Cotswolds Travel

A Traditional German Christmas Market in the Cotswolds

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 06:01:00 +0000

Friday 19 Nov - Sunday 5th Dec 2010

One of my favourite traditions is visiting this Christmas market in Cheltenham each year to start the festive season. The whole Promenade is full of wooden stalls, selling handcrafted wooden toys, delicious sweets from Germany, freshly grilled Bratwurst, warming Gluvine, and a wide range of arts and crafts from the local artisans. The atmosphere is just right and is a welcome addition to the usual holiday shopping... although I should say that the shopping on The Promenade and in Montpellier in Cheltenham is of the very highest standard.

Where & When
The Promenade, Cheltenham
10am – 6pm Monday – Wednesday
10am – 8pm Thursday – Saturday
11am – 5pm Sundays

Antiques in The Cotswolds

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:26:00 +0000

The Cotswolds has the largest concentration of serious arts and antique dealers in the UK outside of London. Fine art, classic furniture ranging from the 17th century onwards, antiquarian books, rugs, metal works, jewelry, fireplaces and garden decorations are just a small sample of what can be found. Although there are many dealers throughout the area, there is a concentration in Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and Broadway. This is a brief guide to the very best of them...

Haynes Fine Art of Broadway

Contact Name	Tony Haynes
Address	Picton House Galleries 42 The High Street Broadway Worcestershire WR12 7DT
Telephone	+44 (0)1386 852649
Mobile	+44 (0)7831 893465
Fax	+44 (0)1386 858187
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.haynesfineart.com
Opening Times	9.30am – 5.30pm Monday to Saturday
Description	Established in 1971, Haynes Fine Art, a family run business, quickly became the largest fine art dealers outside of London. The galleries have built up a strong reputation for selecting major pieces by British artists, such as: John Atkinson Grimshaw; Arthur John Elsley; Joseph Farquharson; Heywood Hardy; David Shepherd; Sidney Richard Percy; and Alfred de Breanski Snr, to name but a few. More over, Continental names such as: Frederick Marius Kruseman; Frederico Andreotti; Alexej Harlamoff and Francois Brunery are extremely well represented. The wide range of paintings, which are all beautifully displayed throughout the twelve showrooms at Picton House, are complemented by fine furniture with tables, chairs, davenports and desks etc, shown in potential room settings.
Memberships	THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

John Noott Galleries

Contact Name	John Noott and Amanda Noott
Address	Dickens House 20 High Street Broadway Worcestershire WR12 7DT
Telephone	+44 (0)1386 854868, +44 (0)1386 858969
Mobile	+44 (0)7802 454888
Fax	+44 (0)1386 869337
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.john-noott.com
Opening Times	9.30am -5.00pm Monday to Saturday. 11.00am -5.00pm Sunday
Description	John Noott Galleries have been established in Broadway since 1976, most recently in the lovely old building which was for many years the home of the Gordon Russell Furniture Company. Whether period or contemporary, the paintings stocked are essentially traditional in appeal, either by noted British and European artists of the seventeenth to twentieth centuries, or by artists of repute working today – do not expect to be assailed by abstraction! Sculpture is a feature, also traditional in form, either figurative or animalier, and a recent addition to the stock carried, in view of the gallery’s location, is a small selection of early Gordon Russell furniture. Exhibitions are held regularly, usually five or six times each year, and interested parties are welcome to add their names to the mailing list, using the usual contact details.
Memberships	THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Trinity House Paintings Limited

Contact Name	Simon Shore & Steven Beale
Address	67 High Street Broadway Worcestershire WR12 7DP
Telephone	+44 (0)1386 859329
Fax	+44 (0)1386 859298
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.trinityhousepaintings.com
Opening Times	9.00am - 5.30pm Monday - Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm Saturday - Sunday
Description	Trinity House deals in paintings of the highest quality by world influential artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection includes Modern British, Post Impressionism and Victorian and French Impressionist works, and can be viewed both at the gallery in Broadway and also at principal international art fairs. Together with its’ collection of fine paintings, Trinity House offers professional assistance and advice to collectors, on every aspect of sourcing, buying, selling and maintaining fine art.
Memberships	THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Jonathan Fyson Antiques

Contact Name	Jonathan & Jane Fyson
Address	50-52 High Street Burford Oxfordshire OX18 4QF
Telephone	+44 (0)1993 823204
Fax	+44 (0)1993 823204
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.fyson.co.uk
Opening Times	9.30 – 5.30 Monday to Friday, 10.00am-5.00pm Saturday, Closed for lunch each day 1.00-2.00pm
Description	Jonathan Fyson opened his shop in Burford, the gateway to the Cotswolds, in 1970 and is a founder member of the Cotswold Antique Dealer’s Association. There are five showrooms of English and Continental furniture from the 17th to 19th centuries with an emphasis on colour and patination. A good selection of mirrors are always in stock. Accessories include lighting and fireplace implements, prints, porcelain and a selection of table glass. Jane Fyson carries a select stock of antique and later jewellery. We try to keep our prices as competitive as possible and have always had a trade following as well as valuing our private customers. Services: Valuations for insurance and probate. Furniture restoration.
Memberships	THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION

Gateway Antiques

Contact Name	Michael Ford & Paul Brown
Address	Cheltenham Road Burford Oxfordshire OX18 4JA
Telephone	+44 (0)1993 823678
Fax	+44 (0)1993 823857
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.gatewayantiques.co.uk
Opening Times	10.00am – 5.30pm Monday to Saturday
Description	Extensive showrooms displaying predominantly British 17th – early 20th century town and country furniture accompanied by collections of colonial, Arts & Crafts and continental pieces. Decorative items include lighting and pictures.
Memberships	THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION

David Pickup

Contact Name	David Pickup
Address	115 High Street Burford Oxfordshire OX18 4RG
Telephone	+44 (0)1993 822555
Mobile	+44 (0)7860 469959
Email	Contact dealer
Opening Times	10.00am – 5.00pm Monday - Saturday
Description	Fine English furniture and decorative items from 1700-1920. Cotswold Arts & Crafts a speciality. Exhibits at Olympia Fair in June & November.
Memberships	THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Nick Potter Limited

Address	Nick Potter at Manfred Schotten Antiques 109 High Street Burford Oxfordshire OX18 4RG
Telephone	+44 (0)1993 822302
Mobile	+44 (0)7802 407705
Fax	+44 (0)1993 822055
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.nickpotter.com
Opening Times	9.30am – 5.30pm Monday - Saturday, Saturday only closed during lunch 1.00pm – 2.30pm
Description	Specialist in original prints and paintings of all sports and games from field sports to ball games. Fine range of late 19th and early 20th century artwork, in particular Cecil Aldin, Snaffles and their contemporaries.
Memberships	THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION

Manfred Schotten Antiques

Contact Name	Manfred Schotten
Address	109 High Street Burford Oxfordshire OX18 4RG
Telephone	+44 (0)1993 822302
Fax	+44 (0)1993 822055
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.schotten.com
Opening Times	9.30am – 5.30pm Monday - Saturday, Saturday only closed during lunch 1.00pm – 2.30pm
Description	Specialist dealers in all manner of sporting antiques and artwork covering mainly the 19th and 20th Century. Also furniture to complement the “sporting look”, antler furniture, club chairs, bookcases, small tables etc and taxidermy.
Memberships	LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Astley House - Fine Art & Contemporary

Contact Name	David Glaisyer, Nanette Glaisyer, Caradoc Glaisyer
Address	Astley House High Street Moreton-In-Marsh Gloucestershire GL56 0LL Astley House – Contemporary London Road Moreton-in-Marsh Gloucestershire GL56 0LE
Telephone	+44 (0)1608 650601, +44(0) 1608 652896
Fax	+44 (0)1608 651777
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.art-uk.com , www.contemporaryart-uk.com
Opening Times	9.00am – 5.30pm Monday-Saturday and by appointment
Description	Astley House - Fine Art have extensive galleries in Moreton-in-Marsh where they show a wide variety of 19th–21st century paintings. David and Nanette Glaisyer, plus their son Caradoc, are part of the oldest established picture dealing family in the Cotswolds. The collection of paintings offer a wide variety of Victorian oils including landscapes, genre, portraits, still-life and larger decorative works, many of which may be of interest to Interior Designers. At their London Road Gallery there is an interesting cross-section of work by contemporary artists of outstanding ability. There are also ceramics and glassware on display.
Memberships	THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION

Jon Fox Antiques

Contact Name	Jon Fox
Address	High Street Moreton-In-Marsh Gloucestershire GL56 0AF
Telephone	+44 (0)1608 650325
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.jonfoxantiques.com
Opening Times	10.00am – 5.00pm daily with Mondays and Tuesdays by appointment
Description	Jon Fox Antiques has been trading from a period property in the High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh since 1983. In 1998 a second larger shop was opened close by. In 2007 the website www.jonfoxantiques.com was launched, carrying every item of stock from the two shops. Good photographs, a description and prices enable you to buy online. The website is updated daily. We ship around the world. Jon Fox carries a very special stock and is renowned for antiques for the garden. Wrought and cast iron garden seats, urns and planters, carts and flowerpots and rare garden tools are always in stock. All are displayed in a light and airy setting over three floors, in a building which dates back to the 1660’s. The shop also stocks Country Bygones, Treen, Pharmacy and Medical, Sculpture and Paintings and 19th century Furniture, some of which is in original paint.
Memberships	THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION

Duncan Baggott Antiques

Contact Name	Jack & Chrissie Baggott
Address	The Granary, Huntsmans Yard Sheep Street Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire GL54 1AA
Telephone	+44 (0)1451 830662
Fax	+44 (0)1451 832174
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.baggottantiques.com
Opening Times	9.30am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday and by appointment
Description	Established in 1967. Baggott Antiques having traded for the last twenty years from the showrooms at Woolcomber House has moved just a few steps away to The Granary, Huntsmans Yard where they will continue to display a range of oak & country pieces as well as fine 18th and 19th century furniture and furnishings for town and country houses. Baggott Antiques has for many years attracted both the private buyer and been an ongoing source for interior designers and antique dealers from both at home and abroad. Baggott Antiques is run in association with Baggott Church Street Limited, Stow on the Wold and their website, www.baggottantiques.com displays a large selection of their collective stock of antique library, dining, drawing room, campaign, seat and country furniture; portrait paintings; works of art; folk art; architectural and garden antiques; decorative metalware; treen & bygones; books and prints.
Memberships	LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS ANTIQUES ARE GREEN THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Baggott Church Street Limited

