I was feeling frazzled and needed a quick, late-summer break, somewhere non-taxing and easy on the eye. Flicking through my England guidebook, the page fell open on the Cotswolds, and I only needed to see the words ‘lush rolling hills and picture-postcard villages’ to book a hire car and start packing my rucksack.
An easy two-hour drive from central London and we were sweeping into the heart of the Cotswolds. Our first stop had to be one of the most famous, and most visited of the villages: Bourton-on-the-Water. Several low bridges cross the shallow river that runs through the centre of the village, earning it the imaginative nickname: the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’. We spent a happy morning taking photos of the picturesque river, its bridges, and the honey-hued cottages too cute to be true that line every street.
We didn’t think it could get more picture-perfect until we reached the nearby villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter. Their gruesome-sounding names belie a gorgeous pair of settlements crammed with chocolate-box cottages with rambling roses round the doorways, trickling streams and attractive churches, all with a backdrop of sheep-dotted hills.
We had brought along an impressive picnic, some of which was even in a traditional wicker hamper, so we decided we needed a great spot with a viewpoint deserving of such a feast. We headed to Broadway, from where you can walk up to its hilltop 18th century gothic tower and enjoy views over rolling meadows to no less than 13 counties – according to our leaflet. Surely there’s no better viewpoint in the Cotswolds, we thought.
After parking the car in Broadway, we loaded ourselves up with the hamper, cool box, rucksack and several blankets. I spotted the tower on top of the hill above the village; the leaflet described it as a 40-minute walk. Easy, we thought, as we headed in the general direction of the tower. However, it disappeared alarmingly quickly from sight, so we waylaid the next passer-by for directions. Luckily he was a local, and he confidently pointed us down to the end of the village’s main street. It sounded straightforward.
We reached the end of the village, and followed the only footpath we could see. Through a sewer works and passing under a major road, we headed up a very steep hill, which felt perpendicular with our baggage. And yet there was still no sign of the tower. After not very long, we collapsed with hunger in a field, which although had lovely views, we were surrounded by cow pats, and some spooky-looking horses kept eyeing us up. We quickly wolfed down some sandwiches before making a swift descent back to the car, giving up on the tower altogether.
Driving back along the main road, we saw signs pointing off to Broadway Tower. Sure enough, we could drive straight up to park just a short distance from it. At least we got those sweeping views in the end.
When I go back to the Cotswolds, which I hope is soon, I’m going to avoid picnicking in cow pats again and will take the appropriate Ordnance Survey maps. We used the Lonely Planet guide to England, with a good section on the Cotswolds.
Read Laurie Lee’s classic Cider with Rosie for a real feeling of life in the Cotswolds in the early 20th century.
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Author: Rachel Ricks