The other day we told you how our Cotswold day-trip had taken us through the picturesque village of Bledington.
We mentioned it was a small village with a population of less than 400.
Today Secret Cottage took its Cotswolds tour to visit Little Wolford for a typical English Fete. This village is around 5 miles from Moreton in Marsh and has just over 90 residents!
There were plenty of locals and tourists queuing up for teas, cakes, games, plants, tombola, beer, BBQ, raffle and many more. The fete was quite small compared to others in the UK, but it still took a long time to tour around all the stands. It’s amazing what a small group of people can achieve when they put their minds to it!
Little Wolford is fortunate in that it is largely unspoilt and remains pretty much off the beaten track for tourists. Although it has expanded, the village has retained its Cotswold charm. It has a 15th century Manor and two working farmhouses and is rich in history; being referred to in the Domesday book. And this is why people love to take our Cotswolds tour – they get to find all the hidden secrets of this fabulous area…
Set high on the hill in farming countryside, you can enjoy stunning views of the Cotswolds all the way over to the Tower on Broadway Hill. It is said that on a clear day you can see 16 counties From Broadway Tower!
Despite being short on population, the community are active and engaged with one another. Little Wolford village hall hosts an annual auction, sponsored walk, coffee mornings, a harvest supper and jumble sales throughout the year. A library van calls to the village fortnightly and there is a parish meeting of which all local government electors are members and which meets twice a year. Not to mention the fantastic fete which we enjoyed!
As public transport is so sparse (one bus per week to Moreton market and two buses per day to Stratford or Oxford), residents are served by a voluntary car scheme or ‘lift sharing’ where journeys to hospital or the doctors can be made in exchange for a contribution towards costs. It’s a great way to get to know your neighbours and spend some time together.
The residents of Little Wolford really show us how community living is still thriving in some of the smaller and more rural areas of the UK.