The weather in Huang Guan Town, Ningshan

Mr. Lin Yutang's ideal life is to live in the English countryside. British writer Jeremy Paxman also said, "In the eyes of the British, the soul of Britain is in the countryside."

Before I walked into the Cotswolds, I really didn't understand where their praise for the English countryside came from. But when I really came to the Cotswolds, I was deeply attracted by this state of life, such as quiet pastures, pure streams, quaint stone houses, exquisite gardens, leisurely residents, free animals and an ideal pastoral life mode.

On the Internet in China, the popularity of Cotswolds is far less than that of Provence in France and Tuscany in Italy, which are also called the most beautiful villages in the world. It is more like England's own secret garden. On weekends or holidays, the family drives to enjoy a warm and comfortable pastoral time.

Cotswolds are not the name of an administrative region. They are located in the west of England and include hundreds of villages with their own characteristics. From12nd century to16th century, wool export was the main source of British wealth. As one of the best wool producing areas at that time, Cotswolds gradually became an important town of wool production and trade, and at the same time created a group of newly rich people, building villas, manors and churches in the local area. The combination of Gothic and Georgian architecture and rural style has also had an important influence on British architectural style. Until the beginning of the industrial revolution, the construction of railways and the development of industrial cities shifted the economic center of gravity, but the most beautiful scenery in the Cotswolds was preserved.

Cotswolds slow tour introduction

D0

Accommodation? Moreton Inmarsh

D 1

Good morning. Broadway avenue

(Walking Broadway Tower)

Afternoon Chip Campden

(ruins of wool market, thatched cottage)

Accommodation? Moreton Inmarsh

D2

Good morning. Moreton Marsh Market?

Afternoon, Stratford-upon-Avon

(Shakespeare's hometown)

Accommodation? Water burton

D3

Good morning. Bibury (Arlington townhouse)

Afternoon? Water Burden (Demonstration Village)

D4

Good morning. Lower slaughter

Return in the afternoon

The actual time for us to play is four nights, three days and a half. If there are only three days, you can skip the next day. It's more convenient to go to Stratford-on-Avon from Birmingham. It takes about 40 minutes by train.

As our main means of transportation is buses, only a few villages are easy to reach. The biggest difficulty may be that the bus frequency is very few, the stop sign is not obvious, and some villages are forbidden to pass buses, so Google Maps may not be able to plan a reasonable route. Therefore, whenever you go to a village, first ask the tourist center for the location of the station and the number of trains, and then ask the driver what kind of tickets are most suitable when you get on the bus (there are one-way tickets, round-trip tickets and daily tickets). If you want to deeply feel the charm of the rural beauty of the Cotswolds, it is actually much more convenient to drive by car.

Cotswolds North Station is located in Moreton, Marsh, and it takes about 90 minutes by train from Paddington Station in London. This is a place where many free travellers will choose to stay. In addition to the railway station, buses can reach many popular villages, and there are relatively more restaurants, supermarkets and Airbnb. But it is mainly a stopover, not a tourist destination.

The first Airbnb we booked was in Moreton, Marsh, which was a room on the second floor of a coffee shop. This stone wall looks like it has a long history. The boss opens the door slowly at eight in the morning and closes at five in the afternoon. On the first day, we arrived so slowly that we didn't even see the boss's face. However, in cafes that are closed at night, the accommodation environment is quite quiet.

Moreton-in-Marsh was founded in13rd century. It was originally formed by a broad market road. To this day, there is an open-air market here every Tuesday. If it happens to be market day, it is still worth visiting. There are traditional fruits, cheese, meat, seafood and gardening related products for sale.

There are also street snacks, wool handicrafts and some daily necessities for residents, and the price is very grounded. This is a rural market with active atmosphere.

Broadway has nothing to do with Broadway in New York, but that doesn't prevent it from becoming one of my favorite towns. If I have the chance to come again, I want to stay here all day.

