I apologize that this post is a few days late, but it is an afternoon worth writing about. We had our first planned free afternoon on Monday of this week, so Christine Reynolds and I decided we wanted to do something a little different. Up to this point (and really for the duration of the trip) we had only been able to explore England’s cities. So we decided that we wanted to explore a little of the English countryside. I tried to plan out of trip to one of the many famous homes or palaces that are scattered throughout the countryside, but literally all of them are closed during the month of January. So we ended up basically throwing a dart at a map of the Cotswolds (which is an area of England that is only made up of tiny country villages) and decided to take a train to a little tiny town called Mourton in the Marsh. We really didn’t know what we were getting in to.
We arrived in Mourton and were immediately glad of our decision. The train dropped us off right in the middle of the city center, and we could literally see from one end to the other. For those of you who ever come to England that are interested in small towns with lots of antique shops, this is the place to be. There were literally seven or eight lovely three story antique shops, each of which had an older man with bushy eyebrows and a rather pleasant disposition sitting in a little desk. One of them even offered me tea. This town also had a few old pubs and smaller shops, and was altogether a pleasant little town.
Christine and I then hopped on a little local bus and headed to another town about 45 minutes away called Bourton on the Water. I am not sure how well known this place is, but I know that at least the locals call their little town “the Venice of the Cotswolds.” I couldn’t help but agree with them. This was by far the most picturesque town I have ever been to. The village itself would be quite lovely in and of itself if it only had the assortment of tearooms, ice cream parlors, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and its famous perfumery. But the thing that captured both Christine and myself was the beautiful little river that flows right down the middle of town. It was bordered on both sides with lush grass and old trees and benches. There was also an abundance of fowl waddling around the grounds. Crossing and recrossing the river six times is a little stone footbridge. The effect is enchanting. We wandered through the small streets and back and forth over the river until the sun went down on us. We went into a little pub and had coffee while waiting for one of three busses that ran through the village every day. We arrived back in Oxford late that night and were extremely pleased with our adventure in the English countryside.