A full day tour, Highclere Castle and Bampton, Downton Abbey from Cheltenham

Hello and Welcome! My family and I have lived in Cheltenham, the cultural centre of the Cotswolds, since 1991. I am the only tour guide on here that actually lives in the Cotswolds and I live and breath this area every day. We have a Kooikerhond called Smalls, if you would like me to bring her too, please let me know! The Cotswolds span over a 'large' area, 5 counties, and are generally divided up into the North and South. I have made up a list of tours to give you an idea, but I can also tailor make a tour for you. You can have several day tours if you are staying in the area longer. You can choose a full day tour of about 8 hours, or a half day tour of 4-5 hours. The tours will depend on where I pick you up and the route is flexible. The tours should start somewhere in the Cotswolds including, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Kingham, Moreton in Marsh, and from any of the Cotswold villages. Christmas tours, markets and lights are now available. It is easy to get here from London, I suggest you come here by train, either to Cheltenham Spa station, where I live, or arrive at Moreton in Marsh. You can also take a National Express Coach to Cheltenham, which starts at London Heathrow airport or from Victoria Coach station in London. Depending on the season, there are sculpture gardens and walks, either in country houses or through woodlands with snowdrops (February), tulips and daffodils (March, April), yellow rapeseed (April, May, June), bluebells and wild garlic (April, May) and poppy fields (June), confetti fields (July), and Cotswold Lavender (July, August), which can also be fun to explore. There are beer, gin and cider distilleries to visit as well as vineyards. We can also visit filming scenes from famous book, film or TV series such as Bridget Jones' Diary, Poldark, Downton Abbey, Agatha Raisin, Harry Potter, Laurie Lee, Father Brown and where the Mitford sisters lived. The 'highlights of the Cotswolds' are normally in the 'Northern Cotswolds' and include some of the well known villages, Bourton on the Water, Upper and Lower Slaughter, Stow on the Wold, Chipping Campden, Snowshill, Broadway and Broadway Tower, but there are many other special villages to see as well. You will see the honey coloured lime stone cottages, with thatched or tiled roofs and fields full of sheep, crops, surrounded by stone walls and often views! Please see my 'hidden gems of the Cotswold tour', which includes some spectacular villages of Sheepscombe, Painswick, Slad (the home of Laurie Lee who wrote 'Cider with Rosie') the Stroud Valleys and Rodborough Common. My 'Southern Cotswolds tour' can include Castle Coombe, Cirencester, Tetbury (near to where King Charles lives), Malmsbury, Lacock and Biddestone (Angela Raisin). A Roman tour can include Chedworth Roman villa, the River the Coln valley, Bibury, Cirencester, home to the Corinium museum and Burford. We often drive on Roman roads form 2,000 years ago and there are 50 known Roman villas dotted about. There are National Trust properties, gardens, palaces and castles to visit, Snowshill Manor Hidcote Manor Gardens & Kiftsgate Gardens, next-door, a stunning rose garden with amazing views. Seizencote, a house built in Indianñ style which occasionally opens its garden. Bourton House has a beautiful garden. Chavenage House and garden is used in Poldark, the home of Elizabeth. Studley Castle, the former home of Katherine Parr at Winchcombe. Highgrove gardens the home of King Charles Blenheim Palace, former home of Winston Churchill near to Oxford. Cotswold Lavender Bampton, the Downton Abbey village and the nearby and Downtown Abbey Kelmscott Manor, the home of William Morris. We can also visit Stratford on Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare plus Ann Hathaway's cottage. Warwick castle Bath and Gloucester Cathedral (Harry Potter). Father Brown was filmed in Blockley near Chipping Campden. The Rollright stones, a local stone circle. And of course there are plenty of pubs, cafe's, tea rooms, ice cream stops and opportunities to do any shopping! And the many Christmas markets! A little further afield are Stonehenge, Avebury, and white horses made of chalk and carved into the hill sides like the Uffington White Horse. You may also have family reasons, or special interests for coming here, and if I can help you with anything like that, I would be delighted! Children are very welcome! They may enjoy visiting the rare breeds Cotswold Farm Park, the Bourton Model Village, Birdland and the Cotswold Wild Life Park. Chedworth Roman Villa is also fascinating. I welcome any reviews after the tour! Thank you! BA Fine Art Degree from the Art Academy Minerva, University of Groningen, The Netherlands Personal Indemnity Insurance A British Private Hire (taxi) licence and insurance A Private Hire Operators Licence A car and minibus driving licence I have been working as a tour guide for many years in the UK and all over Europe.