Contact Name	Jack & Chrissie Baggott
Address	Church Street Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire GL54 1BB
Telephone	+44 (0)1451 830370
Fax	+44 (0)1451 832174
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.baggottantiques.com
Opening Times	9.30am-5.300pm Monday to Saturday and by appointment
Description	Established in 1976, Baggott Church Street Limited occupies large premises, a former drapers shop, the impressive display windows giving a taste of what lies within. The showrooms hold a broad range of fine georgian furniture, portrait paintings, decorative objects and curiosities and has for many years attracted both the discerning private buyer and been an ongoing source for interior designers and antique dealers from both at home and abroad. Baggott Church Street Limited is run in association with Baggott Antiques, Sheep Street, Stow on the Wold and their website, www.baggottantiques.com. displays a large selection of their collective stock of antique library, dining, drawing room, campaign, seat and country furniture; portrait paintings; works of art; folk art; architectural and garden antiques; decorative metalwork; treen & bygones; books and prints.
Memberships	THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Christopher Clarke (Antiques) Limited

Contact Name	Sean & Simon Clarke
Address	The Fosseway Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire GL56 1JS
Telephone	+44 (0)1451 830476
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.campaignfurniture.com
Opening Times	9.00am – 5.30pm Monday-Saturday
Description	Specialist Dealers in 18th, 19th and early 20th Century British campaign furniture and travel related antiques, military works of art, colonial and knockdown furniture. Researchers and writers on the subject.
Memberships	LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Huntington Antiques Limited

Contact Name	M.F. & S.P. Golding
Address	Sheep Street Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire GL54 1AA
Telephone	+44 (0)1451 830842
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.huntington-antiques.com
Opening Times	10.00am – 5.30pm Monday - Saturday
Description	Gothic, Renaissance and 17th century Furniture, Tapestries and Works of Art – some high quality Country Furniture.
Memberships	LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Roger Lamb - Antiques & Works of Art

Contact Name	Roger Lamb
Address	The Square Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire GL54 1AB
Telephone	+44 (0)1451 831371
Mobile	+44 (0)7860 391959
Fax	+44 (0)1451 832485
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.rogerlambantiques.com
Opening Times	10.00am-5.00pm Monday to Saturday and by appointment
Description	Established over 20 years ago, Roger Lamb Antiques specialises in fine 18th and early 19th century furniture and decorative period accessories, including toleware, papier mache, bronze and ormolu and lighting.
Memberships	LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

The Titian Gallery

Contact Name	Ilona Johnson-Gibbs
Address	Broadwell House Sheep Street Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire GL54 1JS
Telephone	+44 (0)1451 830004
Fax	+44 (0)1451 830126
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.titiangallery.co.uk
Opening Times	10.00am-5.00pm Tuesday to Saturday and by appointment
Description	The Titian Gallery specialises in fine 18th & 19th century British and European oil paintings, watercolours and drawings. Valuations, commissions and advice undertaken in the UK and Europe. Regular exhibitions held on two floors. Export services available.
Memberships	THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Architectural Heritage

Contact Name	Alex Puddy
Address	Taddington Manor Taddington Cheltenham Gloucesters GL54 5RY
Telephone	+44 (0)1386 584414
Fax	+44 (0)1386 584236
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.architectural-heritage.co.uk
Opening Times	9.00am – 5.30pm Monday – Friday, 10.30am – 4.00pm Saturday
Description	Established 35 years, Architectural Heritage is a family run company with a worldwide reputation for providing Fine Antique Garden Ornament, Statuary, Fountains, Urns, Seats, Sundials and Gates etc, along with a personal service, to discerning professional and private clients alike. The full inventory is on display in the galleries and grounds of Taddington Manor and also available to view on our regularly updated website. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information or to receive our latest Antiques Catalogue. Delivery and shipping worldwide can be arranged.
Memberships	THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Philip Adler Antiques

Contact Name	Philip Adler
Address	27 Long Street Tetbury Gloucestershire GL8 8AA
Telephone	+44 (0)1666 505759
Mobile	+44 (0)7710 477891
Fax	+44 (0)1452 770525
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.philipadlerantiques.com
Opening Times	10.00am – 6.00pm Monday – Saturday and by appointment
Description	Dealer in decorative furniture and objects specialising in the ‘English Country House’ look. Able to take on large or small interior design projects. Exhibits at the Bath Decorative Fair.
Memberships	THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION

Alderson

Contact Name	C.J.R Alderson
Address	61 Long Street Tetbury Gloucestershire GL8 8AA
Telephone	+44 (0)1666 500888
Mobile	+44 (0)7836 594498
Email	Contact dealer
Opening Times	10.00am – 5.00pm Monday – Saturday
Description	Located in a 17th century town house in Tetbury, Kit Alderson specialises in 18th and 19th century English furniture and works of art with a selection of 18th century textiles.
Memberships	THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Breakspeare Antiques

Contact Name	Michael & Sylvia Breakspeare
Address	The Stone House 36 Long Street Tetbury Gloucestershire GL8 8AQ
Telephone	+44 (0)1666 503122
Opening Times	10.00am - 5.00pm Monday - Saturday, Closed Thursday
Description	Resident. English period furniture, early veneered walnut 1680 to 1740, mahogany 1740 to 1835. Established 45 years.
Memberships	THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION

Greenway Antiques

Contact Name	Colin & Jean Greenway
Address	90 Corn Street Witney Oxfordshire OX28 6BU
Telephone	+44 (0)1993 705026
Mobile	+44 (0)7831 585014
Fax	+44 (0)1993 705026
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.greenwayantiques.co.uk
Opening Times	9.30am – 5.30pm Monday to Saturday
Description	Greenway Antiques celebrate 35 years here in Witney. We are housed in a 17th century building which gives us an excellent base for our eclectic range of ever changing stock. We like to personally select our furniture, metalware, especially for the fireplace, and related items for the home and garden to give us our unique style which covers periods from the 17tth to the mid 20th centuries.
Memberships	THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION

W.R. Harvey & Co. (Antiques) Ltd

Contact Name	David Harvey, Managing Director or James Mills, Gallery Manager
Address	86 Corn Street Witney Oxfordshire OX28 6BU
Telephone	+44 (0) 1993 706501
Mobile	+44 (0) 7967 649958
Fax	+44 (0) 1993 706601
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.wrharvey.co.uk
Opening Times	09.30 – 17.30 Monday to Saturday, and also by appointment.
Description	Specialise in fine English furniture dating from the reign of Charles II through to George IV. After over half a century in the business of antique dealing, we have acquired a splendid collection of quality items ranging from cabinets to clocks to beautiful works of art. Within our showrooms you will find excellently preserved pieces dating from the reigns of Charles II, James II, William and Mary, Queen Anne, and George I, II, III and IV. Our stock includes items designed by William Kent, Daniel Marot, Thomas Chippendale, Robert Adam, Thomas Sheraton, George Hepplewhite and Thomas Hope, and produced by such craftsmen as Gillows of Lancaster, Speer, Trotter, Morgan and Saunders, Bullock and Vile and Cobb. At W.R. Harvey & Co. we are so often asked for advice on how to care for antiques that we have published our recommendations in a small Adobe Acrobat document. Download this file to print and keep. This handy guide also includes the dates of the various furniture periods of England and the reigns of English sovereigns. W.R. Harvey & Co. (Antiques) Ltd specialise in fine English furniture dating from the reigns of Charles II through to George IV. Visit our showrooms in Witney, Oxfordshire, and you will find authentically decorated rooms displaying our stock of English antiques to their very best advantage. Indeed, our showrooms are so convincing that you would not be surprised to see Mr D'Arcy standing by our fire or Tristram Shandy stepping in through the door. An outstanding range of stock, backed up by our unsurpassed knowledge of English antique furniture between 1680 — 1830 makes a visit to W.R. Harvey & Co. a necessity for every serious collector. Frequent visitors to our website will know how regularly we update this site but even we have been surprised at the number of outstanding pieces which have come our way just recently. These include the most superb selection of early Walnut items including a Burr Walnut Escritoire as well as sets of Walnut Chairs and Tables. The success of our annual themed exhibitions has been immense with friends and clients coming from far and near to see the pieces and admire the settings. There are still copies of comprehensively illustrated catalogues available should you have missed these exhibitions. Some of the catalogues from our annual exhibitions are still available on request and over the past 30 years these have become collectors' items. After over half a century in the business of antique dealing, we have acquired a splendid collection of quality items ranging from cabinets to clocks to beautiful works of art. Within our showrooms you will find excellently preserved pieces dating from the reigns of Charles II, James II, William and Mary, Queen Anne, and George I, II, III and IV. Our stock includes items designed by William Kent, Daniel Marot, Thomas Chippendale, Robert Adam, Thomas Sheraton, George Hepplewhite and Thomas Hope, and produced by such craftsmen as Gillows of Lancaster, Speer, Trotter, Morgan and Saunders, Bullock and Vile and Cobb.
Memberships	LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THAMES VALLEY ANTIQUE DEALERS ASSOCIATION THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Witney Antiques

Contact Name	Stephen & Joy Jarrett, Rebecca Scott
Address	96-100 Corn Street Witney Oxfordshire OX28 6BU
Telephone	+44 (0)1993 703902
Fax	+44 (0)1993 779852
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.witneyantiques.com
Opening Times	10.00am – 5.00pm Wednesday-Saturday and by appointment
Description	Witney Antiques have been established in the market town of Witney for over 45 years, the principals being Joy and Stephen Jarrett and their daughter Rebecca Scott. They specialize in fine 17th, 18th and early 19th century furniture with the emphasis on originality, colour and patina. They are also internationally acclaimed for their outstanding collection of English embroideries ranging from the rarest raised work examples to the largest collection of fine samplers for sale in the UK. Many museums in the UK and USA are amongst their clients. A long list of publications, including superbly illustrated sampler catalogues are listed on their website as well as the most recent edition of 'Samplers' published by Shire Books and written by Rebecca Scott. Expertly curated exhibitions are held each year in their Witney premises. Stephen Jarrett is a Livery-man of The Clockmakers Company and a Member of the Guild of Art Scholars, Dealers and Collectors and for many years was a council member of The British Antique Dealers Association. Exhibitors at the British Antique Dealers Fair, London and until it's closure one of the worlds great international fairs, Grosvenor House. Their associate company, Witney Restorations Ltd, offer an outstanding restoration service in purpose designed workshops (established 35 years).
Memberships	THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

