Cotswolds Towns and Villages Tour

 

Landscape view of Long Compton

This evening I am reprising a day tour using Moreton-in-Marsh (England) as a base, I visited a wide range of Cotswold villages, medieval churches and other sites all with a ten-mile radius of my hotel.

Many of the village churches date from around the 12th century AD and doubled as refuges and community centres.. At the time the only religion was Roman Catholic which was replaced by Protestantism and the Anglican Church after around AD 1540.

First was a landscape view of Long Compton followed by a visit to a Bronze Age (1800-1500 BC) standing stone at Rollright.

Brionze Age standing stone at Rollright. Deformed shape is due to persons in days past removing small pieces for memento purposes.

Then to the village of Long Compton and its lychgate and church.

Long Compton Lychgate

Long Compton Parish Church

Next to the even smaller village of Barton on the Heath and its church which may have origins in the first millennium.

Barton on the Heath Parish Church

Strange animal carving inside church.

Village scene at Barton on the Heath.

Next, on to Great Wolford, another small village with a historic ‘wool church’ where can be seen carved head effigies from the medieval period.

Inside Great Wolford Parish Church.

Example of carved head at Great Wolford church

Next to Cherington and its church and then to a new whisky distillery nearby known as the Cotswold Distillery. After lunch at the village pub I moved to the ancient town of Shipston- on- Stour the name of which is corrupted from ‘sheep wash town’ dating from around the 12th century. However, the town’s wealth and prosperity was derived from the weaving industry in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Cherington Parish Church

Carved medieval effigy inside Cherington Parish Church

Single malt whisky at Cotswold Distillery

Whisky Stills at Cotswold Distillery

High Street, Shipston on Stour

Inside the Parish Church at Shipston on Stour

Horseshoe Pub at Shipston on Stour

Finally, I returned to Moreton in Marsh where I spent a couple of hours visiting the nearby Batsford Arboretum.

Batsford Arboretum

Batsford Arboretum

Batsford Arboretum

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