Explore Amazing Bibury: A Diamond in the Cotswolds of England

It’s been a week since I returned home from England but the magic of the trip hasn’t left me. The Cotswold area was one of the main things I wanted to see while there, but we only had a day to explore the area. We didn’t get to all of the most visited villages, but we saw some of the more popular locations. Today’s post explores amazing Bibury (pronounced like bribery but without the “r”).

Historic stone cottages dot the narrow, curving roads at every turn of this smaller town. Arlington Row is a series of small cottages built in 1380 as a monastic wool store that are now rented to various tenants. You can rent one of them for a vacation.

 

Here’s the Arlington Mill along the river where the wool was sent for processing.

 

If you’ve ever Googled the Cotswolds, it’s likely that a photo of The Swan Hotel was returned in the results. The grounds are absolutely spectacular.

 

 

Quite by accident, my daughter and I stumbled across The Catherine Wheel while visiting amazing Bibury. We were trying to figure out the best route to nearby Bourton-on-the-Water and pulled into the parking lot to consult our GPS. We decided to get a glass of wine and use the restroom (or should I say loo?) and I’m glad we did. The inside was exactly what I expected an old English pub to look like. Small rooms and low ceilings with jovial conversation filling the spaces.

 

Here’s my daughter Stephanie enjoying the Pinot Grigio outside the 15th century building. England is filled with so much history and old buildings that reflect centuries of former lives.

 

Of course, you can’t drive through the Cotswold area without seeing fields of grazing sheep. And yes, we rented a car and drove on the left side of the road with a steering wheel on the right side of the car. That wasn’t so bad. It’s the narrow roads that leave you white-knuckled. Especially on the country roads that are the size of one-lane roads in the U.S. You never know what’s coming around the next corner so you drive slow.

 

You’ll find quaint and colorful doors throughout England.

 

And plenty of flowers and charming windows.

 

The population of amazing Bibury is less than 1,000 people. William Morris called Bibury the most beautiful village in England.

 

 

Although the amazing Bibury is certainly quaint and charming, it wasn’t my favorite of the Cotswold villages we visited. Stay tuned to find which one made the top of my list!