The Cotswolds: Exploring England's Classic Countryside

Our Cotswolds sojourn begins this afternoon in Oxford with a guided walking tour of England's most famous university town. Admire the architecture and heritage of the 15th-century Bodleian Library and several of the colleges that comprise Oxford University, founded by King Henry VIII in 1546. Leaving Oxford, we head west into the heart of the Cotswolds. This rural region, whose name comes from the Old English "cot" for sheep enclosure and "wold," meaning hill—“sheep pens among rolling hills”—spans 800 square miles and is protected as Britain’s largest National Landscape. Arrive at Minster Lovell, where a welcome dinner awaits at our inn. This perfectly preserved village of stone cottages with classic thatched roofs enjoys a romantic setting on the River Windrush.

This morning, explore Wytham Woods Nature Reserve, owned and maintained by Oxford University since 1942 as a site for ecological research. We tour the “backyard natural laboratory” of the university with a private conservator who introduces us to its rich collection of flora and fauna, with more than 500 species of plants, 800 species of butterflies and moths, abundant birds and badgers, spring-fed peat fens, and a wealth of woodland habitats including ancient semi-natural woodland dating to the last Ice Age and secondary woodland intact since the 17th century. Wytham Woods is among the most-studied woodlands in the world, and we learn about the history of research and conservation efforts during our visit.

Next, a scenic drive on country lanes brings us to one of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds, Bibury on the River Coln, where we walk along Arlington Row with its stone weavers' cottages built in the 14th century. Continue to the charming village of Bampton, where many external scenes from Downton Abbey were filmed, then to Burford, whose classic cottages sweep down a long hill to the River Windrush. The Windrush Valley is one of the prettiest walking destinations in the Cotswolds, and we follow an easy path leading through the postcard-perfect hamlets of Widford, Swinbrook and Asthall. In contrast to the Cotswolds' more heavily touristed towns, these are unspoiled villages that evoke the traditional England of the imagination. The settings are quintessentially Cotswolds, with medieval churches, thatched cottages, cozy pubs, and stone bridges spanning the river. The scenery is as bucolic as it gets, with the trail skirting pastures filled with grazing sheep enclosed by dry stone walls. The area abounds in sheep, as it has for centuries, and numerous small wildlife species inhabit the hedgerows. Expect abundant wildflowers in spring and summer, a rich palette of warm colors in autumn, and varied bird sightings along the way. Return to Minster Lovell for a second night.

This morning, enjoy a private guided tour of the gardens at Highgrove House, the country residence of HRH King Charles III, who is an ardent supporter of wildlife conservation and rural landscapes in Britain. Such was his love for the landscape, history and people of the Cotswolds that Charles chose to make this 1796 manor house his personal home. The gardens, more than 35 years in the making, reflect great diversity, from the genteel setting of the Sundial Garden to the unstructured beauty of the Wildflower Meadow.

After lunch at Highgrove, continue to Westonbirt National Arboretum, where you have a choice of a guided interpretive tour or free time to wander the woodlands and gardens. A vital location for research and conservation, Westonbirt holds one of the most important plant collections in the world. Its more than 2,500 tree species include rare and intriguing flora from the farthest corners of the globe. The magnificent botanical collection got its start in 1829 by wealthy Victorian landowner Robert Holford, whose passion for nature and botany grew in tandem with the expansion of the British Empire, when naturalist explorers were bringing back new and exotic species from far-flung lands. Holford financed plant-collecting expeditions around the world, and the arboretum still contains many of the original specimens brought back from these forays.

Please note: On occasion, unexpected changes in the King’s schedule may force us to alter or cancel our visit to Highgrove House and Gardens today, since it is his personal residence. When that is the case, we will try to go on another date, or we will substitute an alternate activity.

This morning's visit to a globally important nature reserve offers a rich encounter with conservation leadership in action. Encompassing 650 acres of wetlands along the Severn Estuary, Slimbridge Wetland Center was established in 1946 by Sir Peter Scott, son of Antarctic explorer Captain Robert Scott. Seeking to protect the birds he loved and their habitat, he set up the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) at Slimbridge as a center for science, conservation and public access to nature. Scott presented the BBC’s first live television wildlife programs from Slimbridge, created the IUCN red list that indicates whether species are threatened or endangered, co-founded WWF—World Wildlife Fund—and designed its iconic panda logo.

We are inspired by Sir Peter’s vision as we explore Slimbridge, which he called the “avian Serengeti,” given the vast number of wild birds that frequent this mosaic of reedbed, grazing marsh, ponds, pools and riverside flooded meadow. Migrating birds pass through in spring while hatchlings appear in early summer, including kingfishers and cranes. From summer warblers to autumn waders, the activity is lively no matter when we visit. The center also breeds rare and endangered birds that are later released to the wild in their native habitats. We learn why wetlands are crucial to the planet’s survival, why they are endangered, and what we must do to preserve and restore them.

