Cotswolds

Last weekend we visited the Cotswolds.  The Cotswolds is a region of rolling hills in southwest England.  It is full of old English villages, many dating back to the 11th century.  There are homes, bridges, and other structures dating back to that time, still standing, and still inhabited.  If you're looking for the classic English cottages with the traditional thatched roofs, you'll find them here.  It's considered by many to be the most beautiful region in England.  We visited Burford, Bibury, Stow-on-the-wold, and Stratford-upon-Avon.

The town of Burford was granted it's charter as a trade village in the 11th century in this very building.  

 Burford Cathedral, surrounded by a cemetery, as most churches were.  It was beautiful!

 Burford main street.  The store in the center is an Orvis store, wish we had come here with Michelle's parents. 

This row of houses date back to the 13th century.  People still live there.  Certainly charming, but can you imagine the honey-do list on a house this old?!

From the top of the hill, looking down over the villlage.

 This row of cottages is in Bibury.  These date back to the 11th century.  Henry Ford thought these homes were so quaint and appealing, he tried to purchase the whole row and transport them to the US.  He was refused, and here they still stand in their original charm.

 We stopped at this pub, the Swan, for a delicious lunch of fresh trout, right from the trout farm. 

Stow-on-the-wold; the stone foot bridge in the distance is classic Cotswold scenery, so pretty! 

  Stratford-upon-Avon; this is the church where Shakespeare was buried

 Funky cotswold tree

  The home of Ann Hathaway. Shakespeare's daughter

 Where Shakespeare's house used to stand.  It was taken down in the 1800s because the man who lived there got so tired of answering to all the people wanting to come see Shakespeare's original home.  

 Classic Stratford-upon-Avon architecture

Shakespeare's birthplace