Cotswolds Magnets

Parish church of St. Mary in Lower Slaughter, The Cotswolds.

Beautiful golden maple leaves at Westonbirt arboretum

The Lygon Arms is situated in the quintessential Cotswolds village of Broadway. Steeped in over 600 years of fascinating history, the hotel has been host to royalty as well as notable rebellious figures throughout that time.

GWR Prairie Tank Locomotive Number of views as of 4th March 2018 = 800. Took a little trip down memory lane a few weeks ago aboard a steam train hauled by this GWR 4575 class 'Prairie' tank locomotive on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire railway from Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse. Number 5542 was built in 1928 at a total cost of just over £3600, and entered service in the Gloucester area, before being transferred later to Bristol, Taunton, Newton Abbott and Westbury. Withdrawn in 1961 by British Railways after completing almost a million miles of service, the engine then spent 14 years rusting away in a scrapyard before being acquired for restoration. After many years of fundraising and painstaking work, number 5542 made a comeb...

St Barnabas, Snowshill Number of views as of 13th August 2018 = 730. The church of St Barnabas in the lovely village of Snowshill, Gloucestershire, England. The church was built in 1864 from the characteristic, local, honey-coloured, Cotswold stone. The village was used as a set for the the home of Bridget's family in the year 2000 film 'Bridget Jones's Diary'. Date: 24th May 2014.

Speckled Poppy Number of views as of 7th September 2017 = 310. A black-speckled poppy in an English country garden in the Cotswolds (Gloucestershire, England). Date: 29th May 2014.

On Broadway Hill Number of views as of 4th June 2017 = 490. Yellow buttercups and white flowered hawthorn trees line this delightful footpath, a part of the Cotswold Way near Broadway, Worcestershire. The 65 feet tall Broadway Tower folly (top left) was built in the 1790s. Date: 25th May 2014.

Four Horned Sheep Number of views as of 29th August 2018 = 2270. Sporting court jester's head-gear perhaps, a fine example of a Hebridean four-horned sheep. Pictured at Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park, near Guiting Power, Gloucestershire, England. Date: 28th May 2011.

Upper Slaughter Number of views as of 12th April 2018 = 625. The idyllic Cotswold village of Upper Slaughter near Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water (Gloucestershire, England) is one of only 14 so-called 'doubly thankful' villages in England & Wales. Doubly thankful because the village men who went to fight in the Great War and in the Second World War all came back home again. The River Eye runs through the village and is forded just here. Date: 30th October 2014.

*Bibury Bridge* Number of views as of 11th March 2018 = 2480. Another contender for the title of "England's Most Picturesque Village", Bibury is a charming Cotswold village, not far from Circencester in South Gloucestershire. Actually not one village, but two. Bibury is one side of the River Coln (right of shot), and Arlington the other (left of shot), with this fine bridge connecting the two. Attractions in Bibury include Arlington Row (a row of weavers cottages built of local stone), the Trout Farm, the Saxon Church of St Mary and the famous Swan Hotel. Date: 21st March 2010.

The dog is look looking out of the window in Bourton on water village in Cotswolds

St Marys, Chipping Norton Number of views as of 18th September 2017 = 170. The wool trade brought wealth to the Cotswold town of Chipping Norton (Oxfordshire, England) in the Middle Ages. The parish church of St Mary the Virgin dates from the 12th century and retains features from the 13th and 14th centuries, though parts of it have been rebuilt more recently such as the Bell Tower in 1825. Date: 14th February 2016.

Tyndale Monument Number of views as of 11th March 2018 = 2980. On the Cotswold Way, between Wotton-under-Edge and North Nibley (Gloucestershire, England) stands this monument to William Tyndale (1492 - 1536), who translated the New Testament of the Bible into English. The monument was built in 1866 and is 111 feet (34 metres) tall. Inside the monument, a narrow, circular staircase of 121 steps (I know 'cos I counted them) ascends to a viewing platform offering fine views over the village of North Nibley and surrounding countryside. Tyndale was born in Gloucestershire, educated at Oxford and became a leading figure in Protestant reform which led to his untimely demise. He was arrested and jailed in the castle of Vilvoorde, near Brussels, ...

