Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Colorful Cotswolds


Oxford Medley

The Cotswolds, an officially designated Area Of Natural Beauty, was one of the places I visited on a two week walking tour in England.  These wonderful old buildings are in Oxford, home of the famous university.


Americans and British do have differences in spite of sharing a language.  On one walk, a group of locals asked where we were from.  When we replied the United States, they said, "We know that!  Where in the states?"  Talk about different, this is a group of British students waiting for their school bus. 
 

I loved the beautiful old trees.  The top photo is on a footpath along the Thames River near Oxford.  The bottom one is an old churchyard in Chipping Campden.

A Spot of Rain

Of course it rained, this is England.  Fortunately, I brought a raincoat for my camera.  The top image is in Bourton-on-the-Water.  The bottom one is in Lower Slaughter.
 
Neighbors

 Most days were sunny and bright, such as the day I captured this in Bibury


England is crisscrossed with public walking paths that traverse private property.  Established in the Middle Ages when roads were few and far between, the law states that any path not used in a year reverts to the property owner.  Walking groups hike every foot of pathway each year to keep them all in the public domain.



Fences separate farmer's fields and there are many gates, such as this one, to keep their animals contained.


 
Broadway Tower

This is the path to Broadway Tower, located atop the highest hill in the Cotswolds.

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