John Howard at Heritage

Contact Name	John Howard
Address	Heritage 6 Market Place Woodstock Oxfordshire OX20 1TA
Telephone	+44 (0)1993 812580
Mobile	+44 (0)7831 850544
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.antiquepottery.co.uk
Opening Times	10.00am - 5.30 pm Monday - Saturday, Sundays 1.00pm - 5.00pm
Description	Specialist in 18th and 19th century British pottery, Creamware, pearlware, prattware, lustre and Staffordshire animal figures. Emphasis on exceptional quality and rare examples. Established in 1976. Chairman of Ceramics vetting at Olympia Fine Art fairs in London and a member of the vetting committee at the New York Ceramics Fair, BADA Fair and the NEC Fairs.
Memberships	THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION CINOA

Spencer-Churchill Designs Ltd Incorporating Woodstock Designs

Contact Name	Henrietta Spender-Churchill
Address	7 High Street Woodstock Oxfordshire OX20 1TE
Telephone	+44 (0)1993 811887
Fax	+44 (0)1993 813487
Email	Contact dealer
Website	www.spencerchurchilldesigns.com
Opening Times	9.00am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday
Description	Woodstock Designs was formed in 1981 by Henrietta Spencer-Churchill who studied Interior Design at the Inchbald School Design. We have a retail shop and design studio in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, which also sells antiques and accessories for the home. In London we have a design studio in Fulham which carries out projects worldwide. Our expertise lies in the architectural renovation and design and decoration of period buildings as well as recreating authentic period styles in new build homes. Memberships: Fellow Member of the British Interior Design Association BIID (Formerly BIDA) Fellow Member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA formerly ISID) Fellow Member of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
Memberships	THE COTSWOLD ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS' ASSOCIATION

The Devil in The Cotswolds

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 14:49:00 +0000

The Devil’s Chimney
Legend holds that the Devil's Chimney in The Cotswolds is the chimney of the Devil's dwelling deep beneath the ground. Named for its curious shape, that of a crooked and twisting stone chimney rising from the top of Leckhampton Hill, it is a local landmark. Supposedly the Devil, provoked by the many Christian churches of the area, would sit atop Leckhampton Hill and hurl stones at Sunday churchgoers. However the stones were turned back on him, driving him beneath the ground and trapping him there so he could not further harass the villagers. Now he uses the mass of stones as his chimney to let free the smokes of hell.

Visitors to the Devil's Chimney would leave a coin on top of the rock as payment to the Devil in exchange for his staying in his underground home and not leaving to create mischief and spread evil in the local area.

Location: Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common lie to the south and south east ofCheltenham . Parking is available at Daisybank Road off Leckhampton Road and at Hartley Lane near the hill top.

The 99 Yews of Painswick
The beautiful churchyard of St Mary’s in Painswick contains not only remarkable tombs, reflecting the woollen trade but also a famous group of neatly trimmed yew trees. Not only do the yews add a picturesque beauty to the scene but they are also participants in an interesting legend. The trees planted in 1792, despite many efforts to grow an extra tree, are never allowed to achieve one hundred in number. It is said that the devil will not permit the number to increase, pulling out the hundredth tree.

Perhaps this is fortuitous however, for according to the local rhyme:

‘Painswick maidens shall be true
Till there grows the hundredth yew’

Location: St. Mary's is right in the centre of Painswick on the A46/Cheltenham Road.

Hallowe'en at Haunted Woodchester Mansion

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:00:00 +0000

The Most Haunted House in the Cotswolds?
Woodchester Mansion is said to be one of the most haunted buildings in all of England. Regular ghost hunting tours are run nearly every weekend, there have been hundreds of sightings, and photos and videos abound to support the hauntings. The video here is a good introduction to the house, it's history, and it's otherworldly denizens.

Hallowe'en Weekend at Woodchester
Saturday 30 Oct - 11am to 5pm (last admission 4pm)
Sunday 31 Oct - 11am to 4pm (last admission 3pm)

Walk or ride through beautiful autumn colours to find a Mansion hidden deep in the valley.

Enter the cellars, if you dare, where you will find traditional games and Face Painting,

See the Witches' Den and her larder of Spare Body Parts and explore the Gothic Mansion while you follow the Witches' Trail looking for clues hidden by Petrifying Patricia, our head Witch. Don't worry, she has a kind heard, but you may have to find it!

Younger children can play in the Enchanted Forest, while the very brave can step into the Haunted Graveyard.

Normal Mansion admission prices apply (Adult: £5.50, Concessions £4.50) but there will be a charge of £2.50 for children wishing to visit the Cellar.

Woodchester Mansion - an unfinished masterpiece

Woodchester Mansion is a 19th Century Victorian Gothic Masterpiece mysteriously abandoned mid-construction in 1873. Hidden in a secluded Cotswold valley, it is untouched by time and the modern world. This Grade 1 Listed Building has been saved from dereliction, but will never be completed.

Visitors walk through an extraordinary architectural exhibit in which the secrets of the medieval Gothic builders and masons are laid bare. The carvings in Woodchester Mansion are among the finest of their kind in the world.

Woodchester Mansion Trust was founded to protect and to preserve this unique building for future generations and has pioneered a unique on-site masonry and traditional building skills training programme that is now being emulated across the UK.

Woodchester Park

Visiting the Mansion

Woodchester Mansion stands in Woodchester Park, a National Trust park whose entrance is near Nympsfield. The Mansion has its own car park for use on Open Days. The entrance to the Mansion’s car park is on the B4066 (Stroud to Dursley road) five miles south of Stroud, close to the Coaley Peak viewing point, and at the junction of the B4066 and a minor road leading to Nympsfield.

Car parking is free and the Mansion itself is one mile from the car park. A free minibus service is available on Open Days to take you between the car park and the Mansion. Please note that there is no vehicular access to the Mansion itself.

If you are travelling to the Mansion from the M5 then you should leave the motorway at Junction 13 and use the A417 heading towards Stroud. Turn right at the first roundabout to take you to the village of Eastington where you turn left towards Frocester. Continue up Frocester Hill and turn left on the B4066 at the top of the hill. The entrance to Woodchester Mansion car park is then about 400 yards on the right - just after you pass the entrance to the Coaley Peak viewpoint and picnic area on your left.

The post code of the Mansion is GL10 3TS though please note that there is no access to Woodchester Park or to the Mansion from the A46 which is where, unfortunately, some SatNav systems will take you.

The grid reference for the entrance to the Mansion car park is SO 79528 01420 and the entrance is at Latitude 51.711N Longitude 2.298W.

Woodchester Mansion, Nympsfield, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, GL10 3TS,

Telephone 01453-861541

Apple Day, Saturday 16 October

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:37:00 +0000

Church Farm, Leonard Stanley, 12 to 4pm, FREE

If you’re looking for a great Autumn day out, you can’t go wrong with the fourth Apple Day at Church Farm.

The farm is kindly given windfall apples by local orchard owners which they distribute on the day to those who do not bring their own apples so everyone has a chance of pressing and taking home their own fresh juice at no charge! They also save up, clean and re-use plastic milk cartons so people can take the juice away but you are encouraged you to bring your own. This is very much a hands-on day so expect to do (with assistance) the washing, crushing, pressing, bottling yourself! In addition they have a traditional pig roast and mulled apple juice; someone usually makes toffee apples to sell to raise a little money for the village playgroup and there may be a little gentle live acoustic music, too. Finally, they are also holding a mini foodmarket of local producers with a display of local apple varieties. Oh, and on the day they will be un-veiling a formal proposal for a community orchard in the village!

The farm is also home to legendary Godsells Cheese, an award-winning artisan cheese maker.

For more information and directions please contact David Newton on 01453 792172 or e-mail cole-newton@tiscali.co.uk.

The Slad Valley

Church Farm is located at:

Church Farm
Leonard Stanley
Stonehouse
Gloucestershire
GL10 3NP
t: 01453 827802

A Cotswolds Mystery - Charles Wade & the Ghosts of Snowshill Manor

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 15:29:00 +0000

Snowshill Manor

Snowshill is one of the loneliest and most unspoilt villages in the Cotswolds. Its manor was owned by Winchcombe Abbey from 821 until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539, when it passed to the Crown, and was given to King Henry VIII's wife Katherine Parr, as a gift. Subsequently the house had numerous owners and tenants and underwent many modifications and additions. The main part of the house dates from around 1500, and was altered and extended in the seventeenth century. By 1919 Snowshill Manor was a semi-derelict farm.

It was then that it was bought and restored by a man named Charles Paget Wade. Wade was an architect, artist-craftsman, collector and poet from Yoxford in Suffolk, who inherited sugar estates in the West Indies from his father. He had been employed as an architect with the firm of Parker & Unwin before serving with the army in France during the First World War. It was whilst in the army that Wade saw an advertisement for the sale of Snowshill Manor in Country Life and it appealed to him immediately. When he visited the Cotswolds in February 1919, Wade found the house in a rundown state amid a forest of nettles and thistles. He undertook a complete restoration of the house and garden, preserving as much of the old panelling and stonework as he could.

There were no modern additions or alterations and Wade deliberately disregarded the use of electricity and modern conveniences, preferring the subdued and atmospheric lighting of oil lamps and candles. He then commenced filling it with his extraordinary collection of objets d'art, mechanical oddities, extraordinary clocks, bicycles, children's toys and many other more bizarre items which he'd collected from various places around Britain. Wade did not actually live in the manor house itself, but the old priest's house in the courtyard.

This small house, a priest's lodgings in monastic times, is the cottage to the west of the Manor House, and had become a bake house / farm building when Wade bought Snowshill. Wade himself would add a touch of drama to the already unique atmosphere by materialising noiselessly from a dark corner of a room or from one of the numerous secret doors and passageways, to startle the guests.

