Cotswold Adventurer

We start the tour with a drive to ancient Bampton, one of the oldest towns in England and now well-known as the village of “Downton” in the TV series Downton Abbey. You will see the town and its pretty market square and the area of Bampton used for the filming of Downton Abbey.

We then continue our drive, passing through Kelmscott, the summer home of the Arts and Crafts founder, William Morris in the 19^th century.

Our journey from Kelmscott takes us through the old market towns of Lechlade and Fairford, with its beautiful ‘wool church’ and then a string of pretty Cotswold stone villages to idyllic Bibury. Enjoy walking around the 17th century cottages, water meadow and trout farm.

Leaving Bibury, we follow the Coln Valley through a succession of hamlets, hidden valleys and remarkable scenery before arriving in Winchcombe.  Enjoy lunch in a rustic pub or take time to visit nearby Sudeley Castle, home to Catherine Parr, the 6th wife of Henry VIII.

We continue our tour after lunch to the charming town of Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds, with its pretty square, delightful cafes and antiques shops.

We return to Oxford via the bustling market town of Chipping Norton and Woodstock, the location of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

Our first stop is in the charming market town of Bampton, famed for being the location for the village scenes in Downton Abbey. Time to visit pretty St Marys Church and see the cottages and houses which featured in this popular TV series.

We then continue our drive, passing through Kelmscott, the summer home of the Arts and Crafts founder, William Morris in the 19^th century.

Our journey from Kelmscott takes us through the old market towns of Lechlade and Fairford, with its beautiful ‘wool church’ and then a string of pretty Cotswold stone villages to idyllic Bibury. Enjoy walking around the 17th century cottages, water meadow and trout farm.

We then head into the North Cotswolds passing through the old market town of North Leach with its impressive 15^th century Perpendicular church and continue on to our lunch stop of Bourton-on-the-Water, the Venice of the Cotswolds. Enjoy a stroll along the beautiful River Windrush or visit the model village or vintage car museum.

A short drive from Bourton takes us to Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds. Enjoy browsing around the quaint antiques shops, boutiques and charming cafes or visit the fine St Edwards Church with its quirky wooden door, said to have inspired the writer J R R Tolkien.

We return to Oxford via the bustling market town of Chipping Norton, passing finally through Woodstock, the site of magnificent Blenheim Palace.