I love the Cotswolds very much. Spreading over a wide area between Oxford and Bath in the southwest of England, this region is an ideal rural paradise with its rivers, naturalness and history that I want to escape to at every opportunity to recharge myself. Exploring Shakespeare’s Villages England travel guide
As London has turned into a city of immigrants and refugees, many British people are now fleeing to this region, which is 2.5 hours away by car.
The Cotswolds region has been an important settlement center since the Roman period. Cirencester is known as the capital of the British province of the Roman Empire. It gained importance with its trade and wool industry during the Middle Ages. The region is full of cities, market towns and villages with a rich trading history.

Yellow Cotswold stone is used in most of the architectural structures and determines the aesthetic texture of the region. It was the scene of civil war in the 17th century, and later grew with the wool trade and textile industry, and even today there are wool factories that can still be seen in some villages.
The honey-coloured houses of Upper Slaughter, the legendary Bibury, where Bridget Jones’s Diary was filmed, Eyford Manor, John Milton’s lost paradise, Bourton On The Water, Sudeley Castle in the Footsteps of Turner and Rubens, Gloucestershire’s market town of Winchcombe. , Broadway, the jewel of the Cotswolds, Lady Coventry Tower, Cotswolds antique shops, England’s living medieval city Bath next to King Charles’ farm… All of them are scattered in this geography.
Burak Bilgit: Concept and creative travel master
I found Burak Bilgit, the owner of “Matilda Travel”, very close to my own understanding of travel. It must be because I saw traces of a similar philosophy in my book “Ask More from Life” (Destek Publications), which I wrote by distilling my travels to dozens of countries.
There is no doubt that he is an interesting and extraordinary person. Because he sees every trip from Antarctica to Japan as a complete discovery and a new work rather than an ordinary holiday, he tries to design original and extraordinary trips, just like an artist with the excitement and meticulousness of his work, as far as I have heard from him.
“Travel is an art,” he says. It manages to excite even a long-time traveler like me.
Shakespeare’s villages

I don’t know how he discovered it, but he chose my favorite region in England as a target for Turkish travelers.
This region, a wonder of history, gastronomy and nature, has been included in the list of concept trips and experiential tour designs offered to travelers on seven continents.
You travel to Shakespeare’s time, that is, 16th and 17th century Britain, and travel to the villages of Middle England decorated with stone houses and honey-coloured structures set on emerald meadows.
The journey, which begins in Stratford Upon Avon, the village where Shakespeare was born, continues with the idyllic beauties of the Thames Valley and the Cotswolds springs, as well as aesthetic architecture and experiences of English rural culture that have managed to survive for centuries.
Bridget Jones’s Diary and the legendary Bibury

Villages and towns excluded from award-winning lists by British travel magazines and local travel clubs; It enriches the trip with experiences such as castle stays, horse rides, meetings with literary figures and gourmets, and visits to antique shops.

During his Cotswolds trip, he first stays in a 17th century castle where cauldrons are still boiling in the kitchen. It is a pleasure to hear about English village life from British travel writer Penny Hopkins. He meets the famous antique expert and auctioneer Steven Bruce and discovers the past and present of antiques.
They are guests at a horse farm in Winchcombe and ride the English horses to the meadows of Shakespearean villages.
“Venice of the Cotswolds”

Onedir “Cheltenham is known as the “capital” of the Cotswolds. “I must admit that Stow-on-the-Wold, with its historic market square and ancient buildings, is my favorite town,” he says and continues;
“There are many towns and cities that are considered the “gateway” to the Cotswolds. The priority on my route was Moreton-on-Marsh. Its central location makes it a convenient starting point for exploring the Cotswolds. There is more. Known for its medieval architecture, Chipping Campden is another charming market town. So is Bourton-on-the-Water, dubbed the “Venice of the Cotswolds” for its riverside views.
Steam train nostalgia
We arrive at the historic Broadway railway station and board the steam Cotswolds Express, enjoying the rolling hills, sweeping meadows and idyllic landscapes that have inspired artists and writers for centuries, as the train’s nostalgic vapors mix with the emerald green of the Cotswolds plateaus.
We are guests at a traditional tea house in the Thames valley and taste the famous “English Afternoon Tea”. We open the hidden doors of the city of Bath and listen to Jane Austen’s story.
At the end of everything, Hüseyin Özer, a British chef of Turkish origin, is waiting for us in his own place in London. First, we listen to his success story that introduced Turkish cuisine to the world, and then we have a pleasant dinner accompanied by gourmet delicacies and conversation.
And we hear striking anecdotes from American financier Sanford Henry, senior partner of GRP company, who has been living in London for 45 years, about the mysteries of the capital and the Royal gossips that have not seen the light of day.”
When?
I think September, which is a period close to spring in England, is ideal to set sail on such a trip. It is a time when we can enjoy the peaceful, green environment and timeless beauty of rural architecture, away from the crowded crowds.
Private Trip to Shakespeare Villages with Matilda Travel
I lived in the Cotswolds for many years. Now, I go every year at least once a month on weekends in pursuit of my own pleasure. I could not comply with Burak Bilgit’s request, but I will gladly contribute and accompany the trips he will organize to this region, the first of which will be held in September 2024. We have created a wonderful program blended with literature in the culture-art-history triangle; It will whet the appetite of all of us to hit the road again and discover ourselves and the Cotswolds.
