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Westonbirt Arboretum and Tetbury. |
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Take the 620 bus from Bath at 8.45am (not Saturdays) to Westonbirt Arboretum. Set in 600 acres of beautifully landscaped Cotswold countryside, Westonbirt’s 18,000 trees are spectacular at any time of year, with magnificent displays in autumn. The 620 bus leaves Westonbirt for Tetbury at 11.57 or 1.57pm. Although dating back from Saxon Times, Tetbury flourished in the Middle Ages as a major market town, and still hosts a popular Wednesday market in the impressive Market Hall in the town centre. The bus leaves Tetbury at 3.17pm to return to Bath at 4.40pm.
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Stratford-upon-Avon to
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Chipping Campden, Hidcote Manor and Kiftsgate Court Gardens. |
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This trip takes you on a journey from Shakespeare’s birthplace to one of the Cotswolds prettiest villages.
Leave from Wood Street, Stratford-upon-Avon on the FMR21 bus at 9.22am. Arriving at the unspoilt village of Chipping Campden at 9.49am, you can spend time exploring the long main street with its dark golden stone buildings spanning 500 years of history. You can enjoy time in the gift shops, stop for morning coffee at a coffee shop or visit St James’s Church, one of the Cotswolds finest wool churches with some splendid 17th century monuments. This should last until about 12:30pm.
Three miles from Chipping Campden (travel by taxi, Cotswolds Private Hire 07980857833 or Marnic Cars 01386 840014) you will find the renowned gardens of Hidcote Manor. These formal gardens, now run by the National Trust, have clipped box and yew hedges bordering a series of separately themed gardens, each with its own atmosphere. This will last until 2:45 – 3pm.
For keen gardeners, visit the nearby Kiftsgate Court Gardens (1/2 mile, about 15-minute’s walk) set in the grounds of a Georgian manor house. Visit in the summer when the roses are in full bloom, to enjoy the magnificent ‘Kiftsgate’ rose. This should last for about 2 _ hours. You will need to book a taxi to take you back to Chipping Campden to get the bus FMR22 at 17:59pm, arriving back at Stratford-upon-Avon at 18:32pm.
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Cheltenham to
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Bourton-on-the-Water, Upper and Lower Slaughter
and Stow-on-the Wold |
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This trip takes you through some of the prettiest countryside and allows you to visit the most popular, typically English, villages in the Cotswolds.
Leave Cheltenham from Royal Well on the P801 Pulham’s bus at 10.30am to arrive in Bourton-on-the-Water at 11.05am. You will have time to discover why Bourton-on-the-Water is considered to be the "Venice of the Cotswolds", with attractive low stone bridges crossing the small river that runs through the village. You will find ample shopping and places to eat here.
Leave Bourton-on-the-Water at 12.40pm on the P801 Pulham’s Coaches bus to arrive in Lower Slaughter at 12.48pm (not on Saturdays). At Lower Slaughter you can enjoy lunch, visit the Mill or perhaps enjoy gentle riverside walk from Lower Slaughter to Upper Slaughter detailed on the Sample Walking Courses of the website
In the summer months you may prefer to take a trip on the Cotswolds open topped bus that runs from Bourton-on-the-Water, passing through Upper and Lower Slaughter on a return trip.
Leave Lower Slaughter at 2.53pm on the P801 to arrive in Stow-on-the-Wold at 3pm. The market square is the focal point of this famous centre for antiques, surrounded by houses, shops and inns all built in the local Cotswold stone. This is an ideal place to stop for afternoon tea.
To return to Cheltenham you can take the P801 bus at 5pm to arrive back in Cheltenham at 5.50pm, in time to take an evening meal in one of the many excellent restaurants in Cheltenham.
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Bourton-on-the-Water to Moreton-in-Marsh
Monday to Friday |
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This service enables you to connect with the train station at Moreton-in-Marsh, and travels via Stow-on-the-Wold and the attractive village of Lower Slaughter. There are frequent trains from London Paddington to and from Moreton. You can get on the bus at Bourton at 09.35 and it arrives at Moreton at 10.00. Or get on the bus at Moreton at 12.00 to arrive in Bourton at 12.25.
At Stow-on-the-Wold there are hotels and b and b’s, shops, including a great range of antiques shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. At Bourton-on-the-Water there are a similar range of facilities, plus a good range of attractions including Birdland, the Cotswold Motoring Museum, The Model Village, the Cotswold Pottery, the Dragonfly Maze and the Perfumery. Both Stow and Bourton have Tourist Information Centres.
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