Ground Floor:
Sitting and dining room
Kitchen
First Floor:
Bedroom with a 5′ king size bed.
Bathroom with a bath and overhead shower attachment, wash basin and WC.
Study
An ancient village once famous for its silk and corn mills, Blockley lies just 3 miles from Moreton-in-Marsh and features a unique collection of honey-coloured buildings with a pretty village green, two excellent pubs, serving hearty food and real ale, as well as a village store and café, serving dinner on a Friday night. Many walks and cycle rides through the beautiful rolling countryside of the Cotswolds can be enjoyed from the centre of the village, with the Macmillan Way, Heart of England Way and the Gloucestershire and Monarch’s Way all running close by. Very close by, Moreton-in-Marsh boasts many elegant 18th century buildings and is home to traditional inns, tea rooms, restaurants and individual shops to suit all tastes. It also offers its own train station and lies on the intersection of the Paddington rail line from London. The town hosts the Moreton-In-Marsh Show, one of the UK’s largest one-day agricultural shows, as well as the Moreton Beer Festival, an annual French Market, and a large outdoor market every Tuesday. The highest town in the Cotswolds, this ancient market town has played host to many fairs since the 12th century and today holds a biannual Gypsy Horse Fair, craft fairs and monthly farmers’ market. Close by is Bourton-on-the-Water, which lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is known as the Venice of the Cotswolds as the River Windrush runs through the centre. Also within reach is the spa town of Cheltenham, boasting an incredible range of shops, cinemas, theatres, restaurants and pubs, as well as being famous for its horseracing festival in March, culminating in the Gold Cup steeplechase. Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Worcester and the waterfront city of Gloucester are also within driving distance, making Blockley a great base for a Cotswolds holiday.
The Cotswolds is a richly rural area with more than 3,000 footpaths and trails running through farmland and wildflower meadows, as well as ancient woodlands to explore.
For woodland birds, Box Wood tucked away in a valley near Minchinhampton is well worth a visit. Comprised mainly of beech, with some limestone streams running through it, in summer it becomes alive with birds. Listen out for great-spotted woodpeckers and tawny owls, and keep your eyes peeled for treecreepers and nuthatches as they run up and down the trees.
More woods can be found on Crickley Hill jointly managed by the National Trust and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. Located just south of Cheltenham its habitats also include grassland, scrub, and limestone rock exposures. Mixed flocks of tits and finches are common in the woods, while kestrels can often be seen hovering above as they hunt for prey. In summer, the site is also a haven for wildflowers and butterflies.
Cotswold Water Park which straddles the Gloucestershire and Wiltshire border is a vast marl lake system spread over 42 miles. Cleveland Lakes Reserve is made up of two of the largest lakes and is an important site for both wintering and breeding birds including coots, great crested grebes, and little egrets. For bitterns, reed buntings, water rails, and snipes, head to Shorncote Reedbed which also has two bird hides so you can view the wildlife close up.
If you want to see some exotic and rare birds, Birdland in Bourton-on-the-water has a variety of attractions set in nine acres of gardens and woodland. Some of the highlights include the Parliament of Owls, home to eight species of owl, the Pandemonium of Parrots, where you can learn about the 16 species of parrot housed there, and Penguin Shore which has daily feeding displays. There are plenty of spots to have a picnic, as well as a children’s play area, and a gift shop.
Nearby Greystones Farm nature reserve is home to wildflower meadows, Iron Age ramparts, a replica Iron Age roundhouse, a working organic farm, and an interactive discovery barn. The old farm buildings are used by swallows and house martins for nesting and there are plenty of birds of prey to be spotted gliding overhead. There is also the opportunity to view a live camera feed of a barn owl box, and watch the birds as they bring up their chicks.
Farmland birds can be found all over the beautiful Cotswolds countryside. Look out for corn buntings, grey partridges, turtle doves, and yellow wagtails.
