Architecture of the Cotswolds: Gardens and Landscaping

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.

A distant view of a typical village in the Cotswolds

In this posting, I will focus on the gardens and landscaping of the Cotswolds. Please also see my other postings on cottages and manor homes. 

The Bourton House in Bourton-on-the-Hill
The incredibly beautiful gardens behind this lovely manor were so enticing to Frank Smith that he decided he must scale the wrought iron fence to get a closer look. I followed, and it wasn't long before we were caught red-handed! We were scolded in a firm but polite English manner by the Owners, but only after I manged to obtain some wonderful photographs of the gardens, below:

The knot garden has a striking boxwood border in the shape of a rope.

The topiary in the shape of a wall provides a lovely backdrop for the layered plantings in the foreground.

Another view of the Bourton House Gardens

A massive oak and a beautiful stone wall in the front of the Barnsley Hotel in Barnsley

A great many of the stone walls we saw in the Cotswolds are juxtaposed with hedgerows flush with the stone. This  photograph was taken in Lower Slaughter

A lovely stone wall, a wooden gate, and plantings at a cottage in Stanton

These mushroom-shaped stones, called "Staddle Stones" are prevalent garden ornaments in the Cotswolds. Unchanged for hundreds of years, they were originally used to raise tithe barns and granaries off the ground. This prevented vermin and moisture from reaching the produce.  This photograph was taken in front of a cottage in Shipton-under-Wychwood.

Beautiful water features and gardens in front of the Swan Hotel in Bibury

Frank Smith takes a look at the formal gardens at Sudley Castle in Winchcombe. The present structure was built in the fifteenth century. The chapel there is the burial place for Queen Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII.

I hope you enjoyed these photographs of the gardens and landscapes of the Cotswolds. Please see my other postings on the architecture of the Cotswolds.