The Cotswolds

As the second largest "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" in England, the Cotswolds are protected from further development in order to preserve the distinctively beautiful landscape.

Its 787 square miles are protected in a manner similar to national parks, although in the case of AONB, historic stone-built villages and English gardens are protected along with the hillsides of unique grasslands.  A bedrock of Jurassic limestone lies beneath the green coverage.

Like most places in the world, homes were built using locally available materials, in this case a mineral now called Cotswold stone.  It tends to age into a honey gold color that's quite aesthetically pleasing.

As our guide Mark drove our mini-bus through the countryside to the Cotswolds from Salisbury, I once again marveled at how much open land remains in the English countryside.  It's easier to appreciate when not behind the driver's wheel worrying about oncoming traffic.

Mark sometimes steered the van down country roads barely wide enough for a MINI Cooper, where he would contend with oncoming traffic by backing to a crossroad or passing lane.  Better him than me.

Our first stop was Lacock Abbey, which actually long ago ceased being a Catholic building.  During Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, the Augustinian nunnery built in the 13th Century by Ela, the Countess of Salisbury who was sister-in-law to Richard the Lionheart, was sold and converted into a private residence.

In 1835, William Henry Fox Talbot took the first negative image photograph through the mansion's window and laid claim to the title of the inventor of photography.

On this day, we would take our own digital photos using far more advanced technology and continue on to the village of Lacock, which has benefited greatly from its photogenic beauty.  The National Trust bought the village in its entirety in order to preserve it for the future.

Harry Potter's Parents' House

You may recognize Lacock from Downtown Abbey, both the TV series and the movie, or perhaps the BBC's 1995 series, Pride and Prejudice.

It was used in other movies, of which the best known by our family would be the Harry Potter series.

After ample time to stroll about the village, we continued on to a brief stop at Biddestone and then on to Castle Combe.

Doctor Dolittle's House (the yellow one)

Castle Combe has its own bit of movie stardom.  It was featured as Doctor Dolittle's house in the 1967 original version of the movie starring Rex Harrison.  According to our driver guide Mark, Castle Combe residents weren't as accommodating as Lacock for the movie industry.

Nonetheless, other movies including War Horse and Stardust have been filmed on its lovely streets.

After strolling around a bit, Julie and I came across a sidewalk cafe that looked like the perfect spot for afternoon cappuccinos and pastry.

We settled in and simply enjoyed being in the present moment in a lovely quintessential English village, which really is for the most part why travelers visit the Cotswolds.  By the way, if you were wondering which of Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty in England is larger than the Cotswolds, that would be the Lake District at 912 square miles.

Lacock

Tithe Barn For Church's 10% of Production

Biddestone

Castle Combe