This year we finally went to the Cotswolds, after having been told many times that I must go and that would love it, an opportunity finally arose after our wedding this earlier this year. The trip was pretty last minute and so with only 4 days to prepare, I decide to buy the appropriate Pevsner architectural guide; Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds, Verry & Brooks, Yale, 2020) from which I'll be quoting, and the corresponding OS map for the area. We chose Winchcombe as it seemed to be in the heart of the Cotswolds and with plenty of good places nearby. Not much about cycling here, suffice to say the Cotswolds looks like a great place for cycling. We saw plenty of older cyclists on the roads who looked like they were having a great time. This journal is mainly an illustrated account of our Pevsner lead once-over of some historic buildings in the north Cotswolds.
It is amazing how much one can actually pack into 3 days. We would like to have had more time to relax but without a car or bike we had to put in a lot of leg work to see these places. I'd say we did pretty well, although anyone reasonably fit could do all of these things. It was actually our honeymoon. We both like walking around looking at old buildings, and so we both had fun. Although there are better places in the UK for nature and wildlife, the Cotswolds stands out for its concentration of architectural gems. It turned out very rewarding to go out of our way to see as many buildings as we could that were mentioned in the Pevsner book. These books are generally very understated in their praise of buildings, if a building is mentioned at all then it is generally worth a look. If it says that something is good then it's probably amazing.
The Cotswolds features buildings from virtually all ages, including bronze age burial sites and Roman villas. Medieval survivals from Anglo-saxon, Norman, early English, Geometric, and of course Perpendicular. Of the gothic styles this is the regions speciality and can be seen in the great churches financed by the wool trade. Superb Tudor and Jacobean designs can be seen in stately homes, mansions and in smaller town houses. Georgian houses, Victorian schools and public buildings. All of these we will see. Modernism hasn't happened here.
In fact our 3 day trip was so epic that it shall have to be divided into 3 chapters or sagas. I hope that, in this era of quick-fire entertainment, folks will find time to relax and enjoy this journal which may even inform or help to recall your own trips to Cotswolds, either in the past or the future ...
Day 1: Cheltenham, Hailes and Stanton.
Anyone going to Winchcombe may well pass through Cheltenham, home of the famous racecourse. The town has some fair regency architecture and some nice squares and terraces, although we didn't dwell as we wished to escape from the many-legged multitude. Cheltenham minster (parish church of St Mary) is worth a look, even just to see the enormous rose window in the north transept. I'm not yet sure how these kind of windows were made but each panel must weigh an awful lot as they are heavily laced with lead. The church itself dates from at least the 8th century, although this and the other large window were done around 1300, when the Decorated style was used for window tracery. Examples from this period of gothic architecture are less common in the Cotswolds. One thing that's interesting is that the circular design is deliberately slightly off-centre, as if wheeling around. Some rather cute grotesques with dachshund faces, probably c13. Walls and lower stages of tower are c12.
A short walk from Winchcombe is Hailes, site of a former c12 Cistercian abbey. This used to be a thriving and bustling hub of the region, and an important pilgrim site. In 1539 the abbey was demolished for stone. There is still enough of the buildings and some fragments of sculpture to impress the visitor with their sophistication. At Winchcombe, nothing survives of the Benedictine Abbey, although many stones and carvings were pilfered by locals, who freely helped themselves to the ruins to adorn their houses and farm buildings.
Equally if not more worth a look is the church nearby at Hailes. A miraculous survival, well preserved inside and out. The exterior is modest with c13 trefoil headed windows. On the roof is a c16 timber framed bellcote resembling a small tower, and a sanctus bellicote above the east end of the nave. Reticulated east window early c14. Most remarkable here are wall murals of the 1320s, damaged but carefully restored, showing hunting scenes (dogs cornering a hare), chimeras and some heraldry of the time. Although the church is small, it can be seen from very far away across the fields.
Passing through the picturesque hamlet of Stanway (more on that in day 3) we passed a cricket pavilion made from larch wood, with thatched roof which was commissioned by the Peter Pan author J. M. Barrie who loved to summer here.
Stanton is described in the book as "one of the most architecturally distinguished of the smaller Cotswold towns". Its preservation is largely thanks to Phillip Stott, an architect from Oldham, who bought the estate 1906 and spent much of his time restoring and improving the village. Old manor farm house, shown below, was built in the early 1600s and has various dates stones. Two large outer gables, four recessed bays in the centre, mullioned windows with mouldings, and diagonal chimneys.
Another house built on a U-shaped plan. Many larger old Cotswold houses are derived from the simple cottage plan of a front door leading to a through corridor with a kitchen on the left and a hall and parlour to the right. The steeped pitched gables are another common feature. All of the houses in Stanton and make use of the golden limestone, which builders had abundant access to in this region. It is the limestone strata that defines the area, and the land around it that cultivated sheep which produced world renowned wool, its economic effects trickling down the local hierarchies. Simple houses and cottages have been rebuilt over the years, using high quality local stone and employing skilled craftsman.
Manor house is one of the larger houses in the village and dates from the c16. "Tudor arched doorway and gothic (Perp) windows. The doorway has Perp mouldings and foliage spandrels, and an added enriched Jacobean lintel." Some very rough quoining on either side of the doorway, and masonry from various ages.
Stanton is fortunate to have its own lighting system, probably the work of Phillip Stott, who worked on pretty much every building around here. He also added a reservoir and "a discreet swimming pool". It would have been good to have seen him tinkering around the village, he must have absolutely loved the place. There are a few of these these quirky little street-lamps (now eco-bulbs) to be found.
The church was closing when we arrived. Perpendicular nave, with an older porch. Two-light window on upper-story with tre-foiled arches, like at Hailes above an older niche with not so old statue. Parapet above with battlement and pinnacles.
Climb the hill at the end of Stanton's main street to the Mount Inn, a decent pub with extensive drinking terraces. Like many country pubs they close between 2-6pm, which always catches me off guard. However I was not the only one outside waiting for the door to open. From here we had a great view of Gloucestershire with the rooftops of Stanton in the foreground, and a brief moment of rest before the long walk back to Winchcombe.
The god's had been kind. The weather had held out for us and everything had worked out. All and all not a bad first day in the famous Cotswolds, and I feel like I'm finally starting to get my head around what is the Cotswolds after hearing so many people banging on about the place!
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