This afternoon, enjoy lunch and a private horticultural walk through Painswick Rococo Garden, tucked into a hidden valley just off the Cotswold Way footpath that winds through the hills. Designed in the 1740s for the owner of Painswick House, it was restored in the 1980s to evoke its original sense of fanciful whimsy and joie de vivre. “Rococo” refers to a period of art fashionable in Europe in the 18th century, characterized by ornamental decoration. England’s upper middle classes loved to show off their wealth by indulging in the flamboyant and frivolous, and gardens like this one were an elaborate entertainment space to delight their guests. Today, it is England’s only surviving rococo garden. Highlights of our tour may include heritage roses, fiery day lilies, an orchid-filled wildflower meadow, and a focus on butterfly conservation. This afternoon, we’re met by a falconer for an interactive birds of prey experience. We’ll meet several raptors—typically a hawk, owl, falcon and eagle—which we get to handle and watch fly as we learn about the history of British falconry.

Just up the road lies the Sapperton Valley nature reserve. The narrow, steep-sided valley contains a mix of woodland, marsh and wet meadows along the River Frome. A stretch of the Severn and Thames Canal, built in 1789 but disused since the early 20^th century, runs through the reserve. Explore it on a walk among the tall trees, lush vegetation, wild herbs and wildflowers that grow in season, learning about local conservation efforts to restore butterfly populations. Afterwards, continue to a local pub for lunch.

The afternoon holds a stroll through one of the Cotswolds' most enchanting settings. The villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter have names that derive from the Saxon word slothre or sloh, meaning "slough" or "marshy place," rather than any grisly heritage. Connected by a peaceful mile walk along the River Eye, the villages look straight out of a fairytale with their tiny cottages, steepled churches, stone walls, trailing roses and picturesque old mill. Our walk concludes in the tiny hamlet of Upper Slaughter, where we find the luxurious country house hotel that will be our home for the next three nights.

Rise early for a "dawn chorus" bird walk with a local naturalist, who helps us identify the songbirds we hear as we greet the morning. Return to the inn for a hearty English breakfast, then set out to explore a collection of small Cotswolds villages, starting in Stanway, which is famous for its Jacobean manor house with a gravity-fed fountain that reaches heights of nearly 300 feet. Neighboring Stanton is considered one of the most picturesque towns in the Cotswolds. Many of its cottages were built in the mid-1500s, and the church dates to the 9th century. Walk on to Snowshill, built of golden Cotswold limestone, which lies near two long-distance footpaths, the Winchcombe Way and Cotswold Way.

As we weave our way through the bucolic landscape, we observe how the traditional rural heritage of the Cotswolds has shaped the region over the centuries. More than 80% of these rolling hills is agricultural land. Nature here has been managed and conserved by the farming community, which continues its commitment to careful stewardship today. At Honeydale Farm, learn about sustainable agriculture in the Cotswolds. Committed to ecological farming and public education, the FarmED program on the 107-acre site seeks to reconnect people to the land in ways that will nourish them and the Earth both. Our private guided walking tour covers the heritage orchard, kitchen garden, meadows and woodland as we learn about natural flood management, regenerative agriculture, the micro dairy, and the heritage wheat the farm grows for artisan bread making. This evening, enjoy a dinner featuring local farm-to-table fare at an inviting country inn.

This morning, watch a live sheepdog demonstration at Mickleton Farm, where we learn about the communication between the dogs and their handlers and witness the remarkable way the sheep respond to the dogs’ movements. Then we enjoy another village-to-village walk, connecting our lunch stop in Ebrington with our garden tour at Hidcote, as we amble across the rolling hills of the northern Cotswolds. Following paths through grassy fields, and along ancient farm tracks and quiet lanes, we traverse open countryside with expansive views. The route over the limestone terrain rises and falls gently, with a few steady climbs that offer more reward than challenge. Each season unveils its own natural beauty: spring brings fresh green fields and hedgerows strewn with wildflowers; summer offers dry, sun-warmed trails beneath lush, shady canopies; and autumn paints the countryside in rich golds and russets.

At Hidcote Gardens, we have private tour of this National Trust property regarded as one of the finest displays of flora in England. Hidcote's designer, Lawrence Johnstone, sourced plants for the gardens from around the world and donated the site to the National Trust in 1948—making it the first of many significant British gardens the Trust would acquire. This evening, a festive farewell dinner awaits as we gather around the table one last time.

An early morning transfer is included from our hotel in Upper Slaughter to London's Heathrow Airport, about a two-hour drive, for those who are flying home or headed to other travels. If you choose to remain in the region for further exploration on your own, you can leave any time before scheduled checkout from our hote—consider a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Blenheim Palace, Sudeley Castle, the Roman city of Bath, or Shakespeare's childhood home of Stratford-upon-Avon—all are nearby.