He was extremely fond of dressing up using old costumes from amongst his vast collection, and visitors to his strange Cotswolds manor house, including John Betjeman, Virginia Woolf, Graham Greene and J.B. Priestley, were often persuaded to perform amateur dramatics in 'Dragon', one of the rooms in the manor house, or in the garden. J. B. Priestly described Wade as: 'My eccentric, but charming friend of the fantastic manor house.'The names of the rooms in the house were chosen by Wade, and usually bear some relation to their contents, decoration, or their position in the house. So there are names like 'Seventh Heaven' on the top floor, 'Meridian' in the centre of the house, 'Dragon' - named after the roaring fire that Wade would usually have burning in what was probably the great fireplace of the medieval hall, and 'Hundred Wheels' containing objects mainly connected with transport. The 'Green Room' contains an incredible collection of twenty-six suits of Japanese Samurai armour, dating from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, gathered from various parts of England between 1940 and 1945.

Wade seems to have had a profound interest in magic and alchemy. In a private room at the top of the house known as 'The Witch's Garret' there was once a collection of objects connected with witchcraft, and the floor and one wall were (and still are?) decorated with various magical symbols. When the Manor was given to the National Trust this strange collection of magical objects was loaned to the Museum of Witchcraft, formerly at Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds, now at Boscastle in Cornwall. Amongst the items the Museum still has is a large oak magician's chest, possibly from the 17th century.

Unfortunately this was badly damaged in a flood in 2004, and only the wooden carvings, including female figures, green men & horned god masks, survive. Nothing is mentioned of these occult items in the National Trust's descriptions of Wade, the Manor House and his odd collection.

Wade spent lots of time in the manor house organising and restoring his incredible collection and, by the time he handed it and the Manor over to the National Trust in 1951, he had amassed 22,000 items, plus a 2000 piece costume collection. In giving the collection to the National Trust his hope was that people would learn to value quality craftsmanship from contact with these objects, each endowed with the spirit of the craftsman and the era in which it was created.

The Ghosts of Snowshill Manor

Charles Wade's Room at Snowshill

It is perhaps inevitable that an eccentric collector living in a lonely manor house in the Cotswolds will inspire ghostly stories of strange goings on. In the best traditions of local folklore there are indeed eerie tales told of Snowshill Manor. When Wade acquired the Manor he engaged twenty-eight workmen who stayed in the attic during the week. After the first night, one workman refused to stay another night in the place saying that it was haunted. Wade later learned that there was a belief in the village concerning the ghost of one of the Benedictine Monks of Winchcombe Abbey. Some people who visit Snowshill Manor have noticed that the entrance to the house has a certain uncanny ambiance and occasionally refuse to enter.

When Charles Wade began his restoration of the first floor rooms he sent a small piece of the timber to a well known lady psychic in Brighton, without telling her where it originated. She replied:

'Two houses upon a steep slope - the larger, lofty and mysterious. In the lofty house in an upper room, late at night there is a girl in a green dress of the seventeenth century - she is greatly agitated - she paces anxiously up and down the room - she doesn't live here and will not stay the night'.

It was only later that Charles Wade came across a story that may have inspired at least one of the hauntings at the manor. It involved a clandestine marriage that took place in an upper room of the house on St Valentine's Eve, 1604. Ann Parsons, a sixteen-year-old orphan heiress related by marriage to John Warne, owner of Snowshill at the time, was forcibly removed from the home of her guardian by Anthony Palmer, a handsome twenty-year-old servant, and some friends. She was then taken to Snowshill Manor and married to Palmer at midnight in the room above the Great Hall, by the vicar of Broadway (another Cotswolds village nearby). She afterwards refused to stay at Snowshill and the dejected wedding party was forced to travel by night to the village of Chipping Campden. The marriage was subsequently declared invalid by the court of the Star Chamber. The room is now known as Ann's room, and is haunted by her unhappy ghost.

Another incident which may have contributed to the ghostly atmosphere of the house is the duel which is supposed to have occurred in the room known as Zenith, in which one of the participants was killed. Another story relates to Charles Marshall, who occupied the house in the first half of the 19th century and held leases over a thousand acres of land. After he died his widow still lived at the Manor and farmed the adjacent land. Some time before 1858 (the year Mrs. Marshall died) a labourer named Richard Carter was working at a remote place called Hill Barn Farm. Returning home one winter's evening by a little used track, he met an apparition of his former master, Charles Marshall, who rode alongside him on a fine black pony. This happened several times and finally Carter, on the advise of the rector, asked the ghost what it wanted. The reply was that Carter should meet him at midnight in the chaff-house. At the meeting that night Carter was given a secret message for Mrs. Marshall, the contents of which were never made known. However, there were rumours that the message was connected with the location of hidden money as soon after the incident the widow managed to start new buildings to the north of the Manor.

This story was told to Charles Wade in 1919 by Richard Dark, son-in-law of the labourer Richard Carter.

A Haunted Cotswolds Village

Charles Wade

The village of Snowshill itself also has its tales of ghosts and hauntings. Alistair Biles, landlord of the Snowshill Arms from 1969 to 1979, frequently saw a ghoslty figure in the ancient upstairs part of the inn.

This apparition could open doors and would disturb his dog so much that it would run downstairs to the modern part of the building. The strange figure often took the form of a hooded monk, but at other times seemed to have very little form at all, being no more than a misty shape that would disappear through walls or closed doors. Neither Mr. Bile nor his family ever felt threatened by the figure.

There is also a strange presence that lurks in the lane that runs past the Manor, and there is a particular spot here that many of the older villagers refuse to pass after dark. Many local people think the ghost, like the one in the Snowshill Arms, and perhaps the Manor, is that of an unhappy monk probably connected with Winchcombe Abbey. The pub is one of the oldest buildings in the village and in medieval times it is thought that the older part was used as a hostel for visiting clergy and lay-people.

Charles Wade, though rarely seen about the village, was well liked by the locals, though his 18th century appearance, with outlandish bobbed hair and breeches, stockings and buckled shoes, was thought eccentric to say the least. In 1946 he married and spent many of his last years in the West Indies. He maintained a keen interest in Snowshill Manor and continued to add to his collection. In 1951, when he gave over the Manor to the National Trust, Wade was the same unique figure, 'still mischievous, waxy complexioned, a medieval face seen through the woodsmoke'.

While on a visit to England in July 1956, Wade was taken ill in Broadway, and shortly after died in Evesham Hospital. He is buried with his mother and sisters in Snowshill churchyard.
He once wrote of his beloved Snowshill Manor:

'Old am I, so very old,
Here centuries have been.
Mysteries my walls enfold,
None know deeds I have seen.'

Cheltenham Literature Festival, Oct. 8-17

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:12:00 +0000

The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival returns in a celebration of award-winning writers, world-renowned thinkers and international star names – with more than 450 events over the ten day Festival.

Once more the Festival welcomes a range of Guest Directors who have each programmed a dynamic series of events. Kevin McCloud explores architecture and design, Will Hutton investigates finance, China Miéville shares the best of future fiction, Mary Beard brings to life ancient Greece and Rome and Owen Sheers puts poetry centre-stage.

Welcoming over 2,000 literary lovers for each event, the Centaur Series on the opening weekend promises some of the biggest names in popular culture and current affairs – including Armstrong & Miller, Peter Mandelson, Stephen Hawking, Graham Norton and Hollywood superstar Michael Caine.

At its heart the Festival rejoices in the joy of books, the thrill of debate and the unique interaction between writer and reader and this year welcomes some true literary legends. Salman Rushdie, A S Byatt, Jostein Gaarder, Philip Pullman and Adrian Mole author Sue Townsend all feature, amongst many others!

A host of small screen stars will also flock to Cheltenham this October - Dawn French, Gok Wan, Chris Evans, Kirstie Allsopp, Dom Joly and Harry Hill are just a few of the big names to spot; alongside our series celebrating culinary genius, with Nigella Lawson, Antonio Carluccio and Saturday Kitchen regular Olly Smith – a truly tasty line-up!

Also, don’t forget Book It! – the festival for younger readers at the heart of the programme with fun, exciting and surprising events every day of the Festival.

Please join us on 8-17 October 2010 - the full programme is now available to book online. For all details and bookings, visit: http://cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature/

Frocester Beer Festival, 27 - 28 August 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:55:00 +0000

The annual Frocester Beer Festival is run in conjunction with Frocester Cricket Club at the cricket club's ground in the hamlet of Frocester near Stonehouse. The Festival is an all-ticket event taking place every August bank holiday weekend and the 2010 Festival will be the 31st. There is parking and a camp-site (with public amenities, but non reservable pitches), a stage with a complete programme of live music throught-out the festival, hot food, and most importantly, over 100 different cask-conditioned real ales from more than 50 breweries around the UK. There is also a large selection of wines along with some cider and perry. Over the years this event has proven to be a highlight in many people's calender, and has been a very successful way for us to raise further money for charity.

For further details, how to buy tickets, and directions, visit the Dursley Lions Website.

To become a fan of this outstanding event on Facebook, click here.

The Very Best Sweet Shop in The Cotswolds... and maybe in England

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:17:00 +0000

Claiming best sweet shop in England is pretty bold, I know... but this place is the real deal. Traditional old style sweets from the early days of the sweet shop through the favourite sweeties of the '80s, Hamilton's of Broadway is the absolute best. Top quality, an enormous range, and all freshly made (unlike so many 'old fashioned sweet shops' that really just sell stale rubbish from the local cash 'n' carry).

You can find Hamilton's right in the centre of Broadway at:

Hamiltons of Broadway
11, Cotswold Court
The Green
Broadway
Worcestershire
WR12 7AA
Tel: +44 (0) 1386 858560

They also have a shop in Burford, which we haven't been to. I'm betting it is every bit as good as the shop in Broadway. It's located at:

HamiltonsChristmas Court
94 High Street Burford
OX18 4QJ
Tel : +44 (0) 1993 824344

If you're travelling through The Cotswolds and want some REAL English sweets, there really is none better. If you know of any sweetie shops of this caliber in the area, please Comment here so we can all have a taste!

