Offbeat Cotswolds

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Offbeat Cotswolds Guided walking tours of villages and towns in the Cotswolds by a qualified Blue Badge guide for the

It's a bit of a trek from the house to the Column of Victory at Blenheim, so I've saved you the trouble. Carved on the b...
23/12/2024

It's a bit of a trek from the house to the Column of Victory at Blenheim, so I've saved you the trouble. Carved on the base is the act of parliament giving the estate to John Churchill to reward his 1704 bashing of the French - so he had more than a piece of paper to prove ownership!

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Mr and Mrs William Grevel have been devout on their memorial brasses in Chipping Campden church for 600 years. You need...
16/12/2024

Mr and Mrs William Grevel have been devout on their memorial brasses in Chipping Campden church for 600 years. You need to ask for a carpet to be moved to see them. it's worth it!

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This chap has been looking a trifle startled since the 1450s. He is one of many figures carved on the outsid of Winchcom...
09/12/2024

This chap has been looking a trifle startled since the 1450s. He is one of many figures carved on the outsid of Winchcombe's lovely church.

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The pelican is the symbol of Corpus Christi, Oxford. Why? When the college was founded in 1517, the pelican was thought ...
02/12/2024

The pelican is the symbol of Corpus Christi, Oxford. Why? When the college was founded in 1517, the pelican was thought to pierce its own breast with its beak and feed blood to its young, so it was a symbol of Christ sacrificing himself for man.

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Next time you are in a church, see if you can spot a wheatsheaf motif in the stained glass. If so, you've found one by p...
18/11/2024

Next time you are in a church, see if you can spot a wheatsheaf motif in the stained glass. If so, you've found one by prolific 19th-century designer Charles Kempe. It's the trademark of his studio, taken from his family coat of arms. This example is in Batsford Church.

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See if you can spot these carved Seville oranges near Oxford Station. They are on the front of the old marmalade factory...
11/11/2024

See if you can spot these carved Seville oranges near Oxford Station. They are on the front of the old marmalade factory named after Frank Cooper - although the recipe was actually from Sarah, his wife.

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This rather drab memorial links with today's American election. Bear with me: Can you see star and stripes? This floor ...
05/11/2024

This rather drab memorial links with today's American election. Bear with me: Can you see star and stripes? This floor slab from 1697 in Wyckhamford church remembers Penelope Washington. One of her relations was George Washington, first President of the United States. He followed the family tradition of having a star and stripes on his signet ring, and the design inspired today’s US national flag.

It's one of many American connections in the Cotswolds.

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Spot the tower! This is the view from my garden on the edge of the Cotswolds. As the trees lose their leaves, our local ...
28/10/2024

Spot the tower! This is the view from my garden on the edge of the Cotswolds. As the trees lose their leaves, our local church re-appears.

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Smile or a snarl? This lion is on the grave of William Lovell, who died on 13 June, 1455. He is buried in St Kenelm's Ch...
14/10/2024

Smile or a snarl? This lion is on the grave of William Lovell, who died on 13 June, 1455. He is buried in St Kenelm's Church that he built as part of his estate in Minster Lovell. The ruins make for an atmospheric visit - then pop into the church and decide the lion's expression yourself.

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This chap has helped many a church-goer stay upright(ish) during a long sermon. Misericords are hinged seats that allow ...
07/10/2024

This chap has helped many a church-goer stay upright(ish) during a long sermon. Misericords are hinged seats that allow choristers to rest a little. This one lurks in Swinbrook Church.

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The first thing us tour guides are taught it "Look up". Always a good idea in Oxford's 250-year-old covered market - you...
30/09/2024

The first thing us tour guides are taught it "Look up". Always a good idea in Oxford's 250-year-old covered market - you might catch a sight of Alice, famously created by an Oxford don.

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23/09/2024

Good mourning. This 'weeper' eternally cries over the loss of a loved one in the magnfiicent Cirencester St John the Baptist Church.

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Castle Combe is named after its 12th-century castle sitting in a valley (that's the combe). Just so pretty. DM to boo...
16/09/2024

Castle Combe is named after its 12th-century castle sitting in a valley (that's the combe). Just so pretty.
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Not a lampfish, but a fish lamp. It's in the Pitt Rivers, truly the weirdest museum in the world. I recommend it to clie...
10/09/2024

Not a lampfish, but a fish lamp. It's in the Pitt Rivers, truly the weirdest museum in the world. I recommend it to clients and encourage them to wander and see what they chance across. Never fails to please. Oh... and the fish became a lamp because it was super oily.
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It might look like a castle, but this is just the toll house for Clopton bridge in Stratford upon Avon. The sign warns t...
02/09/2024

It might look like a castle, but this is just the toll house for Clopton bridge in Stratford upon Avon. The sign warns that anyone blowing the bridge up will be transported (probably to Australia) for 7 years... and coaches must pay a shilling (5pm today) to cross.

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This stained glass stagecoach surprised me! It's in Bibury church and commemorates Rowland Cooper (1846-1910), who lived...
26/08/2024

This stained glass stagecoach surprised me! It's in Bibury church and commemorates Rowland Cooper (1846-1910), who lived in this enchanting village for 20 years and whose daughter married the local vicar.

