From TRAVEL: UK & IRELAND
In Search Of Snowdrops
With its rolling hills, lush valleys, open fields, clear flowing rivers and wooded slopes, the Cotswolds are the archetype of English countryside. So if you are in search of "the best things in life", time spent in the Cotswolds is like no other.
The Cotswold Hills stretch from some 12 miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon in a southwesterly direction to Bath, a distance of 70 miles. Bordered to the east by Banbury and Oxford and to the west by Cheltenham and Gloucester, it has the largest number of conservation areas of any English region.
With its ancient cottages and houses built in the local, honey-coloured, gently weathered limestone, many dating back centuries, clustered around fine churches, often set in wonderful gardens, it is a landscape that has changed little, preserving a multi-faceted beauty that has been shaped by people for over 6000 years.
In short, an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Bourton-on-the-Water is one of its most picturesque villages, criss-crossed by small footbridges over the River Windrush, it is also called "The Venice of the Cotswolds" being the only one of the six famous villages (Broadway, Burford, Chipping Campden, Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold) to have a river meandering through the main street - populated by wildfowl.
All around are its charming stone cottages of honey-coloured stone, mellowed by age and softened by foliage, set against a backdrop of unspoilt English countryside. Just a mile or so away are Upper and Lower Slaughter, possibly the most 'chocolate box' villages in the Cotswolds. Completely different in character, they are very secluded and quiet, all golden stone and gentle rivers with no shops, restaurants, just a Victorian corn mill with its working water wheel. However Lower Slaughter does boast one of the most attractive country hotels, Washbourne Court dating back to the 17th century, which is pictured here.
Even though The Rector of Bourton-on-the-Water was Thomas Temple, chaplain to the Royal household and tutor to the Royal Princes during the civil war in 1642, the name of Slaughter has no connection with blood but is derived from the old English word Slohtre meaning a muddy place, which it may once have been but not anymore.
With the river Eye draping itself through the centre of the village setting off the cottages and their small colourful gardens to perfection. It is well worth the effort to walk the footpath between the two villages to explore their different characters and absorb the atmosphere and beauty of the surroundings
In the Spring the hedgerow and woodland flowers are bright and full of colour, the young leaves unfolding on the trees. In Summer, fields of barley ripple in the breeze, lush meadows run down to the reedy banks of clear-flowing rivers meandering through hidden valleys. Autumn sees the colours change, as foliage turns to russet and gold and the ripe crops are harvested. Then Winter, with its short, cold days and yet these can be the most beautiful of all, with crystal clarity illuminating frost-whitened trees and hills - Every season has its reward, but each year begins with that mythical moment of the goddess Persephone's impending return - just when you think winter is never going to end is when they always show themselves, giving hope for the future:
"They bow their heads,
And sit in groups,
Brilliant white flowers,
With dark leaves,
Looking exactly
Like their name,
Snowdrops"
Going in search of snowdrops in the Cotswolds is one of life's most enjoyable experiences, a time of great natural beauty and a wonderful place to walk in the coming Spring.
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The Cotswold Hills stretch from some 12 miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon in a southwesterly direction to Bath, a distance of 70 miles. Bordered to the east by Banbury and Oxford and to the west by Cheltenham and Gloucester, it has the largest number of conservation areas of any English region.
With its ancient cottages and houses built in the local, honey-coloured, gently weathered limestone, many dating back centuries, clustered around fine churches, often set in wonderful gardens, it is a landscape that has changed little, preserving a multi-faceted beauty that has been shaped by people for over 6000 years.
In short, an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Bourton-on-the-Water is one of its most picturesque villages, criss-crossed by small footbridges over the River Windrush, it is also called "The Venice of the Cotswolds" being the only one of the six famous villages (Broadway, Burford, Chipping Campden, Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold) to have a river meandering through the main street - populated by wildfowl.
All around are its charming stone cottages of honey-coloured stone, mellowed by age and softened by foliage, set against a backdrop of unspoilt English countryside. Just a mile or so away are Upper and Lower Slaughter, possibly the most 'chocolate box' villages in the Cotswolds. Completely different in character, they are very secluded and quiet, all golden stone and gentle rivers with no shops, restaurants, just a Victorian corn mill with its working water wheel. However Lower Slaughter does boast one of the most attractive country hotels, Washbourne Court dating back to the 17th century, which is pictured here.
Even though The Rector of Bourton-on-the-Water was Thomas Temple, chaplain to the Royal household and tutor to the Royal Princes during the civil war in 1642, the name of Slaughter has no connection with blood but is derived from the old English word Slohtre meaning a muddy place, which it may once have been but not anymore.
With the river Eye draping itself through the centre of the village setting off the cottages and their small colourful gardens to perfection. It is well worth the effort to walk the footpath between the two villages to explore their different characters and absorb the atmosphere and beauty of the surroundings
In the Spring the hedgerow and woodland flowers are bright and full of colour, the young leaves unfolding on the trees. In Summer, fields of barley ripple in the breeze, lush meadows run down to the reedy banks of clear-flowing rivers meandering through hidden valleys. Autumn sees the colours change, as foliage turns to russet and gold and the ripe crops are harvested. Then Winter, with its short, cold days and yet these can be the most beautiful of all, with crystal clarity illuminating frost-whitened trees and hills - Every season has its reward, but each year begins with that mythical moment of the goddess Persephone's impending return - just when you think winter is never going to end is when they always show themselves, giving hope for the future:
"They bow their heads,
And sit in groups,
Brilliant white flowers,
With dark leaves,
Looking exactly
Like their name,
Snowdrops"
Going in search of snowdrops in the Cotswolds is one of life's most enjoyable experiences, a time of great natural beauty and a wonderful place to walk in the coming Spring.
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