Cotswolds Tours & Villages Cotswolds tours around local villages give a distinct air of beauty to the eye of any visitor to the area. You will often find locals waving and saying hello in the summer as they sit and watch the world go by, children play out on village greens and walkers stride through lanes and fields admiring the breath-taking scenery and views. Cotswold villages are a wonderful place to live and there are many villages which have several historical sites, making them famous landmarks, enticing people to the area. Many of the villages in the Cotswolds are dotted along the picturesque countryside, nestled on the rolling hills between magnificent market towns. Cotswolds tours regularly take visitors through the picture- perfect villages, showing them a somewhat picturesque vision of typical Cotswold life. Many villages and towns are built from the beautiful Cotswold stone which could be described as a warm honey-coloured limestone, typical of the area. Cotswold Villages – The Slaughters Upper and Lower Slaughter are two awe-inspiring villages which offer visitors a perfect Cotswold scene of honey-coloured Cotswold stone cottages that beautifully line the streets and lanes. Known as ‘The Slaughters’, the villages in Gloucestershire are close to Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on- the-Water. They are twin villages where the River Eye divides them and runs through the centre of the villages and the word ‘Slaughter’ comes from the word ‘Slohtre’, an Anglo-Saxon phrase for ‘muddy place’. A street called Copse Hill Road in Lower Slaughter has been named by Google Maps as being the ‘most romantic street in England’. The 19th century corn mill in Lower Slaughter still operated until 1960 and has its original water wheel. Now open to visitors as The Old Mill Museum, the mill offers a craft shop and a relaxed café on site. Although a few cottages were renovated in 1906 by Sir Edwin Lutyens, no new houses have been built in Upper Slaughter since 1904. Bibury Near Burford The beautiful village of Bibury sits in the Cotswold hills between Burford and Cheltenham and is situated next to the River Coln. The village is famous for a set of old buildings called Arlington Row, a cluster of Cotswold cottages that date as far back as the 16th century. The weaver’s cottages were developed in 1830 as a purpose-built monastic wool store where cloth was produced then transported to Arlington Mill to be hung out on timber frames. Arlington Row is famous in the region and flocks of people from all around the world regularly visit on Cotswolds tours to see this historical site. The row of cottages has now been preserved by the Royal College of Arts and throughout time has been a popular filming location for blockbuster movies such as Bridget Jones’s Diary. Bibury has a pretty village church called St Mary’s that was founded in the 8th century, boasting a beautiful mix of architecture with Medieval windows and Norman carvings. Bibury village was once announced as “the most beautiful village in the Cotswolds” by designer and artist William Morris. Cotswolds Tours Cotswolds tours are well worth booking for a special daytrip to the area. You can take in all the picturesque and stunning places of the area to get a true sense of English countryside at its best. The Cotswolds region has been named as the second largest ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’ in England, stretching across several counties and 800 square miles with a population of 139,000 people. The Secret Cottage Tour operates 7 days a week, giving a unique and personal tour of the Cotswolds. On our incredible 6-hour Cotswold tour you will be taken to all the best places in the area, showing you some beautiful country estates and stately homes, pretty market towns and some of the most picture-perfect countryside you will ever see. The tour picks our guests up from Moreton-in- Marsh train station which has a direct train from London taking only one hour and forty minutes. Relax in our 7-seater luxury minibus and let us take you to all the hidden gems, showing you magical countryside and the best places in the area. You can enjoy a hot drink and pastry at The Secret Cottage in the morning, then we return for a home cooked delicious buffet lunch, also treating our guests to a traditional tasty Cotswold cream tea in the afternoon. Once the tour has finished, we return you to the train station so that you can be back in London in time for your evening meal. We advise guests to book soon as we get booked up very quickly! Blenheim Palace in Woodstock The Cotswold market town of Woodstock is located between Oxford and Chipping Norton, having thousands of visitors to the area every year. The town