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Two hares chase each other for eternity (well, as long as the thatch lasts) on a roof in Ebrington. Such creations proba...
19/08/2024

Two hares chase each other for eternity (well, as long as the thatch lasts) on a roof in Ebrington. Such creations probably once identified the thatcher, but nowadays the householder can choose what will decorate their roof ridge.

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"Proud British lion crushes uppity French cockerel," is the message of this stonework at Blenheim Palace, built to celeb...
13/08/2024

"Proud British lion crushes uppity French cockerel," is the message of this stonework at Blenheim Palace, built to celebrate the Battle of Blenheim (actually Blindheim, but us Brits couldn't pronounce that). On this day in 1704, John Churchill's forces helped stop the rise of Louis XIV. Hurrah!


DM to book a top tour. Or enjoy Blenheim's neighbour via my new tour of Woodstock












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Scenic Upper Slaughter
Scenic Upper Slaughter

Steamy action: Hook Norton brewery runs its wonderfully atmospheric steam engine on the first Sunday of each month. This whirring marvel helped the famous brewery produce pints of 'Hooky' from 1899. DM for my tour of Hook Norton and hear about pioneers, pals and pyramids (plus have a pint) #offbeatcotswolds #bluebadgeguide #bluebadgeguides #britainsbestguides @britainsbestguides #Cotswolds #thecotswolds #inthecotswolds #cotswoldcountry #Cotswolds_Culture #lovethecotswolds #englishvillage #hookybrewery #discoverthecotswolds #visitthecotswolds #discovercotswolds #cotswoldslife #cotswoldlife #thecotswolds #your_cotswolds #cotswolds #thecotswolds #your_cotswolds #cotswoldvillage #visitengland #englishcountryside #walks #staycationuk #travelling_europe #travelling_ #explore_britain_ #traveling_uk #photosofengland #instabritain #europetravel

I like how this fashion display suggests Blenheim Palace is hosting a house party. What do you think? The fashions are by Zandra Rhodes- spot the pink hair! #offbeatcotswolds #bluebadgeguide #bluebadgeguides #britainsbestguides @britainsbestguides #blenheim #blenheimpalace #zandrarhodes #walks #staycationuk #travelling_europe #travelling_ #explore_britain_ #traveling_uk #photosofengland #instabritain #europetravel

What would Consuelo Vanderbilt say? A portrait of the American heiress studies handbags created by British designer Lulu Guinness inside the magnificent Blenheim Palace. Its rooms are hosting fashion displays at the moment. Consuelo married the 9th Duke of Marlborough in a (guess what, unhappy) status-for money deal in 1895. #offbeatcotswolds #bluebadgeguide #bluebadgeguides #britainsbestguides @britainsbestguides #blenheim #luluguinness #staycationuk #travelling_europe #travelling_ #explore_britain_ #traveling_uk #photosofengland #instabritain #europetravel

Chipping Norton market place: where cars now roll, sheep once bleated and stall holders hollered. It was hugely ambitious to create such a big selling space in the 13th century. Find out more on my new audio tour from VoiceMap. #offbeatcotswolds #bluebadgeguide #bluebadgeguides #britainsbestguides #Cotswolds #thecotswolds #inthecotswolds #cotswoldcountry #Cotswolds_Culture #lovethecotswolds #chippingnorton #discoverthecotswolds #visitthecotswolds #discovercotswolds #cotswoldslife #cotswoldlife #thecotswolds #your_cotswolds #cotswolds #thecotswolds #your_cotswolds # #visitengland #walks #staycationuk #travelling_europe #travelling_ #explore_britain_ #traveling_uk #photosofengland #instabritain #europetravel #VoiceMap

Revenge! A sheep eats a wolf in a medieval joke set into stone in the porch of Chipping Norton church. Just one of the fun stories in my new audio tour, available from #VoiceMap. #offbeatcotswolds #bluebadgeguide #bluebadgeguides #britainsbestguides #Cotswolds #thecotswolds #inthecotswolds #cotswoldcountry #Cotswolds_Culture #lovethecotswolds #chippingnorton #discoverthecotswolds #visitthecotswolds #discovercotswolds #cotswoldslife #cotswoldlife #thecotswolds #your_cotswolds #cotswolds #thecotswolds #your_cotswolds #visitengland #walks #staycationuk #travelling_europe #travelling_ #explore_britain_ #traveling_uk #photosofengland #instabritain #europetravel #voicemap #VoiceMap

Thanks to Katharine House Hospice for this video of last weekend's amazing tractor run, where 100 tractors were decked out with lights to create a rural Christmas parade in North Oxfordshire. Donations welcome via the donate button on www.khh.org.uk #offbeatcotswolds #bluebadgeguide #bluebadgeguides #britainsbestguides @britainsbestguides #englishvillage #discoverthecotswolds #visitthecotswolds #discovercotswolds #cotswoldslife #cotswoldlife #thecotswolds #your_cotswolds #cotswolds #thecotswolds #your_cotswolds #cotswoldvillage #visitengland #englishcountryside

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