First of all, it is suggested to walk from the town to the Broadway Tower. We will pass many pastures along the way. Cattle and sheep eat grass seriously, and it's a sight to stop at any time. Google Maps shows that in the 30-minute one-way walk, we walked almost 1 hour.

The Broadway Tower was built in 1779, with an altitude of 3 12 meters, which is the second highest place in the vicinity. When the weather is clear, you can overlook the scenery of many surrounding villages and towns. Designed by architect James Wyatt, the Broadway Tower combines towers, battlements, terraces and other elements, and was once on the cover of an old British record.

Maybe you will meet all kinds of kind wild fruits in the wasteland. For people who grew up in the northeast of China, some plant varieties in Britain always feel deja vu.

Maybe you will meet such wooden doors on the road, mainly because the pasture restricts the entry and exit of sheep. If someone passes by, open it manually and then pay attention to closing it.

This hiking route always takes about 2 hours to get back to town to find something to eat. In fact, there is a Michelin-starred shop, but we are going to another town in the afternoon, only enough time to eat his acclaimed fish and chips.

Although every town has its own high street, this one in Braud is said to be the longest high street in Britain. /kloc-Braveway in the 6th century was one of the important post stations between Worcester and London, and the novelist Wilde once lived in Braveway town.

On both sides of the street are all kinds of buildings in Tudor period, Stuart period and Georgia period, most of which are made of honey-colored stones and shine in the sun. In the afternoon, you can ride in the town, explore more interesting small houses and shops, find your favorite dessert shop and sit down for a cup of tea.

Broadway and Chiping Campden are very close, so they are more suitable for playing together. Chip means market in old English. It used to be a wool trading center in the Middle Ages. The market hall, a market site hundreds of years ago, is still preserved in the city center. Even the name of the road is simply called "Sheep Street".

Along the main street of Chiping Campden, one side leads to St. James' Church, which was built in the prosperous period of wool trade in15th century. It was a symbol of regional economic prosperity at that time and was called "Wool Church". Next door to the church used to be the residence of a Lord in the17th century, but it was burned down by royalists in the bourgeois revolution shortly after it was built. Now only the gate and a lonely little house not far away are left.

On the other side of the main street, after crossing Sheep Street, you will find buildings with thatched roofs scattered on both sides of the street. These national treasure traditional buildings still play a prominent role in life.

The image of the thatched cottage appears in all kinds of fairy tales and anime works, so that when you walk on the street, you always feel that familiar anime characters will push the door and come out directly the next moment.

At any time, you may encounter well-cared gardens, or follow the tradition, or boldly innovate, but most of them are private property and are not open to the public.

If the Cotswolds are compared to a crown, then every town is a pearl with its own unique light, and the real Cotswolds are connected in series. Even on the country roads between towns, there are photos of English country life.

Because of the space, I divided my trip into two parts this time. This article is the first part. In the next part, we will talk about Shakespeare's hometown, Stratford-on-Avon, Beebury as beautiful as a postcard, Burton on the water, and Lower slaughter town without buses.

In addition to the beautiful scenery, I am actually more curious about the leisurely living conditions of residents. Why can they separate work and life so clearly? Isn't there any business pressure in a store that closes at five in the afternoon? What kind of philosophy of life is entrusted to a carefully managed garden? If you are also interested in these topics, please feel free to communicate with me.

Cotswolds slow tour introduction

D0

Accommodation? Moreton Inmarsh

D 1

Good morning. Broadway avenue

(Walking Broadway Tower)

Afternoon Chip Campden

(ruins of wool market, thatched cottage)

Accommodation? Moreton Inmarsh

D2

Good morning. Moreton Marsh Market?

Afternoon, Stratford-upon-Avon

(Shakespeare's hometown)

Accommodation? Water burton

D3

Good morning. Bibury (Arlington townhouse)

Afternoon? Water Burden (Demonstration Village)

D4

Good morning. Lower slaughter

Return in the afternoon