The Cotswolds

Cotswold Wild Life Park,

Burford (01993 823006)

 

Home to a varied collection of mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates, from ants to white rhinos and bats to big cats. Asiatic lions and Amur leopards. Other animal highlights include meerkats, Lar gibbons and Siamang gibbons. Many are endangered species. All set in the large parkland surroundings.

 

Birdland,

Bourton-on-the-Water (01451 820480)

 

Set amongst seven acres of woodland, gardens ponds and rivers see some of the worlds most exotic and rare birds. The River Windrush runs through the Park forming a natural habitat for Flamingos, Pelicans and Storks as well as an abundance of waterfowl. The colony of Penguins is an experience, especially at feeding time.

 

 

 

Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection,

Bourton-on-the-Water (01451 821255)

 

Along with its collection of cars, motorcycles and pedal cars, the Museum also has a toy collection and has one of the largest collections of metal motoring signs. The Museum is also home to BRUM, the little yellow car from the BBC TV children's series.

 

The Model Village,

Bourton-on-the-Water (01451 820467)

 

The model village is a one-ninth scale replica of Bourton-on-the-Water - built by an earlier inn owner and a small team of local craftsmen during the early thirties and opened on the Coronation day of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937. The village is complete with a miniature River Windrush, distinctive bridges, willows and chestnut trees. From the replica Church of St Lawrence can be heard the voices of the choir, and nearby is the model of the Baptist Church, the original of which was built in 1876. Built in the same warm Cotswold stone of the real village, the walls and roof tiles of the model buildings weather and mellow, so that each year the model becomes more and more realistic.

 

The Dragonfly Maze,

Bourton-on-the-Water (01451 822251)

 

The creator's ambition was realised by combining a traditional Yew Hedge Maze with a Rebus Puzzle. The central pavilion, constructed of local materials, houses automated sculptures, hand crafted by artist, sculptor and writer Kit Williams. Find your way to the centre of the maze, picking up clues on the way.

 

Folly Farm Waterfowl,

Bourton-on-the-Water (01451 820940)

 

This is home to Europe's largest domestic waterfowl and wildlife conservation area, covering over 50 acres, with over 160 rare and distinctly differing breeds. See the lavender fields and purchase fragrances and oils made from their own plants. Garden centre and coffee shop.

 

Fundays Play Barn,

Bourton-on-the-Water (01451 822999)

 

Indoor play area with tubes, mazes, ball-ponds, ropes, slides, climbing walls and nets. They also have a baby and toddlers area. For Adults they offer an air-conditioned cafe. Also they have a wooded area for picnicking and an outside patio area.

 

The Oxford Story,

Oxford (01865 728822)

 

The ideal first stop for visitors to Oxford, the Oxford Story offers the very best insight into the city's world famous University, it's famous faces and it's history. Located within an extensive and historic three-storey former book warehouse, here you can climb aboard one of Europe's largest indoor 'dark' rides to explore the University's early beginnings and fascinating facts behind it's record breaking discoveries.

 

 

 

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust,

Slimbridge (01453 361383)

 

It is the first WWT centre that opened, and was founded by Sir Peter Scott. It is on the river Severn estuary and is at its best in winter, with large flocks of White-fronted Geese, sometimes with a rare Lesser White-fronted Goose amongst them. There are also Bewick's Swans, Whooper Swans and many ducks, some of which join the captive birds on the pools in the collection. Wintering birds of prey also occur, such as Peregrine and Merlin.

 

Cotswold Water Parkand Keynes Country Park,

South Cerney (01285 860186)

 

Britain's largest water park with 133 lakes between Swindon and Cirencester. It is 50% larger than the Norfolk Broads and still growing. Every form of water sport and recreation - sailing, jet skis, canoeing, angling. Boat hire, bike hire. Also nature reserves, walks and education programme.

 

 

Cotswold Farm Park,

Guiting Power (01451 850307)

 

Home to Britain's most comprehensive collection of rare breeds of British farm animals. There are lots of activities for the youngsters; rabbits and guinea pigs to cuddle, lambs and calves to bottle feed, tractor and trailer rides, battery powered tractors, seasonal farming demonstrations, including lambing, shearing and milking, together with great children's play areas both indoors and out. There is a designated children's shop, gift shop and Cotswold Kitchen.

