We travelled to the Cotswolds with our 12-year-old Kidsetter specifically to catch up with a family friend and he kindly hosted us for a couple of days. Just ninety minutes from London in the heart of the English countryside, the Cotswolds feature some of the most picturesque towns and villages in the UK.
The Cotswolds are famous for their typically English landscape of lovely green rolling hills, stone walls, woodland and charming little towns and villages. Many of the buildings are made from sandy yellow Cotswold Stone, making the whole area highly attractive.
Covering almost 800 square miles and running through five counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire), each area has its own distinct personality and identity making it a diverse and interesting place to explore.
We visited Bourton-on-the-Water, a quaint village in the rural Cotswolds area of south central England.
Bourton-on-the-Water is a popular destination with gently flowing River Windrush running through the centre of the village and crossed by appealing little bridges.
Our friend lives in Moreton-in-Marsh which is a thriving market town in the Evenlode Valley, within the Cotswolds district and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Gloucestershire.
As well as breath-taking landscapes and picture-perfect towns and villages, the Cotswolds are home to lively market towns, some of the country’s greatest palaces, castles and country houses and world-class gardens.
Our friend had booked for us to see Giffords Circus as it was our Kidsetter’s birthday. It is a vintage village green circus that tours the UK every summer. Gifford circus has been the Cotswold’s best kept secret for over twenty years.
The opening act was the hilarious ‘Tweedy the Clown’. He had us in stitches from the moment we arrived.
I wondered if our Kidsetter might be a bit old for the circus however this is no ordinary circus. Highly skilled professionals and entertaining their audience with precise execution.
Giffords Circus has many toe curling aerial acts, stunning sparkling costumes and awe-inspiring theatrical reverie.
A special touch was our friend had arranged for the circus to sing Happy Birthday to our Kidsetter. He was beyond thrilled !
The Cotswolds have left an impression on us and we will definitely be returning to explore the region in greater detail.
