Cotswolds UK

 

The Cotswolds, UK: A Hiker’s Paradise

 

William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Winston Churchill, Prince Charles,

JK Rowling, and Kate Winslet are all connected to a humble place that

was once given over almost entirely to sheep farming. Why did William

Morris declare the Cotswolds’ hamlet of Bibury to be “the most

beautiful village in England”?

 

What is about the Cotswolds that is so attractive?

 

Situated along a string of large hills northwest of London, the Cotswolds UK

(the name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon ‘cote’, a sheepfold and ‘wold’ or ‘

weald’ meaning elevated, wooded and essentially uncultivated land) is

famous for its gentle streams, wild flowers, and tranquil villages constructed

of a warm, honey-colored limestone quarried locally.

 

If you like hiking you will love the Cotswolds, for although it is not classified

as a mountainous region, the Cotswolds’ hills are vast, green and high --

providing many picturesque views of the surrounding countryside.

It is delightful to walk upon the ridges, through the meadows and along

the ancient paths in the towns and villages. No matter where you go,

you will almost always see or hear the cheerful movement of water in

a nearby river or stream. And when you want to take a break, a friendly

pub or inn is never far away. (It’s a very civilized place in which to wander!)

 

 

Note: This article continues below the video.

 

 

Video

This video features drawings of the Cotswolds by contemporary landscape artist Richard Grassi. For a limited time only you can get a FREE copy of Grassi's popular e-book, Sketches of the Cotswolds. Click here: Free Cotswolds book.

 

 

 

 

Discover what a cheap pen and pencil can do in the hands of a contemporary art master. See the “sketches” that astonished thousands of visitors at Japan's famous 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. Get your Free Cotswolds book.

 

 

________________________________________________

(The Cotswolds UK: A Hiker's Paradise (article continued)

 

 

The Cotswolds is also famous for its sheep. According to the Cotswold District Council’s informative pamphlet, A Mini-Guide to the Cotswolds, the local breed of sheep, known as the Cotswold Lion, was introduced by the Romans nearly 2000 years ago. It is a large, flaxen beast that produces a very long, thick fleece. In fact, the golden age of the Cotswolds came with the growth in the wool trade in medieval times. The wool provided more than half of England’s cloth and was exported to Europe, and the trading, processing and weaving brought great wealth to the Cotswolds. The wool merchants built splendid houses and magnificent “wool churches” which remain prominent in many Cotswolds’ towns and villages to this day.

 

The Cotswolds is England's largest officially designated 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' and is popular with both the British themselves and international visitors from all over the world for being a place where time has stood still for 300 years. The English writer J.B. Priestly said that the Cotswolds are “the most English and least spoiled of all our countrysides”.

 

I have bought several walking guide books that contained excellent maps of hiking routes and useful tips. Here is one I found to be especially useful: 50 Walks in the Cotswolds

 

And a good place to start looking for accommodation information and to make bookings is the Cotswolds Travel & Tourist Information Centre.

 

 

I hope you enjoy your time in the Cotswolds; it really is a wonderful place!

 

 

Janice Steen (hiker and Cotswolds enthusiast)

 

 

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