 

Cotswolds Falconry Centre in Batsford Park,

Moreton-in-Marsh (01386 701441)

 

Batsford Park has several attractions, it has an arboretum, a wild garden, a garden centre and a falconry centre. The Arboretum contains a rare collection of over 1,500 species and varieties of trees, shrubs, bamboos and wild flowers set in 55 acres. Visitors can wander by the side of streams, discovering surprises at every turn, including a Japanese Rest House, a hermit's cave and a number of bronze statues from the Far East, originally collected by Lord Redesdale. In spring the snowdrops and daffodils; in early summer the magnolias and the Japanese cherry blossom; in autumn the reds and yellows and golds of the deciduous trees; and in winter the fairyland of frost and the waterfall of icicles suspended above the frozen lake.

 

The Toy and Collector's Museum,

Stow-on-the-Wold (01451 830159)

 

Three large showrooms of one of the best private collections of toys on show in the country.

 

Gloucestershireand Warwickshire Railway,

Toddington (01242 621405)

 

A round trip of over 20 miles to beyond Gotherington. Leaving from Toddington you travel past Didbrook and the site of Hayles Abbey Halt. After a brief stop at Winchcombe, the train continues its journey through a cutting into Greet Tunnel.The train passes Gotherington Station to the limit of the line. A short platform is opposite Gotherington Station. Recently, a further 3 miles of track to Cheltenham Race Course, has been laid, which is now open to the public.

 

Prinknash Bird and Deer Park,

Prinknash Park, Cranham (01452 812727)

 

Prinknash Park is set in a wooded valley at the centre of a monastic estate between the new abbey to the north and the old abbey, once the hunting lodge of King Henry VIII. The birds and animals are the main attraction, from peacocks to waterfowl and tropical aviaries. There's a children's castle and a dinky Tudor-style wendy house.

 

Westonbirt Arboretum,

Nr Tetbury (01666 880220)

 

Set in 600 acres, covered with around 18,000 species of trees from all over the world. Plenty of pushchair/wheelchair-friendly pathway. Some people will tell you it's best to visit in the autumn, when the leaves are changing colour, but any time is a good time to go to Westonbirt. Has a very full programme of summer events and kids wildlife activities, but is especially worth visiting when the Festival of Gardens is on over the summer, especially if you think gardens are boring in general!

 

Butterfly Farm,

Stratford-upon-Avon (01789 299288)

 

Proudly proclaiming the fact that it is "Europe's largest," the Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm affords a retreat away from all things Shakespearean. Hundreds of butterflies can be viewed at close quarters, many of the species sporting spectacular colours. For those interested in less attractive, more frightening creatures, other insect displays are available, including stick insects, leaf-eating ants and the world's largest spider.

 

Cogges Farm Museum,

Witney (01993 772602)

 

Cogges is a working museum depicting Oxfordshire rural life in Victorian times set in a manor house and farm buildings. You can take a step back in time when you enter the farmstead with its original buildings and meet the traditional breeds of farm animals including cows, sheep, pigs and chickens. Characters from Cogges' history describe life on a working farm in a new Audio Tour of the farm buildings and displays of farm implements and machinery. Regular demonstrations of farm work such as handmilking and buttermaking add to the experience and help bring the Museum to life. In the Manor House, visitors can meet the Victorian maids and watch while they go about their daily duties, including baking on the working kitchen range, washing and cleaning.

 

The Hellfire Caves,

West Wycombe (01494 533739)

 

They were excavated on the site of an ancient quarry in the 1750's by Sir Francis Dashwood in order to provide work for unemployed farm workers. The chalk was used to build a main road between West Wycombe and High Wycombe. The caves are approached through an flint forecourt resembling, from a distance, a Gothic church. A long winding passage leads past various small chambers to the Banqueting Hall and then over the River Styx to the Inner Temple, which is about Three Hundered feet down beneath the church on top of the hill. Statues in colourful costumes of close friends of Sir Francis, together with a commentary and sound effects helps to bring this intriguing story to life.

 

Aston Pottery,

Aston (01993 852031)

 

Aston Pottery was founded in 1990 by Jane and Stephen Baughan. A complex of four period farm buildings at Kingsway Farm, Aston in Oxfordshire have been renovated to provide an efficient and modern working environment for their staff and visitors, with the whole production process from concept to completion taking place onsite. For the manufacture of the ware they employ traditional methods of slipcasting, jiggering and jollying. Careful attention is given to the quality of the raw materials and exacting production standards that will maintain the high level of finish the product demands.