Old Mill, Somerford Keynes Number of views as of 24th April 2018 = 750. The old mill on the Lower Mill Estate, Cotswold Water Park, Somerford Keynes, near Cirencester (Gloucestershire, England). Date: 14th February 2015. Click here to see another shot of the Cotswold Water Park.

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum,(England) is one of the largest and oldest tree collections in the world. The arboretum is home to over 16,000 rare and beautiful trees and shrubs, all laid out over 600 glorious, easy-to-stroll Cotswold acres. !http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.97903300.9429/fp,550x550,black,off_white,box20,l,ffffff.jpg!

Rhapsody In Blue Number of views as of 23rd October 2017 = 280. An unusual blue poppy in an English country garden in the Cotswolds, near Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. Date: 26th May 2014.

Broadway Tower at Dusk Number of views as of 4th January 2017 = 700. Broadway Tower was envisaged by well-known 18th century landscape designer Capability Brown and was designed by architect James Wyatt. Constructed in the late 1790s, the 65 foot high structure stands on top of Broadway Hill, the second highest point in the Cotswolds, high above the village of Broadway, Worcestershire. The view from the Tower is said to include 16 counties, and landscape features up to 60 miles away can be seen. Date: 31st October 2014.

Corsham Court Corsham Court is an English country mansion in the town of Corsham, a few miles west of Chippenham, in Wiltshire. Built in 1582 by Thomas Smythe, the house has been owned by the Methuen family since 1745. The grounds were designed by Capability Brown in the 1760s. Prior to that, Corsham was a royal manor, being owned by two of Henry VIII's wives - Catherine of Aragon and Katherine Parr. The history of the estate actually dates back much further to Saxon times. Date: 29th May 2016

The Unfinished Mansion Number of views as of 8th March 2018 = 500. Hidden away in a tranquil Cotswold Valley, near Nympsfield in Gloucestershire, is a 19th century neo-Gothic mansion, whose construction was mysteriously abandoned in 1873. It is a Grade 1 listed building and has been saved from dereliction, but it remains frozen in time, the walls are up, the roof is on, but inside - nobody home (except perhaps the resident ghost). The building is just a shell. One can only assume that the owners ran out of money and were unable to complete the project or perhaps some other unfortunate series of events overtook its creator. Date: 16th February 2014.

Pair of Bloomers Number of views as of 6th April 2018 = 350. A couple of English roses in the Cotswold village of Stanton, Gloucestershire. Date: 24th May 2014.

Bourton on the water is a village in the Cotswolds area of south central England. Known for its low bridges, straddling the River Windrush, and traditional stone buildings

Middle England Number of views as of 13th June 2019 = 390. A rural scene in Middle England betwixt the Cotswold villages of Broadway (Worcestershire) and Willersey (Gloucestershire). Date: 31st October 2014. Click here to visit my Trees collection.

Lower Slaughter Number of views as of 5th June 2017 = 500. The lovely Cotswold village of Lower Slaughter, not far from Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water (Gloucestershire, England). The River Eye passes through the village and creates interesting subject matter for visiting photographers. Couldn't resist this snippet from Lower Slaughter's wikipedia page: In May 2013 it was reported in the national news that the Parish Council were fiercely opposed to the presence of an icebox tricycle selling ice creams for seven days a week, six months of the year, citing that the trading times were excessive, increased footfall would prevent the grass from growing and that children could climb on the trike and fall into the nearby river!!! Mor...

Hidden Cotswold Gem Number of views as of 23rd August 2017 = 400. Another view of the unfinished Gothic mansion, hidden away in a tranquil Cotswold Valley in Gloucestershire, its construction mysteriously abandoned in 1873. Click here for more details. Date: 16th February 2014.

Arlington Row Number of views as of 29th July 2016 = 700. A row of weaver's cottages, in the village of Arlington, near Bibury, south Gloucestershire, England. The building was originally a 14th century sheep-house, but was converted to cottages in the 17th century. Apparently one of the most photographed scenes in the Cotswolds. Date: 21st March 2010.

