When you bring along young children in your road trip, choosing the right place is the top priority. Being a mother makes me more considerate of my choice as it should help with their development as well as broaden my horizon. After a long selection process, we settled for Cotswolds.
Cotswolds is the place for you if you want to see a fairy world come to life. It is said to be the prettiest village in England, The canvas blue sky and green grass with small rivers run through Englishstyle cottages up along the hill, reminding me of the fairy world I saw in a children’s book when I was little.
Cotswolds is not that far, only 128.74 kilometers from London. There are several lovely places for sightseeing along the way and can be accessed by bus and train, but we rented a van as this was a family trip, consisting of six adults and one kid. Our first stop before Cotswolds is Bath.
Bath is a world heritage city, rich in Roman tradition and architectures. The Roman Baths is the landmark of our stop. This Roman hot spring dated back to about 2,000 years ago. The place was partially restored for the public to visit and learn about the lifestyle of the upper-class Romans and their skills in architectures around the hot spring.
There are many other interesting places to visit in Bath. Unfortunately, it was drizzling all day so we could only have lunch there before heading to Cotswolds.
Our first stop…was at Cotswolds is Castle Combe Village, an old village built in the 14th century that looks just like a fairyland leaping out of a book into this world. Add By Brook, a small river that passes through the village built with honey-colored stone houses, Castle Combe is simply enchanting!
le Combe is simply enchanting! We didn’t realize there are people living in the houses. When my kid ran to a house’s front yard and I ran after him, we saw someone inside the house. Unlike other similar touristy places, Cotswolds has very few sourvenir shops and restaurants. So it’s important to remain quiet when you’re here to avoid disturbing the locals.
Our second destination, Bourton-on-the-Water, is known as the “Venice of Cotswolds” because River Windrush run through it. Shops and restaurants here were full of throngs. Almost every corner is worth taking pictures. Our kids really loved this village as they could enjoy watching ducks, fish, and run around big trees which stand tall on both sides of the village streets.
The sheer cuteness overload of bakery shops and cafes here was just irresistable. Unfortunately, our plan to have dinner here went bad because every restaurant was full. We suggest you make a booking first if you want to dine here. In the end, we managed to eat at The Chip Shed, an award-winning fish and chips restaurant. It also has branches in Warwick, Minchinhampton, Cheltenham, and Stratford Upon Avon. But the Bourton-on-the-Water is a flagship store.
Our next day in Cotswolds was at Bibury, a village next to River Coln. Although we started the day very early, the beauty and fresh air of Bibury was invigorating. It’s not suprising why it’s voted as one of the most beautiful villages in England.
Seeing the pictures on the Internet and seeing the real thing is an entirely different experience. Bibury’s landmark is Arlington Row, a stone hut believed to be built in 1380 as monastic wool store, then converted into a row of weavers’ cottages in 17th century. Despite more than 300 years, the hut still stands and looks very strong. Another popular attraction is Bibury Trout Farm.
After Cotswolds, we drove to Covered Market in Oxford. The market is located at the heart of Oxford and opens everyday from 8am to 5.30pm. Next to this market is University of Oxford, the oldest university in the world and the source of inspiration for Harry Potter. The university boasts stunning and intricate medieval architecture which is actually more than Gothic and Neo-Classic styles. The Redcliffe Camera Library, one of the remarkable landmarks (“Camera” means “Room” in Latin language) designed by James Gibbs and named after royal physician John Radcliffe. The iconic building is the oldest library for symmetric circle construction in the country, with more than 250 years of history.
For those who frequently visit England, a one-day trip in Oxford is a good option as it takes only 1.20 hours from London to Oxford by train.
We drove back from Oxford to London with a little more than one hour and took a little time to stroll to end our journey of two days and one night from London-Bath-Cotswolds-OxfordLondon.
We spent quality time together as family in a foreign land with wonderful time and new experience. After this tip, the children are still talking about it and ask me to read them fairy tale stories. What a happy moment to be together.
TRAVEL TRIP
– The weather changes often. Don’t forget to bring an umbrella.
– If you plan to travel by train, advanced booking is a great way to ensure you get a cheap ticket.
– Mobile signal is not good. It’s better to search all necessary travel information before you leave.
– Citymapper is a travel app that can be a life-saver.
– If you would like to visit Warner Bros Studio Tour London, we suggest you make a reservation.
