Five bedrooms: 1 x king size with en-suite walk-in shower, basin and WC, 1 x king size with freestanding bath, 1 x king sixe,1 x double, 1 x twin. Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin and WC. First-floor cloakroom with basin and WC. Cloakroom with basin and WC. Kitchen/diner with TV. Sitting room. Snug
There are many honey-colored historic buildings, thatched cottages, a vibrant community, and the last remaining steam-powered brewery in the country in this picturesque village. Several pubs and restaurants, a well-stocked shop, and the D’Arcy Dalton Way, which runs through the village, make this a great place to live and visit. You can find Chipping Norton, a market town in the Cotswold Hills, which is home to numerous festivals throughout the year, as well as the oldest golf course in Oxfordshire. Located in the Cherwell Valley, historic Banbury is home to numerous restaurants, cafes, a canalside museum, a movie theatre, and a community theatre, as well as the Banbury Folk Festival, which draws a large crowd each year. Sir Winston Churchill’s ancestral home, Blenheim Place, is also nearby. Aside from the 38 colleges of the University of Oxford, the oldest university teaching room, the Bodleian Library, Botanic Gardens, and numerous festivals, Oxford is known as ‘The City of Dreaming Spires’ for its abundance of attractions. Visits to Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick’s magnificent castle, and Royal Leamington Spa in nearby Warwickshire all make for an enjoyable day trip. Enjoy a day of shopping at Bicester Village Designer Outlet or a day of racing at Silverstone.
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.