Wotton Hill Number of views as of 8th May 2016 = 500. The Cotswold Way passes through the town of Wotton-under-Edge (Gloucester, England) and this view of Wotton Hill greets the walker on leaving the town heading north along the limestone escarpment known as the Cotswold Edge from which the town takes its name. The group of trees on top of the hill were planted in the 19th century to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. Wotton Hill is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Date: 16th February 2013.

Sudeley Castle Gardens Number of views as of 1st June 2017 = 340. The knot garden at Sudeley Castle, near Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England. Sudeley was once the home of Queen Katherine Parr, the last of King Henry VIII's six wives. Date: 28th May 2014.

St Mary's Church, Bibury Number of views as of 3rd June 2018 = 700. The Saxon church of St Mary's, Bibury, Gloucestershire, England. Bibury is a popular Cotswold village close to the River Coln, and many of its buildings are made from the attractive, honey-coloured Cotswold stone. Artist and craftsman William Morris called Bibury "the most beautiful village in England". It would be interesting to know whether he'd still think so today. In my opinion, much of its charm has been lost by a failure to keep vehicles away from the village centre. The church dates from AD 1130. Date: 8th April 2012.

Hotel Pillarfournia Number of views as of 15th October 2016 = 630. The Four Pillars Cotswold Water Park Hotel, South Cerney, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England. Four star luxury in a beautiful, water-side location. You can check in any time you like and you won't want to leave! Date: 16th August 2011.

Almshouses, Chipping Norton Number of views as of 7th September 2017 = 210. These almshouses in the Cotswold town of Chipping Norton (Oxfordshire, England) were founded in 1640 by a gentlemen named Henry Cornish, 'for eight aged widows who had to be of honest and godly life and conversation'. He also bequeathed 12 other cottages around the town 'to be let to honest people who could afford to rent them', but he stipulated that the rents should never be increased. Cornish was evidently quite a wealthy gentleman and benefactor, but his personal life was tinged with tragedy. Although he and his wife had 12 children, 10 died in childhood and the other 2 only lived until their 30s. Date: 14th February 2016.

Overlooking the market town of Wotton Under Edge, Wotton Hill is topped by an emblematic cluster of pine trees. These trees can be spotted from town and replace the original trees planted to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. Benches provide a rest and stunning vistas across The Cotswolds

Wellow The pretty village of Wellow (Somerset, England) is about 5 miles south of the city of Bath and lies just within the southern-most boundary of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wellow Station, on the S & D J R (Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway, affectionately known as the 'Slow & Dirty') opened in 1874 and closed in 1966. One can imagine standing on the footplate of a steam engine as it hauled a passenger or coal train through this glorious landscape. Sadly the railway is long gone, but the station buildings and signal box have been converted into private dwellings and the track east of the village is now part of the National Cycle Network. The parish church of St Julian dates from the 14th century (1372 to be exact...

Broadway Number of views as of 29th July 2017 = 550. Broadway (Worcestershire, England) is one of the best known and loved villages in the region known as the Cotswolds. Situated at the foot of Fish Hill, between the towns of Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh, Broadway has a population of around 2500 people, swelled in summer by numerous visitors, who stroll down the wide main street (from which the village takes its name) with its grass borders and honey-coloured stone buildings - cottages, shops and inns, many dating from the 16th century. High on the hill above the village stands the local landmark, Broadway Tower. Date: 31st October 2014.

Bourton on the Water and the river Windrush in the Cotswolds Gloucestershire England United Kingdom photography by Andy Evans Photos

Broadway Tower Number of views as of 12th December 2017 = 540. The 65 feet tall Broadway Tower was designed and constructed in the late 1790s atop the second highest point in the Cotswolds (Broadway Hill, near the village of Broadway, Worcestershire). The view from here is reputed to include 16 counties, and landscape features up to 60 miles away can be seen. The tower was envisaged by well-known 18th century landscape designer Capability Brown and designed by architect James Wyatt. Date: 25th May 2014. Click here to see another view of the tower.

The fabulous honey coloured houses of Castle Combe. Castle Combe is a quintessentially English village, often named as the 'prettiest village in England', situated in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The village has often been used for film sets - captured here on a wintry snowy day.