The name Cotswold means “sheep enclosure in rolling hillsides”. During the Middle Ages, the area was famous for its wool trade and the area prospered due to the breed known as the Cotswold sheep. (Although sheep can still be seen in the fields throughout the area, the Cotswold breed is now rare). It was during this period that many of the churches in the area were built. They were called ‘wool churches’ because the wealth generated by the sheep was used to pay for building them.
Throughout the Cotswolds, you’ll find lots of small, attractive towns and pretty villages to discover and enjoy, hidden in the glorious scenery. Houses and cottages are mainly built of the signature yellow, honey-coloured limestone that is quarried throughout the area. The Cotswold stone is also used to build the Cotswold dry stone walls that you’ll see throughout the countryside.
The North Cotswold towns and villages include Broadway, Chipping Campden, Bourton-on-the-Hill, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Chipping Norton, Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold, Stroud and Winchcombe. All are worth a visit whilst you are on holiday at Boundary Cottage.
Willersey is the nearest village and is famous for its duck pond. It also has two good pubs – The Bell and The New Inn.
Chipping Campden is noted for its long and wide high street where the old Market Hall, built in 1627, still stands. It was built originally for the wool trade, but The Hall has been utilised by local producers of cheese, butter and poultry sellers too. The picturesque town is lined with thatched houses and cottages, so get ready to take lots of photos whilst you’re there. It is a thriving market town filled with independent shops selling local produce to this day. You’ll also find some excellent pubs and restaurants here.
The area is famous for being the home of the Arts and Crafts movement at the turn of the 20th century. C.R. Ashbee’s Guild of Handicraft (over 50 craftsmen and their families) moved to Chipping Campden from London’s East End in 1902. Court Barn Museum is situated in the town and is full of information about the Guild.
Broadway is nearby, on the west side of Boundary Cottage, at the base of Fish Hill. It is a small and beautiful village with lots of shops, pubs, restaurants and museums. Again, the main road is wide and long, hence the name ‘Broad way’. William Morris, who founded the Arts and Crafts movement was a visitor to Broadway. He used Broadway Tower as a country retreat with the Pre-Raphaelite artists, Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti for a short period. Broadway Tower was built in the late 18th century by the Earl of Coventry with the aid of Capability Brown. It is said that the tower was erected so that the Countess could see if her Cotswold estate was visible from Croome Court in Worcestershire, which it was. The folly stands some 1,024 feet above sea level, making it the second highest point in the Cotswolds after Cleeve Hill. In fact, on a clear day, visitors are able to see 14 counties from the top!
Broadway has artistic links with other famous artists, especially during 1885-1889 when the ‘Broadway Colony’ stayed in Broadway. The Colony included artists and writers such as Francis Millet, John Singer Sargent, Alfred Parsons, Fred Barnard, Henry James, Edmund Gosse, Edwin Austin Abbey and the actress Mary Anderson (Mme de Navarro) to name just a few.
Another famous person who lived in Broadway was the renowned 20th century furniture designer, Sir Gordon Russell MC. Throughout his life, he was greatly influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. His workshop was in Broadway, where there is now a museum dedicated to his work.