P.S. If you live in the UK or Europe and crave proper old sweeties but can't make it to Hamiltons, try http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/ for home delivery. They are outstanding and only sell the best. No idea how or where they are getting their sweets; but, I suspect a time machine is involved.

Golf & Spa Breaks in The Cotswolds

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:24:00 +0000

A while ago I worked for a hotel group in the UK, and we did lots of 'golf breaks' and 'spa breaks.' The difficulty was that we had to partner with golf clubs that would be happy having lots of hotel guests passing through and had enough empty tee-off slots to give us carte blanche to book people in (everything was sold a s a package)... so the courses tended to be a bit crap.

The deal was the same with Spas- mostly only the not so popular ones would work with large tourist hotels. Of course, there are some hotels that have their own golf course- and some are incredible- but most are fairly low grade. Spa hotels, on the other hand, can be really outstanding, and the Cotswolds plays home to some of the best in the country.

So, if you're looking for a great Golf Break or a great Spa Break- or a perfect combination of the two, here you are. First up are the best Spa hotels in the area, and then are all of the golf courses in The Cotswolds. The ultimate countryside weekend pick 'n' mix...

Cotswolds Spa Hotels

COTSWOLDS HOUSE HOTEL AND SPA

Chipping Campden

Tel: +44 (0)1386 840330

Website: http://www.cotswoldhouse.com/

The exclusive Temple Spa range is a total lifestyle brand that beautifully fuses product, philosophy and spa. Temple Spa's passion is professional-standard skin care and body care, aromatherapy and spa treatments, made from natural products inspired by the Mediterranean, that replenish, revive and renew.

Indulge in a menu of refreshing or rebalancing body treatments from expert therapists and including holistic treatments, massages, facials, pedicures, and aromatherapy. Give yourself a boost, have a dip in the pool and, in the summer months, lie back on a sun lounger in our garden with a cool drink in your hand and the sun on your face.

CALCOT MANOR

Near Tetbury

Tel: +44 (0) 1666 890 391

Website: http://www.calcotmanor.co.uk/

Calcot Spa is a magnificent private leisure complex, with outstanding facilities for health, beauty, fitness and relaxation. Imaginatively designed around a central courtyard, Calcot Spa blends sympathetically with its Cotswold surroundings and features a 16-metre pool, sauna, steamroom, outdoor spa pool, exercise studio, tennis and no fewer than seven treatment rooms. Use of the Spa is restricted to private members and hotel guests, but we also offer a choice of Day Spas for non-members.

COWLEY MANOR

Cowley

Tel: +44 (0) 1242 870 900

Website: http://www.cowleymanor.com/

Cowley Manor is a contemporary-chic country house hotel which sits in the glorious Cotswold countryside surrounded by 55 acres of parkland, woods and meadows. The famous gardens feature several natural springs, a series of lakes and Victorian cascades. Cowley Manor opened in 2002 and its award-winning design and architecture combined to pioneer a new wave of contemporary country house hotels With emphasis on comfort, service and very few rules, Cowley Manor is the ideal place to relax, unwind and indulge in the heart of the British countryside.

The spa has two stunning pools: a 17m green slate lined indoor pool, heated all year round, and an elegant outdoor pool, also heated all year round. in addition, it has four treatment rooms and a separate manicure and pedicure area, enabling the dedicated therapists to offer a full range of indulging and therapeutic treatments, all using Green Spring products. C.Side also has a gymnasium (personal training can be arranged at time of booking) and a steam room and sauna.

Cotswolds Golf Courses

BRAILES GOLF CLUB
Sutton Lane, Lower Brailes, Nr. Banbury OX15 5BB
B4035 between Shipston and Banbury
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1608 685 633
• Website: www.brailesgolfclub.co.uk
18 hole. Visitors welcome at all times. Delightful rural location with Sutton Brook featuring on 5 holes. A relaxed but challenging course with a welcoming clubhouse. Ring for a tee time.
________________________________________
BRICKHAMPTON COURT GOLF CLUB
Cheltenham Road, Churchdown GL12 9QF
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1452 859 444
• Fax: +44 (0) 1452 859 333
• Website: www.brickhampton.co.uk
‘Spa Course’ 18 hole, par 71 parkland course featuring lakes, streams and white sand bunkers. ‘Glevum Course’ 9 hole par 31 intermediate course. 28 bay floodlit, covered Driving range and Golf School. Professional tuition available. Clubhouse, restaurant and bar. Two golf shops. Flexible conference facility. Visitors and societies welcome – advance booking recommended.

________________________________________
BROADWAY GOLF CLUB
Willersey Hill, Broadway WR12 7LG
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1386 853 683
• Fax: +44 (0) 1386 858 643
• Website: www.broadwaygolfclub.co.uk
• Email: secretary@broadwaygolfclub.co.uk
Uniquely located on a Cotswold escarpment with exceptional views over the Vale of Evesham, this link style golf course provides a challenge for golfers of all abilities. It offers holes that with their natural and artificial hazards require drives that are skilfully placed, approaches carefully judged and the greens expertly read. Visitors are welcome and societies by prior arrangement. The excellent renowned catering and bar facilities will enhance the golfing experience. Buggies, club hire and driving range available.
Handicap requirements: Certificate required.
18 hole Par 72
________________________________________
BROOME MANOR GOLF COMPLEX
Pipers Way, Swindon SN3 1RG
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1793 495 761
• Fax: +44 (0) 1793 433 255
• Website: www.swindon.gov.uk/golf
18 hole parkland course with water hazards. 9 hole course. Floodlit driving range. Bar and restaurant. Tuition available. Visitors welcome at all times.
________________________________________
BURFORD GOLF CLUB
Burford, OX18 4JG
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1993 822 583
• Tuition: +44 (0) 1993 822 344
• Email: admin@burfordgolfclub.co.uk
• Website: www.burfordgolfclub.co.uk
18 hole flat, parkland course. Bar and Restaurant. Visitors welcome by appointment, please ring for availability. Handicap certificate required. Tuition available.
________________________________________
CHIPPING NORTON GOLF CLUB
Southcombe, Chipping Norton OX7 5QH
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1608 642 383
• Website: www.chippingnortongolfclub.com
18 hole dry downland course. Bar and restaurant. Visitors welcome on weekdays. Tuition available.

________________________________________
CIRENCESTER GOLF CLUB
Cheltenham Road, Cirencester GL7 7BH
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1285 652 465
• Tuition: +44 (0) 1285 656 124
• Fax: +44 (0) 1285 650 665
• Email: info@cirengolfclub.co.uk
• Website: www.cirencestergolfclub.co.uk
Situated in the heart of the Cotswolds, Cirencester Golf Club offers a traditional, welcoming atmosphere. The historic James Braid course dates from 1910, with undulating terrain offering a picturesque panorama over the surrounding countryside. Built on free-draining limestone, the course remains playable all year round. A six-hole academy course, covered driving range and pro shop complete the golfing facilities, and buggies are available. Bar snacks and excellent home-cooked meals can be enjoyed in the comfortable clubhouse.
Handicap requirements: None; dress code applies.
18 holes Par 70/72
________________________________________
CLEEVE HILL GOLF CLUB
Nr. Cheltenham GL52 3PW
• Club House: +44 (0) 1242 672 025
• Pro shop/tee times: +44 (0)1242 672 592
• Website: http://www.cleevehillgolfcourse.co.uk
Enjoy the warm friendly atmosphere of our municipal Golf course, bar and restaurant. We offer an 18 hole course with spectacular views, professional golf tuition, golf societies, skittle alley hire and private functions. Please contact for further information.
________________________________________
COTSWOLD HILLS GOLF CLUB
Ullenwood, Nr. Cheltenham GL53 9QT
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1242 515 264
• Fax: +44 (0) 1242 515 317
• Email: contact.us@cotswoldhills-golfclub.com
• Website: www.cotswoldhills-golfclub.com
A superb gently undulating Cotswold country course just five minutes from junction 11A of the M5. The course provides a challenge for every level of ability, is maintained to an exceptional standard and the greens are renowned to be among the best in the country. After your game enjoy our excellent bar and restaurant food in our very comfortable clubhouse. Our professional provides excellent tuition and a well stocked shop selling a wide range of equipment. Societies and visitors are welcome.
Handicap requirements: preferred. Usual dress standards apply.
18 Holes Par 72/75

________________________________________
CRICKLADE HOTEL and COUNTRY CLUB *
Common Hill, Cricklade SN6 6HA
• Telephone: +44 (0)1793 750 751
• Website: www.crickladehotel.co.uk
9 hole parkland course. Bar and restaurant. Visitors welcome on weekdays. Tuition available.
________________________________________
GLOUCESTER GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB*
Robinswood Hill, Gloucester GL4 6EA
• Hotel Telephone: +44 (0)1452 525 653
• Club House: +44 (0)1452 411 331
• Fax: +44 (0)1452 874 809
• Email: gm.gloucester@ramadajarvis.co.uk
• Website: www.gloucestergolf.com
Championship course has been designed to obtain the greatest possible benefit from the natural form of the hillside - the varying undulations as the hill falls from a height of 600ft to 200ft at the base of the course. The resort includes a 9 hole course and a 12 bay floodlit driving range.
Handicap requirements: None - knowledge of etiquette required.
18 holes Par 72
________________________________________
HIGHWORTH GOLF CENTRE
Swindon Road, Highworth SN6 7SJ
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1793 766 014
• Website: www.swindon.gov.uk/leisuresport/golf/highworthgolf.htm
9 hole undulating course. 9 hole pitch and putt. Vending refreshments. Visitors welcome. Pay and play course.
________________________________________
LILLEY BROOK GOLF CLUB
Cirencester Road, Cheltenham GL53 8EG
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1242 526 785
• Fax: +44 (0) 1242 256 880
• Professional: +44 (0) 1242 525 201
• Email: secretary@lilleybrook.co.uk
• Website: www.lilleybrook.co.uk
A rolling parkland course designed by Mackenzie, offering stunning views over the Vale of Cheltenham to the Malverns and the Black Hills. A challenging course with many trees. Facilities include bar, restaurant, professional's shop; trolleys and buggies available.
Handicap requirements: Certificate required.
18 holes Par 69

