We recently spent a few days in the Cotswolds, a beautiful area in western England.

The Cotswolds are home to some of the most picturesque villages in the country. Here are some of my best pictures from our travels. All the villages featured below are a short drive from each other (although sometimes down rather small roads!). The links will take you to more information on each of the places we visited.

1. Broadway (Worcestershire)

Broadway’s wide, main street is lined with lots of pretty knick-knack shops, restaurants and hotels. However, my favourite spot in the “jewel of the Cotswolds” was Hamilton’s Old Fashioned Sweet Shop.

2. Chipping Camden (Gloucestershire)

One of the best-preserved towns in the region, Chipping Campden is a planned town of the later 12th century.

There are lots of places to shop and have a cup of tea here too, but my eye was caught by The Old School House, whose door sign is testament to the days when corporal punishment was an approved form of classroom discipline.

3. Bourton on the Water (Gloucestershire)

One of the most popular and photographed spots in the Cotswolds, Bourton is known as the “Venice of the Cotswolds”. The River Windrush runs through the centre of the village and under pretty stone foot bridges. Like all the villages we visited, Bourton is also home to many traditional cottages built from the typical yellow Cotswold stone.

4. Lower Slaughter

I already featured some photos of Lower Slaughter on a previous post.  But it’s such a beautiful little place, I think it’s worth posting them again here.

Unsurprisingly, the village has been used as a film/TV location many times.

5. Northleach (Gloucestershire)

Northleach was founded in the 13th century. The church is impressive, but I thought the little cottages behind it were more so.

6. Bibury (Gloucestershire)

We nearly didn’t go to Bibury. I’m so glad we did. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

The River Coln trickles through the village, creating Rack Isle, an open wetland meadow. The cottages of Arlington Row on one side of the isle were originally built as a wool store in the 14th century and then converted into weavers’ cottages in the 17th century. Not even a bright yellow car parked in front of them can spoil their quaint beauty.

Anyway, I won’t keep you any longer. Just to say I highly recommend a trip to the Cotswolds. You can see a lot, even if you only have a couple of days. Every village is worth a visit, even if you only have an hour to wander around or sit and have a drink in the sunshine.

© Claire Huston / Art and Soul