centre has thriving restaurants, magnificent hotels, many local gift shops and quintessential antique shops. Woodstock is a picturesque Cotswold market town with merging architecture of Tudor style and Cotswold stone buildings. The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock is the focus of historical interest, showcasing masses of artefacts and history relating to the surrounding region. The Cotswolds are renowned for having many beautiful landmarks including stunning stately homes, magnificent palaces, historical places and charming market towns and villages. One of the most famous places to visit for Cotswold tours is Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, a vision of majestic beauty in 2000 acres of land. Beautiful Cotswold Attractions Blenheim Palace is an astounding place to visit and has been a popular Cotswolds attraction for visitors to the area for years. The palace offers tours that take you around the Churchill Exhibition and the famous State Room. You can also enjoy formal garden walking and driving buggy tours with many seasonal events such as the Christmas Craft Fair, Battle Proms and the Blenheim Palace Flower Show in late June. The Blenheim Palace Food Festival at the end of May every year invites guest to watch demonstrations from local producers, having a vast range of food and drink. You will see craft brewers, artisan bakers, international cuisine and plenty of sweet flavoured popular foods. There are driving tours in the spring that take you to the lambing fields in Blenheim Palace Estate where the farm often has around 3000 lambs each season. Sir Winston Churchill Blenheim Palace is perhaps most famously known as the birthplace and home of Sir Winston Churchill. The estate first belonged to the Churchill family when the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, was given the home as a reward by Queen Anne. After his victory over France in the War of The Spanish Succession, Queen Anne gave John Churchill Blenheim Park offering for it to be his family home. At the time, the estate was dilapidated, so Anne also gave him £240,000 to pay for the rebuild of the estate. Sir Winston Churchill was later born at the palace in 1874 and he also proposed to his wife to be, Clementine Hozier at the beautiful Temple of Diana in the palace grounds. Churchill died in 1955 and was buried with his family at a church in a nearby village called Bladon. Blenheim Palace is set in 2000 acres of stunning land. The estate was originally known as Blenheim Park and now has magnificent gardens with a beautiful lake that is overlooked by the palace. Blenheim Palace remained in the Churchill family for decades and is now owned by the 11th Duke of Marlborough, the late John Spencer-Churchill who died in 1999. North Cotswold Tours The beautiful market towns in the North of the Cotswolds include Moreton-in-Marsh, Woodstock, Witney, Chipping Norton and Burford. They are all typically beautiful of the area and the famous market wool towns that make up the landscapes of the Cotswolds. There are many attractions in the region, giving visitors many places to see and things to do on Cotswold tours. If you’re travelling to England and staying in or near London, there is an easy train journey directly to Moreton-in-Marsh, taking only 1 hour and 40 minutes. Visit one of the most beautiful places in England, where the countryside is typically unspoilt and green rolling hills, with peaceful villages and charming market towns. Discover the hidden gems and many beautiful attractions, absorbing the Cotswold countryside. Book your Cotswolds tour with the Secret Cottage Tour, giving you a unique and personal experience of a day in the Cotswolds. We can pick you up from the nearby train station in Moreton-in-Marsh in our 7-seater luxury minibus, taking you off to explore the picture-perfect attractions of the area. We show you stunning stately homes, pretty Cotswold villages, beautiful market towns and bring you back to our home The Secret Cottage for a delicious buffet lunch, an afternoon traditional Cotswold cream tea, also a hot drink and pastry in the morning. We love to keep our guests well fed during our 6-hour Cotswold tours, while you relax and hear all about life in the Cotswolds. We advise our guest to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment! Days Out & Cotswold Tours The Cotswolds region has a current population of around 139,000 people living in stunning cities, charming market towns and quaint villages that are hidden amongst the rolling Cotswold hills. If you’re thinking of visiting England and may be staying in London, then the Cotswolds is only 1hr 40 minutes on the train that runs directly to all the train stations in the area.