________________________________________
MINCHINHAMPTON GOLF CLUB - NEW COURSE **
Minchinhampton, Stroud GL6 9BE
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1453 833 866
• Fax: +44 (0) 1453 837 360
• Email: secretary@mgcnew.co.uk
• Website: www.mgcnew.co.uk
Set high on the Cotswolds both Cherington and Avening courses offer scenic countryside and outstanding tests of golf. The Cherington is a testing inland links course and an Open Championship Regional Qualifying venue from 2002 to 2007. In 2006 it hosted the South West Championship and the ELGA 'Brenda King' Foursomes. The Avening Course is a parkland course offering a different but no less challenging experience. The superbly appointed Cotswold stone Clubhouse offers comfort and good food. Visiting golfers welcome and groups by arrangement.
Handicap requirements: Certificate required.
Avening 18 holes Par 70 Cherington 18 holes Par 71
________________________________________
MINCHINHAMPTON GOLF CLUB - OLD COURSE **
Minchinhampton Common, Stroud GL6 9AQ
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1453 832 642
• Fax: +44 (0) 1453 832 642
• Email: alan@mgcold.co.uk
• Website: www.mgcold.co.uk
Situated in the delightful Cotswolds on Minchinhampton Common, an unspoiled Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. One of the earliest clubs to be formed in the West of England. It is an open grassland inland links course. The initial impression is that the course is 'wide open' but after a few holes it is evident that the 'St Andrews' factor applies and that positional play is important. A warm welcome awaits you at this friendly old club.
Handicap requirements: None
18 holes Par 71
________________________________________
NAUNTON DOWNS GOLF CLUB **
Nr. Stow-on-the-Wold GL54 3AE
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1451 850 090
• Shop: +44 (0) 1451 850 092
• Fax: +44 (0) 1451 850 091
• Website: www.nauntondowns.co.uk
18 hole picturesque course. Bar and restaurant. Visitors welcome at all times. Booking essential. Pro shop, tuition available, equipment hire. Tennis course available.

________________________________________
OAKSEY PARK GOLF and LEISURE *
Oaksey, Nr. Malmesbury SN16 9SB
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1666 577 995
• Website: www.oakseypark.co.uk
9 hole parkland course. Bar and restaurant. Visitors welcome at all times. Tuition available. Function room.
________________________________________
PAINSWICK GOLF CLUB
Painswick GL6 6TC
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1452 812 180
• Website: www.painswickgolf.com
18 hole course on Painswick Beacon. Bar and restaurant. Visitors welcome except Sundays.
________________________________________
SHIPTON GOLF COURSE
Nr. Frogmill Hotel, Andoversford, Glos
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1242 890 237
• Website: www.shiptongolf.co.uk
9 hole pay and play course. Refreshments. Tuition available. Club/trolley hire. Families welcome.
________________________________________
SHRIVENHAM PARK GOLF CLUB
Pennyhooks Lane, Nr. Swindon SN6 8EX
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1793 783 853
• Website: www.shrivenhampark.com
18 hole meadowland course with stream. Bar and restaurant. Visitors welcome at all times. Tuition available. 10 holes also available. Dress code.

________________________________________
SOUTH CERNEY GOLF COURSE
Northmoor Lane, South Cerney, Near Cirencester GL7 5QD
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1285 861 001
• Website: www.southcerneygolfcourse.co.uk
18 hole pay and play golf course and driving range. Visitors welcome. Tuition available.
________________________________________
STINCHCOMBE HILL GOLF CLUB
Dursley GL11 6AQ
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1453 542 015
• Fax: +44 (0) 1453 549 545
• Website: www.stinchcombehillgolfclub.com
• Email: secretary@stinchcombehill.plus.com
18 hole flat, hill-top course with splendid views. Bar and restaurant. Visitors welcome weekdays and weekends. Booking necessary. Tuition available.
________________________________________
TEWKESBURY PARK HOTEL, GOLF and COUNTRY CLUB *
Tewkesbury GL20 7DN
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1684 295 405
• Fax: +44 (0) 1684 292 386
An attractive 18 hole par 73 parkland course with sweeping views of the Malvern Hills and Gloucestershire countryside. Equipment hire, driving range, putting green, 6 hole par 3 course. The hotel features around an 18th century manor house with 80 comfortable en-suite bedrooms, complemented by full use of all leisure facilities. Beautician and sunbeds – fee payable.
________________________________________
WESTONBIRT GOLF COURSE
Westonbirt School, Tetbury GL8 8QG
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1666 880 242
9 hole parkland course. Visitors welcome at all times.
________________________________________
THE WYCHWOOD GOLF CLUB
Lyneham, Chipping Norton OX7 6QQ
• Telephone: +44 (0) 1993 831 841
• Fax: +44 (0) 1993 831 775
• Email: info@thewychwood.com
• Website: www.thewychwood.com
18 hole course. Bar and restaurant. Visitors welcome. Tuition available. Equipment hire. Driving range.

The Top Cotswolds Hotels?

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Mon, 31 May 2010 05:26:00 +0000

Last week I asked our Facebook fans what they each thought was the best place to stay in the Cotswolds. Eleven people responded (one chap listed three, so we have thirteen), and the hotels they cited, along with their quotes, were listed here. Since then, people have continued to recommend great places to stay, so I'm just adding them on to the list as ideas come in.

Of course, there are plenty of great hotel review sites; but, I’d be inclined to listen to people who are really interested in the area and are proper Cotswolds fans rather than people who may have just have passed through and didn’t find the area to their liking. Without further ado, the Cotswolds Top Recommended by our fans are:

Hotel: The Olive Branch in Broadway
Website: http://www.theolivebranch-broadway.com/
Fan Quote: The Olive Branch B&B in Broadway. My two-night stay there is one of the most beautiful memories of my whole life, years later!

Hotel: Gambles Farm in Woodmancote
Website: http://www.gamblesfarm.co.uk/
Fan Quote: gambles farm in woodmancote / bottom of cleeves hill fantastic always go back again and again

Hotel: Bruern Cottages in Burford
Website: http://www.bruern-holiday-cottages.co.uk/
Fan Quote: Bruern Cottages in Burford

Hotel: Fairview Farmhouse near Stow-On-The-Wold
Website: Not Available.
Contact details are:
Fairview Farm
Icomb
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL54 1JH
Telephone: 01451 830279
Fan Quote: Fairview Farmhouse near Stow. Loved it!

Hotel: Cotland House in Burford
Website: http://www.cotlandhouse.com/
Fan Quote: Cotland House, Burford - utterly lovely.

Hotel: The Swan in Bibury
Website: http://www.cotswold-inns-hotels.co.uk/property/the_swan_hotel
Fan Quote: we so enjoyed our stay at The Swan Hotel in Bibury

Hotel: The Ebrington Arms near Chipping Campden
Website: www.theebringtonarms.co.uk
Fan Quote: The Ebrington Arms www.theebringtonarms.co.uk

Hotel: Westward at Sudeley Lodge in Winchcombe
Website: http://www.westward-sudeley.co.uk/
Fan Quote: Westward at Sudeley Lodge in Winchcombe. Absolutely fantastic

Hotel: Hare and Hounds Inn in Fosse Cross
Website: http://www.hareandhoundsinn.com/
Fan Quote: I've been at the Hare and Hounds Inn at Fosse Cross and loved it!

Hotel: Barnsley House near Cirencester
Website: http://www.barnsleyhouse.com/
Fan Quote: A three way tie between Barnsley House, The Painswick Hotel and Cardynham House...

Hotel: The Painswick Hotel (now known as Cotswolds 88) in… erm... Painswick
Website: http://www.cotswolds88hotel.com/index.shtml

Hotel: Cardynham House in Painswick
Website: http://www.cardynham.co.uk/

Hotel: South Hill Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast
Website: http://www.southhill.co.uk/index.php
Fan Quote: South Hill Farmhouse in Stow on the Wold. Lovely place, excellent service. I recommend it 100%! :) Cheers from Argentina.

Hotel:  Lords of the Manor at Upper Slaughter
Website:  http://www.lordsofthemanor.com/
Fan Quote:  Lord of the Manor was an awesome place to stay!

Hotel:  Box Cottage in Broadway
Website:  http://www.bookcottages.com/cottages/100-NU3-box-cottage.htmFan Quote:  We were delighted by Box Cottage in Broadway. Not a hotel, but a wonderful place to stay--and in an absolutely wonderful village.

Hotel:  Lygon Arms in Chipping Campden

Website:  http://www.lygonarms.co.uk/
Fan Quote:  Lygon arms in broadway is wonderful- beautiful old rooms, good service, and walking distance to a few great pubs. See you this summer!

Hotel:  Rose and Crown House in Chipping Campden
Website:  http://www.campdencottages.co.uk/properties/rose_crown.htm
Fan Quote:  We enjoyed our week at the Rose and Crown House in Chipping Campden. Lovely!

Hotel:  Cranbourne House in Bourton-on-the-Water
Website:  http://www.cranbournehousebandb.co.uk/Fan Quote:  Last week, we stayed at Cranbourne House in Bourton on the Water. Absolutely fabulous!! Lin and Sue are wonderful hosts!

Would you like to have your say? I would love to hear from you, especially about great places you have stayed at in The Cotswolds.

There are so many hotels and B & Bs that are offering outstanding experiences and just don't have the budget to market themselves to the world, so they rely on word-of-mouth advertising from people who have stayed at their establishment and enjoyed their time so much they are compelled to tell others. If you have been to one of these places, let us know and we'll do our best to spread the word!

Either comment here on this blog or become a 'fan' of our Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/cotswolds/) and join the conversation.

Frolic Amongst the Follies at A Georgian Garden Party

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sun, 16 May 2010 02:37:00 +0000

Ridiculous title for a posting, I know, but how else could one describe it? This year, the Rococo Gardens in Painswick (The Queen of The Cotswolds) will play host to a very extravagant and exclusive garden party. The gardens are full of Georgian follies and include a hedge maze to rival Hampton Court’s.

20th, 21st & 22nd August
Rococo Garden Party

Frolic as if it were the 18th Century as the garden celebrates local produce, crafts, and as part of the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity, our woodlands.

BBC Radio's Johnnie Amos will be chairing a special Gardeners Question Time and celebrity chef Felice Tocchini will be cooking up a feast in the Orangery.

