A Wednesday to Remember in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds
Posted on 14/04/10
Many of the websites listed on our Link In to the Countryside page enable you to create your own itinerary for country visiting. Several sites also offer some really tempting ready-made options. Here’s a nice one from the Oxfordshire Cotswolds.
This itinerary comes from the Oxfordshire Cotswolds website. It is intended to be for one full day – a Wednesday, due to the limited opening of Kelmscott Manor. However, the itinerary includes a number of additional detours, just off the basic route, that would make this a two (or even three) day itinerary.
Arts & Crafts and Croquet
Your Wednesday starts at Kelmscott, a village described by William Morris as a ‘heaven on earth’ and where he reached his final resting place, St George’s Church.
Kelmscott Manor, William Morris’ country home for 1871 until his death in 1896, contains a collection of Arts & Crafts works, including furniture, textiles, carpets and ceramics. (Please note that to safely preserve the house and contents, opening hours are limited. The house is open from April until September on Wednesdays – 11am to 5pm – and some Saturday afternoons).
Kelmscott Manor. Credit: Oxfordshire Cotswolds
Suggested Detour: the beautiful old village of Filkins, where you will find Cotswold Woollen Weavers, a traditional working woollen mill housed in splendid 18C buildings
Suggested Detour: Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens, set in 200 acres of garden and woodland around a listed Victorian manor house)
After Kelmscott your next stop is Burford, which you enter down the steep and distinctive High Street, a glorious jumble of houses and shops of all ages and styles, leading down towards the River Windrush. Burford has a great range of ‘eateries’ from coffee shops and tea rooms to restaurants and pubs. The small but delightful Tolsey Museum is well worth a visit, as is the splendid church.
From Burford you head up the A361 towards Chipping Norton, passing through the beautiful Cotswold village of Shipton under Wychwood before turning left towards Kingham.
Suggested Detour: Foxholes Nature Reserve at Bruern, a peaceful 165 acre woodland haven sloping gently down to the River Evenlode
Kingham was voted ‘England’s Favourite Village’ a couple of years ago and it is easy to see why. From Kingham you keep heading northwards to your final destination – Chastleton House.
Suggested Detour: the village of Churchill, a small village with some fine buildings
A National Trust property, Chastleton House is one of England’s finest and most complete Jacobean houses and it was here that the rules of croquet were codified in 1865.
latest from blog
15 Jul 2011
Mondraker comes to Bedgebury
Quench Cycles has joined forces with distributor Silverfish to sell Mondraker bikes through its Forestry Commission outlets at Bedgebury and Alice Holt. There will be a Demo Day on 23 and 24 July! Read more
Missing all those outdoor activities offered for Countryside2011? Get out and about with National Bike Week @TGBBikeWeek http://bit.ly/Hb38D
Congratulations to all the winners of the fab prizes offered by Countryside 2011 http://bit.ly/ltlSB4
We’d love to hear what you thought of the events or activities you took part in. Please complete our online survey http://ow.ly/5gjs9
Water-ski, Wakebaord or Jet Ski at the South East’s Premier Watersports Venue. http://bit.ly/kOqJfG
See the red squirrels in the walk-through enclosure at the British Wildlife Centre! Visit http://bit.ly/k2thrJ
