It was nearly ten by the time everyone was awake this morning so we decided to stay a little closer to the cottage in the afternoon and explore the Cotswold villages of Broadway and Chipping Campden, both of which were charming but very touristy. Broadway (named after its unusually wide main street) was full of expensive shops in lovely old buildings, and while we didn't actually enter many of them (those we did venture in to were hugely overpriced), we did have a very nice lunch in a teashop on the main street.
After lunch we drove to Broadway Tower, which is atop the highest peak in the Cotswolds and offers stunning views of the villages, hills, and fields of the region. And, of course, lots of sheep.
The tower is just a few miles from Chipping Campden along the Cotswold Way, a well-marked footpath, so I decided to reach it on foot while the rest of the family took the car.
It took about eighty minutes and turned out to be a fabulous decision as the views were far nicer than those you get from the road. It was a delightful way to spend the afternoon and made me feel very virtuous and energetic.
The path went through forests, flocks of sheep grazing on hills, and several farmer's fields on a very narrow little pathway.
Like Broadway, Chipping Campden was full of expensive shops and tourists so we didn't spend too much time there, but we did have a lovely afternoon tea in town and explore a fascinating fifteenth-century market building.
We had a delicious dinner near the cottage in Alvescot before turning in early ahead of tomorrow's adventures in Oxford.
GWV
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