Treat yourself yourself to the ultimate in garden luxury with Champagne & Cupcakes in the newly restored Red House, which will become an exclusive pre-booked VIP Area during the party.

Garden Party Opening times: 11.ooam - 6.30p.m

Prices:

Adult: £6.00

Adults over 60: £5.00

Children (5 to 16) :£3.00

Family Ticket (2 Adults & 2 Children):£16.00

Pre - booked Groups: (min. 20) will be entitled to a 20% reduction.

Visitors arriving in Georgian costume will gain free entry into the garden.

Programme of events and more information available on the Rococo Garden Party website, please click here.

About the Gardens

Situated outside the beautiful Cotswold town of Painswick, and famous for its snowdrop display, the Rococo Garden is a fascinating step back to a flamboyant and sensual period of English Garden Design. This gem of a garden, which was originally laid out in the early 18th century, is set in a hidden Cotswold valley with magnificent views of the surrounding countryside.

A magazine article of 1753, describing this style of garden, finished with the line:

“.......You are taken to a pompous and gilded building, consecrated to Venus for no other purpose that the squire riots here in vulgar love with a couple of orange wenches from the local play-house.”

Enough said!

A 3-Bed Dwelling in a Jacobean Manor in the heart of the Cotswolds for £217,000?!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 06:09:00 +0000

In some of the most beautiful Cotswold countryside, just outside Winchcombe and very near the bustling town of Cheltenham, is Postlip Hall. The Postlip Estate is at the end of a three-quarter-mile drive in a valley off B4632, the road between Cheltenham & Winchcombe. There's been a house here since before the Norman Conquest. The Chapel, built about 1145, is the oldest of the present buildings. The Tithe Barn's origins are a bit of a mystery, as no documents have survived- it may be as old as the 12th century Chapel, or could have been built at any point between 1140 and about 1400.

And for £217,000, you could live there. I am not wrong. But it's not so straightforward as all that. Postlip Hall is something of a commune, with eight families cohabiting the building and forming a co-housing group, where the community owns the property. The Hall is divided into eight separate ‘living units’, each with its own front door (and usually a back door) so everybody has a private ‘house’ that’s part of a much bigger cooperative framework. People can thus move fairly freely between private life and group life. They share some communal rooms and they also share the fifteen-acre grounds, pond, stream and kitchen garden. They don’t cook communally, but eat informally together every now & then, especially in the summer.

So, not the traditional housing set up, and certainly not for those who like to keep to themselves, nor for those looking for a holiday home. But there are some real benefits here for those looking for a very peaceful, simple and natural life in a true community. And, in an area where country houses are notoriously expensive, this is an opportunity, for the right family, not to be missed.

Of course, there are plenty of things to be considered here, so please read the details of the property and their website thoroughly. But there is one small event that happens here that could set the stage, and could provide a good opportunity to experience Postlip Hall before thinking about living here (but be warned, an opening in this place is VERY RARE and only comes along every few years at best, and this one may be gone before you can say "stone mullioned windows")- The Cotswold Beer Festival. This is CAMRA's (the Campaign For Real Ale) official festival for locally brewed, proper English Ale, and it's a very cool event.

Here is a snippet of what the folks at Postlip have to say about the dwelling on offer, along with a link for those of you who think you might just be the next family of the Hall:

Would you like to...

... own part of a Jacobean manor? ... bring up your children in fifteen acres of freedom and opportunity? ... eat home-grown organic vegetables and fresh eggs? ... be entertained by musical & dramatic events in the Great Hall & Tithe Barn? ... join with us to get great pleasure from an amazing and beautiful place?

And would you enjoy...

... gardening organically in a walled garden? ... caring for chickens, sheep and Gloucester Old Spot pigs? ... maintaining and preserving a Grade 1 listed historic building? ... rebuilding drystone walls, mowing lawns and weeding flower borders? ... running the Cotswold Beer Festival and other public events? ... taking your share of community activities and meetings?

Postlip now has a three-bedroom unit for sale at £217,000 because one of our families is moving on after nineteen years.

For full details and to make an inquiry, CLICK HERE.

You have to admit, that's a pretty good sales pitch. And if you're not ready to start interviewing for your seat in the Manor, at least mark your calendar for the 2010 Cotswolds Beer Festival, Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th of July!

May Hill

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:26:00 +0000

I thought I'd write a little about May Hill, seeing as May Day is fast approaching...

May Hill is a hill between Gloucester and Ross-on-Wye, whose summit is on the western edge of Gloucestershire, though its northern slopes are in Herefordshire. May Hill is the most familiar landmark for many miles around, with its near circular mound and the crowning clump of trees, and at 296 metres (971 feet) it is the highest point around. On a clear day you can see up to 12 other counties. May Hill has a circular trench, 100 metres in diameter, and is said to be an old earthwork from the Iron Age. Within this area is a mound that is said to be a round barrow.

It forms part of a low range of hills separating the River Severn from the River Wye. The Hill used to be known as Yartleton Hill, but may have been renamed because of the May Day activities there (see below). The top of the hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Much of the hill is owned by the National Trust, though the very top is vested with the Longhope Parish Council (though with no fences). It was recently included among 'the seven wonders of the West Country.'

Each May Day (the first of May), Morris Dancers dance in the new dawn on the top of May Hill and hundreds of observers join in the celebration. A ceremony on May Day morning has been carried out for several centuries, originally it included a mock battle between youths.

The summit is reached by three public footpaths, two of them forming the Gloucestershire Way and Wysis Way.

Here is a great video of the May Day celebrations last year atop the hill:

Contact details for May Hill/National Trust

Ebworth Estate
The Camp
Stroud
Gloucestershire GL6 7ES

01452 814213 (General enquiries)
01452 810054 (Warden)
Email: mayhill@nationaltrust.org.uk

May Day 2010
This year the Lassington Oak Morris Men will be dancing in the Spring at 5:15am (sunrise) at the top of the hill. Hope you can make it!

More info & some great photos
There's loads of detail about May Hill, as well as some stunning photographs by Alan Wood, on the Ross-on-Wye visitors website, so please have a look!

St. George's Day in The Cotswolds

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 23:04:00 +0000

Cry God for Harry, England and St George! St. George's Day is upon us and Boris and I hope you'll be doing your bit to celebrate all things English, whether here in the UK or anywhere else. Of course, to truly celebrate in style you'll want to be in the Cotswolds. Specifically, you'll want to be in Ilmington, Warwickshire...

And why Ilmington? Of course, there are great festivities all over the country; but, there is a very traditional little festival happening in this northern corner of the Cotswolds that sounds like a perfect day out. For on April 22, there will be a Grand St George's Day Supper and Barn Dance with Traditional Songs and Readings. And there will be Morris Dancing, too.

There will be a Traditional Sausage and Mash Supper followed by Apple Pie, Port and Cheese, Coffee and Tea. There will be a bar.

Perfroming will be the Ilmington Morrismen. The traditional Ilmington Morris Men come from the village of Ilmington which is situated 8 miles south of Stratford-Upon-Avon, in the county of Warwickshire on the northern edge of the Cotswold Hills. Although mainly a continuous tradition of Morris Dancing has been recorded within the village for more than 350 years, there have been a number of significant periods of revival of their own unique dances, which number 24, including a broom dance (believed to have come from nearby Blackwell) originally danced by Sam Bennett (Fiddler) from the early 1900’s. Sam's original Hobby Horse (named affectionately Sam), now the oldest in the country, was made in 1899. It is still active with the side on many occasions.

The village of Ilmington is about 8 miles south of Stratford-on-Avon in the Cotswolds. Ilmington is the highest village in Warwickshire and is at the foot of the Ilmington Downs, which are the highest place in Warwickshire. So, there is some beautiful rambling to be done during the day before you decend into the village for the party!

Event Details:
Telephone number: 07711 121210

Email: theflyingmorrisman@hotmail.com

Times:
19.00 – Midnight

Ticket information:
Tickets £15 per person. Available from Paul Bryan.

Venue:
Ilmington Village Hall
Washbrook
Ilmington
Shipston on Stour
CV36 4LZ

Panoramic View from Broadway Tower

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:09:00 +0000

Broadway Tower is one of England's outstanding viewpoints and at 1024 (312m) above sea level, it is the second highest point on the Cotswold ridge. Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, high in the rolling Cotswold Hills, Broadway Tower surveys an expanse of some of the very best of the Cotswold countryside in a 62 mile radius.

The "Saxon" tower was designed by James Wyatt in 1794 to resemble a mock castle, and built for Lady Coventry in 1799. The tower was built on a "beacon" hill, where beacons were lit on special occasions. Lady Coventry wondered if a beacon on this hill could be seen from her house in Worcester - approximately 22 miles (35 km) away - and sponsored the construction of the folly to find out. The beacon could be seen clearly.

Over the years, the tower was home to the printing press of Sir Thomas Phillipps, and served as a country retreat for artists including William Morris.

The tower is on the Cotswold Way; it is easily reached by following the Cotswold Way from the A44 road at Fish Hill, or by a steep climb out of Broadway village.

Here is a great panoramic view of the North Cotswolds from atop the famous Broadway Tower.

Broadway Tower - A Virtual View in England

A Classic Motoring Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:57:00 +0000

Fancy a day or two of of shameless nostalgia in the world's favourite classic sports car? The spine-tingling growl of the 4.2 litre straight-six as you surge to 60 mph in 7 exhilarating seconds? And how about touring The Cotswolds, the UK's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in such a car? If you said yes (and who wouldn't?), give Classic Motoring in The Cotswolds a try. Classic Motoring is the self-drive classic car hire specialist for the legendary British classic- the Jaguar E-Type. They offer only Jaguar E-Types for hire, so you can be assured of exceptional, well-maintained examples of this historic classic car.

Now that you've got the motor sorted, you'll need some ideas of where to go. Happily, the good people at Cheltenham Tourism have put together a cracking little guide just for this purpose called The Romantic Road. The two romantic journeys, A Road for Today and A Road for Tomorrow, are each designed to be completed in a single day, at a leisurely pace, allowing time to enjoy the towns, villages and scenery along the way. They will introduce you to some of the places which have proved so popular with generations of visitors to the Cotswolds and also to some less well-known favourites. The suggested road map is shown here, and a description of the towns each route passes through follows. But please do order the guide (details at the end of this article), as it's perfect to have in the car with you as you whizz through the countryside!

