Storybook, timeless, pastoral, idyllic, unforgettable - these are just some of the words that come to mind when I remember my trip to the English Cotswolds with architectural designer Frank Smith. I hope that you will join me in this photographic journey of this remarkable area of rural England to observe the beauty of its architecture, gardens, and landscapes. Frank and I delighted in finding an architectural treasure trove of ideas - some that we have incorporated in recent projects. Perhaps you will glean some ideas for your home or garden as well.
The Cotswolds is considered to be one of the most beautiful areas in England and is known for its outstanding countryside with river valleys, gently rolling hills, and sleepy ancient limestone villages where time has stood still for over 300 years. It is a district approximately 15 miles wide and 90 miles long in the southwest region of England and about one hour west of London.
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| A distant view of a typical village in the Cotswolds |
In this posting, I will focus on the cottages of the Cotswolds. Other postings will follow on other subjects such as gardens and manor houses.
Our tour includes numerous villages in the Cotswolds and begins in Shipton-under-Wychwood:
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Shipton-under-Wychwood.
This design with the cross gables and the bay window with a triple window directly above, is one that we incorporated in an English cottage in Myers Park. |
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Shipton-under-Wychwood
A lovely and ancient Episcopal church in the countryside. The front door must be tucked away where the walking path meets the structure on the right side. |
The understated architecture of the Cotswolds is characteristic of the cottages and other structures of the area. This English Tudor cottage design is romantically referred to as "Storybook Style". Steeply pitched roofs with cross gables, prominent chimneys, abundant dormers, and arched doorways are features of this style.
Our next stop is the lovely village of Barnsley.
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Barnsley
Most all of the structures in the Cotswolds are built of the limestone that underlies the region. It is a beautiful honey-colored limestone ("Cotswold Stone") |
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Barnsley
Essentially all of the slate roofs that we saw in the Cotswolds were graduated. That is, the slate tiles gradually decrease in size as the ridge is approached. This creates an expanded dimension of height and distance and is very pleasing to the eye. |
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Barnsley.
Hedgerows prevalent in the Cotswolds often hide much of the homes so that only the roof tops are visible. |
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| Barnsley |
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Barnsley
A quaint village pub. As you can imagine, pubs are prevalent in the Cotswolds. |
In the middle ages, the wool trade made the Cotswolds prosperous and left a heritage of superb homes, churches, and other buildings. Our next stop is the village of Bibury.
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Bibury.
Frank Smith takes a break in front of the Swan Hotel, a 17th century Inn idyllically situated on the banks of the River Coln. |
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Bibury
Love the swoop in the stone wall! |
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Bibury - Arlington Row
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The picturesque Arlington Row cottages in Bibury were built in 1380 as a monastic wool store. It was converted into a row of weavers' cottages in the 17th century. Arlington Row is probably one of the most photographed scenes in the Cotswolds.
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Bibury
Another view of Arlington Row |
Our next stops were in Fairford, Lechlade-on-Thames, and Burford.
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Fairford
It's not uncommon to see these cottages almost completely engulfed in vines or even trees |
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Fairford
I love the small sentinel building integrated in the privacy wall. Note the swooped roof and the combination of stone and brick. |
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| Burford |
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| Burford |
According to Forbes magazine, the medieval town of Burford ranks sixth as one of the most idyllic places to live in Europe. Numerous celebrities and dignitaries, including Kate Winslet, live in or near Burford.
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| A close-up view of the ancient character of the Burford rowhouses |
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| Burford |
Our next stop was Bourton-on-the-Water.
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Bourton-on-the-Water
The River Windrush that passes through Bourton-on-the-Water is crossed by numerous low, arched bridges. For that reason, the small village is often called the "Venice of the Cotswolds" |
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| Another cottage serving as an Inn in Bourton-on-the-Water |
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| The Dial House, a quaint hotel on Bourton-on-the-Water. That's Frank Smith at the entry. |
Our next stop was Lower Slaughter. I assumed that the name of this village had something to do with the ultimate destiny of certain farm animals, but I found that the name stems from the Old English name for a wet land "slough" upon which it lies.
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Lower Slaughter
We found this relatively new development of five homes called "The Whitmores" in Lower Slaughter. It is striking that the new cottages are designed and built to emulate the centuries-old cottages - although hopefully with a few more modern conveniences and features! |
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Lower Slaughter
A close-up of one of the cottages at the Whitmores. Storybook cottages in the Cotswolds are graced with storybook names. |
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| Another cottage in Lower Slaughter |
As if Bourton-on-the-Water wasn't enough, we had to see Bourton-on-the-Hill:
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Bourton-on-the-Hill
We enjoyed a fabulous meal at the Horse and Groom Inn and Pub Restaurant |
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Bourton-on-the-Hill
This lovely cottage has a beautifully manicured thatched roof alongside a slate roof. |
In most of Europe and the UK, thatch remained the only roofing material available to the bulk of the population in many towns and villages until the late 1800s until the availability of slate. Gradually, thatch became a mark of poverty and the number of thatched properties gradually declined. Thatch has become much more popular in the UK over the past 30 years, and is now a symbol of wealth rather than poverty.
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| Another view of the same cottage in Bourton-on-the-Hill. |
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| Another view. I couldn't get enough pictures of this striking cottage. |
Our next stops were in Chipping Camden, Broadway, and Stanton.
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Chipping Camden
Another cottage in danger in being engulfed by greenery. Good luck opening the windows! |
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| Stanton |
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| Stanton |
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| Stanton |
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Stanton
If you look closely, you will see wire netting over the thatched roof. Otherwise, these thatched roofs would make excellent nesting sites! |
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Stanton
A centuries-old cottage and a man on horseback beckon us to a bygone era |
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| Stanton |
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| Stanton |
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| Stanton |
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| Stanton |
I love the architecture of the Cotswolds because of its elegance and simplicity. Many American architects designed modern versions of the rustic homes, with the Cotswold style becoming especially popular in the U.S. in the 1920's and 1930's. However, given the rich legacy of the Cotswold style, there is still a demand for the timeless English Cottage.
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| A Myers Park cottage in the English Cotswold vernacular designed by Frank Smith and built by Goodwin Classic Homes. We couldn't bring that much Cotswold stone back with us, so we used the next best thing: 125-year-old hand-made brick. Note the similarity in the bay window with that of the first cottage photo in this posting. |
I hope you enjoyed the tour! Please see my other postings on the Architecture of the Cotswolds!
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