Built of locally quarried limestone, most of the cottages, manor houses and churches in these villages were erected between two and four hundred years ago.
From Central London, it takes about 1 hour 45minutes – 2 hours to the first village of Burford, the Gateway to the Cotswolds. A busier village compared to most, it was voted, in Forbes Magazine, as one of ten ideal places to live in Europe. After shopping and refreshments, we drive along the single track roads that the tourist buses cannot get down. I will explain how sheep, in particular their wool, made the area very prosperous and talk about agriculture in the UK today as we drive pass many farms. There are plenty of villages that can be included on the tour, for example, Bibury (according to William Morris – the loveliest village in England), Bourton on the Water, Lower Slaughter and Stow on the Wold.

Heading to the north of the Cotswolds the villages of Broadway and Chipping Camden can also be included. Plenty of time for lunch, afternoon tea and shopping. Some of the larger Cotswolds villages such as Broadway and Stow on the Wold are famed for their antique shops and Galleries.

It is about 2 hours from the Cotswolds back to central London.