A Road for Today
The Romantic Road travels north over Cleeve Hill and down into historic Winchcombe. From here we visit Stanway and Stanton before calling at picturesque Broadway. Chipping Campden, Blockley, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold and the Slaughters all feature in this tour of Cotswolds highlights, before returning to Cheltenham. A tour of some 75 miles.

Winchcombe
On the North Western edge of the Cotswolds, just a few miles north of Cheltenham. Winchcombe is a most attractive small town dating back to Saxon times when it was capital of the kingdom of Mercia. Visit Sudeley Castle and its beautiful gardens. Sudeley was the last resting place of Katherine Parr, the sixth and surviving wife of Henry VIII.

Stanway
The village clusters around its manor, Stanway House, with its magnificent Jacobean gateway built of honey-coloured Cotswold stone. The tithe barn, built in the 14th Century by the Abbot of Tewkesbury, now serves as a beautiful meeting hall. Stanway is proud of its thatched cricket pavilion, a gift from J M Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, who was a frequent visitor to the village.

Broadway
At the foot of Fish Hill where the Cotswolds join the Vale of Evesham, Broadway is one of the showpiece villages of the Cotswolds. Elizabethan houses, village green and the historic Lygon Arms patronised by both King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell are among its many attractions. Broadway Tower at the top of Fish Hill affords magnificent views over the Severn Valley.

Chipping Campden
One of the jewels of the Cotswolds. A picturesque village of honey-coloured stone, now carefully restored, with buildings dating from the 14th century. The Church of St James has fine monumental brasses. A feature of its beautiful High Street is the 17th century Market Hall. Visit the nearby Hidcote Manor Gardens, now in the care of the National Trust.

Blockley
Once a thriving industrial village supplying silk thread to the ribbon trade. Blockley was the refuge of the 19th Century prophetess, Joanna Southcott. Visit Mill Dene Garden, a Cotswold Water Mill garden near the centre of the village.

Moreton-in-Marsh
A busy market town on the northern edge of the Cotswolds. Moreton-in-Marsh grew up on the route of the Roman Fosse Way which runs through the main Street, and the old London to Worcester highway, a prominent coaching route. The old curfew tower still houses its original clock and bell dating from 1633.

Stow-on-the-Wold
The highest town in the Cotswolds, with a beautiful old market square, Stow-on-the-Wold continues to be one of the most popular places in the Cotswolds for visitors. Once famous for its sheep market, it is now a notable centre for the antiques trade. The final battle of the first English Civil War was fought here in March 1646.

The Slaughters
The beautiful neighbouring villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter are located on the River Eye. Picturesque small buildings and footbridges over the river are features of both villages, and at Lower Slaughter there is a 19th century corn mill which houses a small museum, gift shop and tea room.

A Road for Tomorrow
From the edge of Cheltenham, a country road takes you to Northleach and onwards to Burford following the Windrush Valley. Lechlade and Fairford feature on this journey, en route for Cirencester via the pretty village of Bibury on the River Colne. We follow the winding road back to Cheltenham, calling into Painswick, called the 'Queen of the Cotswolds'. A tour of some 90 miles.

Northleach
A delightful example of an unspoilt Cotswold wool town. Its church of St Peter and St Paul, endowed by wealthy wool merchants of the 15th century, is unofficially known as the Cathedral of the Cotswolds.

Burford
Burford contains many beautiful buildings along its main thoroughfare which twists up from the medieval (1322) bridge over the River Windrush. Hotels, inns, tea rooms and antiques shops make Burford popular with visitors, and the Church of St John the Baptist is a fine example of a Cotswold wool church.

Lechlade
This is the highest navigable point on the River Thames: crossing the river into the town centre is the fine Halfpenny Bridge, dating back to the 18th century.

The romance of the town is in the vicinity of the church of St Lawrence, in the market place, where in 1815 the poet Shelley was inspired to write "A Summer Evening Churchyard".

Fairford
Once an important stage on the London to Gloucester coaching route, the town square contains many 17th and 18th century buildings including old inns and hotels. The 15th century church of St Mary contains fine examples of medieval stained glass windows, while the churchyard contains a memorial stone to Tiddles, a former church cat!

Bibury
William Morris called Bibury the most beautiful village in England. Set in the valley of the River Coln, the village possesses an outstanding Saxon church, and the 14th century Arlington Row cottages - one of the most photographed scenes in the Cotswolds. Feed the fish at Bibury Trout Farm, or visit Arlington Mill, a folk museum with an exhibition dedicated to the Art and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds

Cirencester
The ancient capital of the Cotswolds, dating from Roman times when "Corinium Dubonnorum" was the second largest city in Roman Britain, is located where Fosse Way, Ermin Street and Akeman Street converged. Visit the Corinium Museum to view one of the best collections of Romano-British material. Now a lively market town, the street market was recorded in the Domesday book of 1086, and the Parish Church of St John the Baptist is one of the grandest of all the Cotswold wool churches.

Painswick
'The Queen of the Cotswolds', Painswick is a little gem of a town of silver grey stone houses and steep streets. Famed for its 99 Yew trees in the churchyard of St Mary's, (legend has it that the devil prevents the 100th from growing) and its 17th and 18th century table tombs. Visit the nearby Painswick Rococo Garden and Prinknash Abbey.

To order your copy of The Romantic Road, click here

Happy Motoring!

KEMPLEY DAFFODIL WEEKEND

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:09:00 +0000

Don't miss the Kempley Daffodil Weekend this Saturday 20 March 2010 and Sunday 21 March 2010. It's the 50 Year Anniversary of the Daffodil Line! Now if that's not reason enough to go for a ramble, read on...

DAFFODIL WAY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
The Daffodil Way in the Leadon Valley, on the border of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, attracts thousands of walkers in March and April. There are few places in Britain where you can see flowers growing in the wild in such profusion. The small wild daffodils grow freely in many fields and the surrounding woods and can be enjoyed on the circular 'Daffodil way' footpath covering approximately eight miles. The daffodils may be seen from the roads between Newent and Dymock which pass through the village of Kempley.

The daffodils have naturalised in grass in the fields, and there are also thick clusters of them in Dymock Wood. In places there is noise from the M50 motorway but most of the Daffodil Way is gloriously tranquil. The route also passes through pretty apple orchards.

And there's more: The attractive village of Dymock has a lovely church with an exhibition about the 'Dymock Poets' who included Rupert Brooke an Robert Frost. During the daffodil season, teas are often served in to church. Homemade food is served both days at the Village Hall in Kempley, which may be reached at 01531 822468.

The Daffodil Way can be accessed from several places - park in Dymock or in the Forestry Commission car park at Queen's Wood south of Kempley Green.

The Official Website for the event is here: http://www.daffs.org.uk/

The 2010 Olimpicks Are Just Around the Corner...

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:38:00 +0000

If ever there was a sporting event worthy of a weekend mini-holiday, the 2010 Olimpick Games are it. I am not wrong. I haven't mistaken the 2012 London Olympics, nor have I misspelled the word. It is the 400 year old Cotswold Olimpicks in Chipping Campden to which I refer! Here, we watch grown men engage in the age-old art of shin-kicking rather than watching them run, jump, or swim. Here are the rather vague details on this year's festivities...

Whilst the 2010 programme details are still being finalised please see the following details from last year's games.

From 7.30 Robert Dover opens the Games in front of his Castle. The Championship of the Hill with local teams and the Castle area. The Five Mile Race and the Junior Circuit begin there and the Shin-Kicking contest follows.

On the upper level areas there are exhibitions of 'Morris Dancing', Dog Displays, Falconry, as well as two bands. In the smaller arena there are displays of Backswords, Single-Stick contests and Tai Kwando (?!). Tug-of-War contests take place.

At 10.00pm the Scuttlebrook Queen lights the bonfire, fireworks colour the sky and then there is the moving Torchlight Procession to the Square in Chipping Campden where dancing in the Square concludes the evening.

Here's a little video from the 2007 Games to whet your appetite:

A Little History, Anyone?

The Games have a long history, possibly going back to the time when the hill was the site of the Kiftsgate Hundred Court.

Their present form takes much from the records of the Games in the early seventeenth century. Prominent is the picture of the Games published in 1636 with a collection of poems entitled Annalia Dubrensia (see Books on Dovers Games) in praise of the Games by reputable poets of the period.

The title page describes this as 'Olimpick'. The picture depicts Robert Dover presiding over his Games. On the summit of the hill a castle structure has guns firing to start events, and there are representations of the different activities - dancing, backswords, coursing, throwing the sledge hammer, spurning the barre, pike drill, tumbling and even shin-kicking.

The poems by Michael Drayton, Ben Jonson, Thomas Randolph, and others describe the excitement of the contest, the good-humoured rivalry, and, above all, the sense of good honest sportmanship which Robert Dover engendered.

Lavender Fields Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Nicholas) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:28:00 +0000

In Snowshill, Worcestershire, part of the North Cotswolds, lies 53 acres of lavender fields. That’s over 70 miles worth of lavender rows. Now, Snowshill is one of the more beautiful areas of the Cotswolds, if that is at all possible. But seeing the rolling green hills give way to this very unusually placed palette of every shade of purple, pink, and white is something truly unique.

Of course, if you love lavender this place is hard to beat. They sell all manner of products from their distillery and have a very nice little garden centre, too. And if you can’t make it there, but like what they’re doing, they ship their products to the UK, US, and most of Europe.

But it’s the scenery of the area and the way the smell of these fields mix with the Cotswold air that makes a trip here one of the most rewarding in the region. Honestly, I could sit on an overlooking hill with a pile of canvases, some oil paints, and a cooler of Cotswold Way for the whole day…. Here are some photos of the fields to get you inspired!

Not only can I smell it…. I can almost taste it, too. By the way- if you’ve never used lavender in cooking, you must give it a try. Its great mixed with thyme, oregano, and rosemary to coat pork or chicken before roasting or grilling, and it is used quite a lot in baking, too. Here’s a great recipe for lavender crème brulée from Jamie Oliver.

Visit the Snowshill Lavender official website here