An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Gently rolling hillsides (‘wolds’) running through several English counties including Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, this is quintessentially English in its quaint yet intoxicating beauty. This unspoiled area is populated by countless small towns and villages, all built with unique honeycoloured stone.

Indeed, many of the local buildings and structures are a marvel in themselves. The handsome manor houses with their mullioned windows and ‘Farrow and Ball’ coloured woodwork date from the middle ages, when great wool fortunes were made.

Our tour is again based in the comfort of the four-star Holiday Inn on the banks of the river in Stratford-upon-Avon, just across the bridge from the historic town centre. The hotel gardens run down to the water’s edge from where river boats start and finish cruises through the town.

From this base we can easily explore some of the most beautiful towns and villages such as Broadway and Stow-on-the-Wold and, with the help of our local guide, discover some of the more out-of -the- way attractions