A Week in the Cotswolds
When we were planning our move to the UK and subsequent arrival in Southampton, England, I knew we would need a place to decompress for a few days after seven days at sea. The immediate answer? The Cotswolds.
I’ve been to England before and spent a day in Bath, but I’ve always longed to visit Oxford and spend some time at the home of some of my favorite literary giants.
Our Home in Ducklington
Our Airbnb in Ducklington was actually the first place I found while securing lodging for this trip. Ducklington is a small village near Whitney and about 30-45 minutes away from Oxford. Something we quickly learned while exploring the Cotswolds is that as the crow flies, everything is close together. But as the car drives, 8 miles might take you 30 minutes through the winding country lanes.
On arrival at our Airbnb, it was everything I could have hoped for. We stayed at an annex on a converted farm property. There was a manicured lawn (ie garden) with a field behind it for the pups to play in. That is, until the farmer let his sheep out to pasture behind the house and then they were strictly on lead for the remainder of our stay.
The building was under the flight path for the nearby RAF Brize Norton, the largest RAF station in the world. Every day we watched military aircraft come in for landing directly overhead. It was loud but so fun to run outside and see what was above us. One day I even saw the Red Arrows practicing in formation.
From Ducklington we were able to explore a few neighboring spots that I think we would have missed if we had stayed in Oxford the whole week, including an incredible meal at the Shilton Rose & Crown. Shilton is a neighboring village with (at risk of overusing my adjectives) the most picturesque limestone buildings, little streams, and grassy paths. The Rose & Crown is a 17th-century pub that came under new management last year and reservations book out far in advance. Our Airbnb host recommended the stop and we hopped in for an early dinner. Dare I say it, but even a few weeks into our travels it may be the best meal I’ve had yet.
We also spent a day at the Feldon Valley golf course. It was (again with the adjectives) a rolling beauty of English countryside. Peaceful and sunny, everyone we met on the course welcomed us to their little corner of the world with open arms.
Exploring Oxford
In between a few days where we caught up on laundry or knocked out housekeeping chores like getting our Turo rental car and setting up our UK phones, we ventured into the nearby Oxford. Oxford was simply charming. And like most travel experiences, it also was different from my preconceptions.
While the college buildings scattered across the town maintain their charm and history, the town itself is bustling and, dare I say, metropolitan? We parked at the Westgate Oxford shopping center and ventured into the city from there.
We explored Oxford for a few afternoons and I felt like we both saw most of the highlights but could also spend a year here and not even scratch the surface. The charm of this city is in the tiny corners of grand buildings, the hidden alleys and small shops, blooming annuals and ancient yews.
Walking Tour of Oxford Stops
I downloaded an app called GPS My City which provides free walking tours and plugged in the one for Oxford. We made all the stops below and spent time soaking in the history.
University Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Radcliffe Camera
Bodleian Library
Bridge of Sighs
Sheldonian Theatre
Martyrs’ Memorial
Ashmolean Museum
Oxford Castle
Cornmarket Street
Carfax Tower
Tom Tower
Christ Church Cathedral
Magdalen College
University of Oxford Botanical Garden
One of the highlights of our trip happened while standing in the courtyard of the Bodleian Library. A visually impaired man passed us by, slightly bumping into us. We immediately did the “Oh I’m sorry, excuse us” dance and he flipped around and started chatting with us. I never caught his name, but he was a volunteer for the University and spends his days helping out tourists like us.
When he found out we had no plans but were just wandering around he said, “Let’s go!” He led us to the door across from C.S. Lewis’s office that inspired Aslan and Mr. Tumnus before taking us into the Christ Church Cathedral, telling riddles and stories along the way. He roasted us endlessly for not knowing how to say Magdalen College. (We pronounced it with a short a sound, “m-ag-dalen”, but it’s pronounced like “Maudlin.”) Then, with a wave, he was off. He was charming and kind and made our day by taking time to simply show us around a place he loved.
Something about the winding street corners and warm summer light made me want to either read a book or write one, cozying up to the magic that has inspired so many. We’ll be back in England at the end of our trip and I’m already wondering if we should take on another week in the Cotswolds as part of our farewell tour.
“There are few greater temptations on earth than to stay permanently at Oxford in meditation, and to read all the books in the Bodleian.”
Hilaire Belloc