The very pretty landscape is that of gentle rolling hills through which rivers flow and quintessential English villages are situated. 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 to The Cotswolds takes about 1 hour 45 minutes – 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.

In the afternoon a tour of Blenheim Palace, the stately home of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Set in 2100 acres of beautiful parkland landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown, the magnificent palace is surrounded by sweeping lawns, award-winning formal gardens and the great lake. Blenheim Palace is a unique example of English Baroque architecture. Inside, the scale of the Palace is beautifully balanced by the intricate detail and delicacy of the carvings, the hand painted ceilings and the amazing porcelain collections, tapestries and paintings displayed in each room.

A short stop at the village of Bladon, just outside the grounds of the palace, to visit to St Martin’s Church and Sir Winston Churchill’s grave.

It is about 2 hours from Blenheim Palace back to central London.