As we were driving through the Cotswolds towards Stow-on-the-Wold on our way home from Bath we came across a sign pointing to "The Slaughters", and decided to investigate. The improbably named Lower Slaughter is quite simply one of the prettiest villages that I have come across. With its beautiful Cotswold stone cottages, its shallow river, old watermill and low footbridges it reminds me of Bourton on the Water, which lies just over a mile away. The River Eye (seen here) feeds into the River Windrush to the south of Bourton on the Water.

The Grade II-listed water mill, dating from the early 1800s, has an undershot waterwheel and a chimney for additional steam power. The building is now a museum having last been used commercially as a mill in 1958.

Tags:   Gloucestershire The Cotswolds Lower Slaughter English villages rivers streams watermills Grade II-listed buildings

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The Church of St Barnabas in Snowshill, Gloucestershire, dates from the mid-Victorian era. There are not many monuments in the church, but it is worth noticing the wonderfully rich Victorian glass that graces the windows in the nave and chancel. Almost every window is dedicated to a member of the Marshall family, who must have had a fair bit of cash on hand, for the glass is quite beautiful in that stylised and sentimental Victorian way. The east window was inserted when the church was built in 1864 and is by the Ward and Hughes Company.

Source: www.britainexpress.com/counties/glouces/churches/snowshil...

Tags:   Cotswolds Gloucestershire Snowshill Church of St Barnabas, Snowshill Victorian churches

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The Church of St John the Baptist at Cirencester in Gloucestershire is one of the classic Cotswold “wool” churches which was vastly expanded in size in the 15th century, when the tower and new nave were built, funded by wealthy wool merchants. Simon Jenkins regards this as being among the one hundred finest churches in England.

The Grade I-listed church is a masterpiece of Perpendicular art and dates from the 12th century, although only its floor plan reflects the early structure. The tower was originally intended to have a spire, but proved to be too weak to support its weight. Giant buttresses support the east side of the tower.

Cirencester is most celebrated for its south porch (in front of the tower), the largest and most complex in England – which dates from 1490. Here the conduct of church and secular business took place. The south porch is three storeys tall with the wool guilds occupying the first two storeys. It could easily be described as England’s first office building.

Tags:   Gloucestershire Cirencester Church of St John the Baptist, Cirencester churches Grade I-listed buildings England's Thousand Best Churches south porches church towers wool churches medieval buildings

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St George’s Church in Brailes in south Warwickshire is locally called "The Cathedral of the Feldon" – the field land south of the River Avon. The foundations date from the 12th century. The south aisle was added in about 1280 and is the oldest part of the present church building. The western part of the south arcade was added in about 1330-40 when the nave seems to have been extended westwards to its present length of six bays. At the same time the clerestory was added to the nave and the chancel was rebuilt with its present Decorated Gothic east window. The north aisle may also be 14th century, but rebuildings and alterations in 1649 and 1879 have obscured the evidence for its original appearance. In the 15th century an additional window was inserted in the south wall of the chancel. The bell tower is 120 feet high and has the third-heaviest ring of six bells in England. Simon Jenkins regards this as one of England's Thousand Best Churches.

Tags:   Warwickshire Brailes St George's Church churches Cathedral of the Feldon England's Thousand Best Churches

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This delightful small town in Gloucestershire has many buildings in the characteristic butter-coloured Cotswold stone, a number of antique shops and several hotels. It lies an the old Roman road, the Fosse Way (A429).

Tags:   Gloucestershire Moreton-in-Marsh Cotswolds Roman road English small towns

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