I’ve seen the prettiest village, and it’s hidden somewhere south of England.

I marvelled at the green and vast rolling hills, walked along rows of honey-colored stone houses, admired centuries-old churches and wished I live in one of the thatched cottages with perfectly manicured lawns and flowering bushes. Coupled with glorious blue skies, this is quintessential English countryside at its best.

Some of the houses look like something out of the Lord of the Rings – that cutesy homes where hobbits live. No? Oh yes, that one is tucked away in Middle Earth. Did you know though that J.R.R. Tolkin actually drew inspiration for The Hobbit from memories of his childhood in his hometown in England? Lovely, aye.

The best way to explore the villages is with a private car. Though public buses are available, we did not see a lot of buses plying the roads so I’m guessing they don’t arrive very frequently. But seriously, driving through British country lanes makes the trip twice as fun!

If driving, it’s useful to know how to drive safely in single track roads as many of the roads here are just wide enough for a single car (and yes, these are two-way lanes). 

Moreton-in-Marsh railway station, the gateway to Cotswolds, is 1 hour and 40 minutes from London Paddington Station. We engaged Cotswolds Mystery Tour for a private tour of the villages and they are fantastic at what they do, I couldn’t have done this tour better myself.  I highly recommend joining their tours to gain a greater appreciation of this enchanting part of England.

xoxo