Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is the ancestral seat of the Duke of Marlborough but also, perhaps more interestingly, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. This magnificent palace and its stunning grounds are located on the outskirts of the small, picturesque town of Woodstock, itself full of interesting shops. Designated a World Heritage site - one of the great buildings of the World with a superb art collection, Blenheim is a wonderful excursion for all the family. Attractions include the extensive 'Capability' Brown landscaped Park and The Marlborough Maze - the worlds largest symbolic hedge maze.
We recommend that you allow at least a good half day for visiting.
Local Cottages: Jacob's Yard; Laughton's Retreat
Charlecote Park
Charlecote Park House is the home of the Lucy family. Rich in history, Charlecote's construction began in 1551 and today sits majestically next to the River Avon in the heart of a Cotswold ancient deer-park with beuatiful views to Stratford-upon-Avon a few miles away. Notable points of interest include the fact that Capability Brown landscaped the grounds, Queen Elizabeth I enjoyed a brief stay, while Shakespeare poached deer here! A beautiful house Charlecote is well worth a visit.
The House is located five miles east of Stratford upon Avon and six miles south of Warwick (on the north side of the B4086).
Local cottages: Gable Cottage and Elmhurst in Lower Quinton
Chastleton House
Chastleton House, completed almost 400 years ago in 1612, is one of England's finest and most complete Jacobean houses. The same family have occupied the house for almost the entire period and during this time they have carried out very little or perhaps even no modernisation! It is widely agreed that the rules for the quintessentially English game of Croquet were written here. Since acquiring the property in recent years, The National Trust have concentrated on conserving Chastleton it rather than restoring it to 'pristine' condition.
The House is located near the village of Chastleton, itself just a few miles from Moreton-in-Marsh off the A44.
Local Cottages: Blackbird Cottage, Great Rollright; Stockbridge Cottage and Rose Terrace, Evenlode
Chedworth Roman Villa
Chedworth Roman Villa are the remains of one of the largest Roman Villas in the country. Set amongst a wooded Cotswold Combe the ruins are an excellent opportunity to see first hand wonderful history in action. Over one mile of walls survive and furthermore there are several fine mosaics, bathhouses, hypocausts, a water-shrine and latrine. Originally excavated in 1864, the site still has a Victorian feel to it while the site museum houses original objects from the villa. A 15 minute audiovisual presentation gives visitors an insight into the history of this fascinating place.
The Villa is located near to Northleach and Cirencester in the central Cotswolds.
Local Cottages: Lupin Cottage, The Bakehouse in Bibury; Lilac and Lavender cottages, Ready Token
Corinnium Museum
The Corinnium is another excellent example of the Roman era in the Cotswolds. The dominant theme of this nationally important museum located in Cirencester is life in Roman Britain with displays arranged in chronological sequence through Cotswold history from Prehistory to the English Civil War. The Corinnium Museum houses one of the finest collections of antiquities from Roman times which come alive using full-scale reconstructions to re-create life in Corinium, second largest town in Roman Britain. The museum is a must for Roman enthusiasts while for those looking for interesting introduction into our history will find it both stimulating and educational.
Located in Cirencester.
Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral has been described by John Betjamin as Northern Europe's sixth most beautiful building. The building's architecture provides wonderful design variations including the Norman nave and its massive columns to other examples of Romanesque construction to the early perpendicular. Other features include the glazed fan-vaulted cloisters, the monks' lavatorium, the medieval glass of the Great East Window, the Whispering Gallery and the tombs of King Edward II and Robert Duke of Normandy. The cathedral was also the scene of the only coronation (to Edward II) to a monarch outside of London.
The Cathedral is located in the centre of Gloucester city.
Hailes Abbey
Hailes Abbey, founded in 1246, is steeped in incredible history! Richard, Earl of Cornwall (brother of Henry III) nearly lost his life on a ship, however he survived and to thank God for his safe delivery, he built a Cistercian Abbey at Hailes. (Isabel Countess of Gloucester, the widow of Gilbert de Clare, Lord of the Manor of Tewkesbury, had married Richard after a period of mourning for Gilbert. It was a disastrous marriage, and when she died Richard tore her heart out and sent it to the Abbot of Tewkesbury, telling him to bury it at Tewkesbury as it had always been there. It is buried in Gilbert's grave in the presbytery of Tewkesbury Abbey. The remainder of Isabel's body was buried in Beaulieu Abbey!)
The Abbey, located near to Broadway and Winchcombe, is now managed by The National Trust.
Kelmscott Manor
Kelmscott Manor, is a Grade 1 Listed Tudor farmhouse adjacent to the River Thames. Built in 1570, with an additional wing added to the northeast corner in about 1665, it is an excellent example of classic Tudor architecture. The Manor is built of local limestone on the edge of the village of Kelmscott. Perhaps most famously, it was used by William Morris as his summer home, signing a joint lease with the Pre-Raphaelite painter Rossetti. Morris loved the house as a work of true craftsmanship, totally unspoilt and unaltered, and in harmony with the village and the surrounding countryside. He considered it so natural in its setting as to be almost organic, it looked to him as if it had "grown up out of the soil"; and with "quaint garrets amongst great timbers of the roof where of old times the tillers and herdsmen slept".
Kelmscott is located sixteen miles from Swindon and eighteen from Oxford.
Malmesbury Abbey