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Cotswolds

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Exploring Layers of History at Stanton Church

Time travel back to the 13th century with me, to a sacred pagan site at the intersection of two ley lines. This little church in the Cotswolds is dedicated to St. Michael, the archangel who was both an anecdote and an antidote to paganism. (I mistakenly said anecdote, intending to say antidote…but it actually works both ways.) Sheep’s wool once paid for everything here, and — judging by the grooves worn into the pews by the sheepdog leashes — a shepherd’s “best friend” even accompanied him to church.  

This little ad-libbed tour demonstrates all the history you can find in a place like this, once you learn how to see it. Just like how you appreciate fine wine the more you drink it, you appreciate heritage the more you visit churches like this one. 

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Hiding Out with History at Hailes Abbey

This is my kind of cocktail — a new experience that’s a mixture of pristine nature and history. I’m drunk on travel here at Hailes Abbey in the Cotswolds, where the tweets are from birds instead of politicians. This Abbey was built with Cotswolds stone in the 13th century, and it was a pilgrimage site for almost 300 years — until King Henry VIII tore it down during his Suppression of the Monasteries.  

What about you? Please share your own “drunk on travel” cocktail. 

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Stanway House

We’ve just finished a delightful scramble, filming three half-hour episodes of Rick Steves’ Europe (West England, Cornwall, and Southeast England) — which, along with seven other new shows, will debut on public television this fall. Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing some photos as I review some of my favorite memories from traveling through much of England.

The Cotswolds are dotted with elegant, Downton Abbey-type mansions. Today, with the high cost of maintenance and heavy taxes, some noble families have opened their homes to the public to help pay the bills. Stanway House, home of the Earl of Wemyss, is one such venerable manor house.

The earl, whose family goes back centuries, welcomes visitors two days a week. Walking through his house offers a unique and surprisingly intimate glimpse into the lifestyles of England’s nobility. I’ve been dropping in on the earl for about 20 years, and the gracious and likably eccentric host agreed to show us around for TV.

Simon Griffith and Peter Rummel and Stanway House

Stanway House

 

Stanway House living room

The living room at Stanway House

 

Fountain

The Earl of Wemyss has rebuilt the old fountain in his backyard. And today — as one of the highest gravity-fed fountains in the world rockets 300 feet into the sky — it’s a talk of the Cotswolds. For commoners, the lord’s sprawling parkland backyard makes for a jolly good day out.

 

This is Day 85 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

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A Very Sheepish Cotswold Moment

Most Americans touring England go to the romantic Cotswolds — rolling hills with quaint villages hidden in its ravines. The area is very popular with English hikers, but it seems that most American visitors barely get out of their cars. Every time I take an actual walk here — even just 30 minutes from any road or trailhead — I’m richly rewarded. Join me for a quiet moment on the Cotswold Way, where the soundtrack for my grand view is sheep pulling their dinner out of the turf. How do you best appreciate the Cotswolds — or any other rambles in Britain?

This is Day 72 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

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Walking the Cotswold Way, You Find Historic Delights

We’re making a new TV show about England’s charming Cotswold villages, and that gave me a few moments in the Stanton village church. Stanton is one of those once-upon-a-time-wealthy little towns that owed it all to sheep’s wool. After all, in the 12th century, they said, “In Europe, the best wool is English. And in England, the best wool is Cotswold.” This church offers a fun opportunity for a tour guide to demonstrate how, when you know where to look, there’s plenty of history hiding out.

This is Day 71 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.