Cotswolds, Country Pub Lunch & Lavender Fields Tour

Welcome to the picturesque and idyllic Cotswolds, a region of charming stone villages and captivating landscapes of lush green rolling hills, a part of old England untouched by the modern world which takes the visitor away from the hustle and bustle of modern life to a era when the pace of things seemed much slower and time seemed to stand still.

We journey west of London to the limestone uplands of the Cotswolds, an area that flourished with the lucrative wool trade, entering a wonderful Golden Age, but was then bypassed by the Industrial Revolution and slept through the 18th and 19th centuries to emerge with all its old world beauty intact.

We drive through Woodstock, past the edge of the great Blenheim Palace Estate, along to Chipping Norton and Moreton-in-Marsh with their collection of honey coloured cottages and onwards to Bourton-on-the-Hill with houses cascading down the valley and an ancient church perched on the top. We see delightful Blockley where the TV detective series Father Brown is filmed. Around the corner can be found breathtakingly beautiful Broad Campden with its stunning gardens, clipped hedgerows and thatched cottages then we move on to its larger neighbour, Chipping Campden, a classic Cotswold wool town with its old Market Hall built in 1627. Enjoy a guided walk here before we reach up to the highest point in the Cotswold Hills at Broadway Tower with its incredible views. This fine tower was built in 1799 for the 6th Earl of Coventry and on a clear day one is said to be able to see 13 counties, some of them in England and a few out in the distant mountains of Wales!!

We now drive down to the charming village of Snowshill, which many of you may recognise from the Bridget Jones films. This cluster of cottages centred around an old church, and perched on the edge of a steep hill is our lunch stop.

For the afternoon we visit the Cotswolds Lavender Farm, here you'll fall in love with the colour purple and the aroma of this alluring plant. Lavender is grown as a crop and used in perfumes, teas, syrups and other products. Stroll up and down the rows of lavender and treat your senses to the colours and fragrances and don't forget a visit to the gift shop.

Later on our Cotswold tour continues through elegant Broadway with its plethora of thatched buildings, and the beautiful twin villages of Stanton and Stanway with ample time for photo stops before we drive via Stow-on-the-Wold and back to London.