Autumn in the Cotswolds is one of the most breath-taking times of year. There is a somewhat natural changeover from lush, green countryside in the summer, to the cosy nights of winter. Cotswold market towns and villages throughout the year have a charming air about them, welcoming visitors from all over the world to enjoy the beauty of the Cotswolds and to admire the picturesque countryside that can be seen from every town. Autumn in the Cotswolds is a perfect haven of quintessential English countryside at its best as pretty, thatched cottages line village lanes with billows of smoke coming from the chimneys and locals gathering at the friendly village pub.
Chipping Norton Market Town
The locals have nicknamed Chipping Norton as ‘Chippy’ and it is perhaps most famous for being residence to celebrities such as Amanda Holden, Rebecca Brookes and Jeremy Clarkson. Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds is still very much a working market town and the picture-perfect market town has several cafes and pubs, wonderful gift shops and antique centres, alongside the usual banks and supermarkets. Chipping Norton town hall overlooks the heart of the market square and sits on the high street. The town hall has transformed over the years, changing from a building that was originally built on arches with 4 locking cells for prisoners, to a popular local venue. Bliss Mill is a famous landmark in Chipping Norton and was once the local hub for wool and tweed production, originally known as Bliss Tweed Mill. The building was originally designed by George Woodhouse and was a 19th Century tweed factory, famous in its time. Since, Bliss Mill has been converted into houses and apartments but still remains a beautiful landmark that stands on the edge of the town.
Woodstock Town
The beautiful architecture in Woodstock is a unique mix of tudor-style buildings and honey-coloured Cotswold stone, a famous building material to any Cotswold market town. Woodstock is one of the closest historical market towns to Oxford, making it one of the most popular tourist towns for visitors. The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock has masses of interesting artefacts of archaeology and art, in a largely historic house called Fletcher House in the town. Woodstock is home to the beautiful Blenheim Palace where the famous Churchill family lived and where Sir Winston Churchill was born. Blenheim Palace was given to John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough as an award for his victory over France during the War of the Spanish Succession. At that time, it was in a dilapidated condition, so Queen Anne awarded John Churchill with £240,000 to fund the repair of the home. Blenheim Palace is set in 2,000 acres of beautiful land and the palace sits at the top of the hill, overlooking stunning lakes, lawns, trees and incredible views of stately home splendour.
Stow-on-the-Wold
In the past, Stow-on-the-Wold was a common meeting place with six roads leading from many locations joining the town. Stow-on-the-Wold is a pretty market town standing 800-feet above sea level in Gloucestershire. The towns large market square is busy with shops, cafes serving homemade good, restaurants, pubs, antique shops, impressive art galleries and interesting gift shops. Stow-on-the-Wold is one of the most highly regarded towns in the Cotswolds which played a large part in The Cotswolds towards the wool trade. The stunning rolling Cotswold hills surround the town with breath-taking countryside and Stow was built on the Roman road called The Fosse Way. The wool trade was the main trade that the Cotswolds is famous for, until the cloth industry moved North and Stow town was well-known for its annual fairs where sheep and other animals were traded weekly. Now, a weekly market in the town takes place and the Gypsy Horse Fair takes over the fields just outside the town centre twice a year, where hundreds of gypsy travellers gather to sell horses and ponies.
The Secret Cottage Tour
Explore the beautiful area of the Cotswolds with the famous Secret Cottage Tour. We run private 6-hour day tours taking guests to all the beautiful hidden villages, quaint market towns and the historical places in the Cotswolds. We pick our guests up from Moreton-in-Marsh train station which has a direct link from London Paddington, taking only 1 hour and 40 minutes. We invite guests into our home The Secret Cottage for a delicious homemade lunch and a tour of our 400-year old cottage. We also treat you to a traditional Cotswold cream tea. After the tour, we return to the train station so you can be back in London in time for your evening meal.