John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. The palace is most widely known as the birthplace of Britain’s well-known prime minister, Winston Churchill. Blenheim Palace holds the distinction of making more than 71 appearances in film and television, more than any other English country house. Movies and television shows shot using the exteriors include Spectre and The Royals, while the interiors have been used as a filming location for Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation, Gulliver’s Travels, and Doolittle with Robert Downey Jr.

Sudeley Castle is nestled in the Cotswold hills in the historic town of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, and was home to Queen Katherine Parr and King Henry VIII. As beautiful as Sudeley is in structure, its ten notable gardens covering close to 15 acres are truly breathtaking. The garden centerpiece is the Queens Garden, so named because four of England’s queens—Anne Boleyn, Katherine

Parr, Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth I—once walked upon the original Tudor Parterre. Sudeley Castle is the only privately owned home in England to have a Queen buried within its grounds. Exhibitions are now open for visitors to tour the castle’s rooms and grounds that will appeal to all ages.

The picturesque villages scattered in the Cotswolds appear to be straight out of a John Constable painting, a Jane Austen novel, or a romantic period movie. One will lose count of how many villages boast that they are “the prettiest in England.” So, if your idea of a relaxing break in the English countryside includes leisurely walks, long lunches, exploring quaint villages, and embracing history, look no further than the Cotswolds. sl

Lygon Arms Hotel / High Street, Broadway WR12 7DU, United Kingdom / +44 1386 852255 / www.lygonarmshotel.co.uk

Blenheim Palace / Woodstock OX20 1PP, United Kingdom / +44 1993 810530 / www.blenheimpalace.com

Sudeley Castle & Gardens / GL54 5LP, United Kingdom / +44 1242 604244 / www.sudeleycastle.co.uk

Please call ahead before you venture out to any of these locations to ensure that building is open to the public.