The Swan Hotel

Nice pub food

by iandsmith about Swan Hotel

This 17th century inn, once used as a coach staging post, now has a modern decor inside which contrasts nicely with the cobblestoned courtyard outside.
We chose to sit and dine in the courtyard which turned out to be a nice experience with reasonable quality food and reasonable quality service.

Rate payers only

by iandsmith

Right smack in the middle of the village, across the road from the Swan Hotel, is this cute little well-maintained park. After taking a shot I tried to move in and get some closeups. Unlucky, there's a sign, that I managed to obey, that says it's for locals only, i.e. those that are paying rates for its upkeep.
I'm still trying to think where I've ever come across that situation before.

Autumn Bibury

by iandsmith

I always remember the picture. It was of the side entrance to a small church in Gostwyk in the New England area of N.S.W. The lamp sitting amongst some ivy. Trouble is, I lost the negative some time ago so getting an updated print of the by-now-grotty one was impossible and I had never seen it the same since.
So, when I saw a similar set of circumstances whilst dining at the Swan Hotel it took me no time at all to extract my camera and rack off a couple of shots, this one being the best in my opinion.
I hope you get some enjoyment out of it too.
This is where the name, albeit grossly corrupted, is believed to have come from. Bibury: ‘Beage’s burg (hill or fortified place). There is a documentary reference in the early 8th century to land granted to Beage, daughter of Earl Leppa.

Classic Cotswolds

by iandsmith

"Not only but also"

I remember when I was first researching the Cotswolds. A few things spring to mind. One was "Three days is not enough to see the Cotswolds". They got that right. Another was Arlington Row. I confused it with nearby Ablington and thought that Bibury was another place entirely. So I was mildly surprised when I found that they were, in point of fact, in the same village even though, technically speaking, they are actually two different villages.
Since it wasn't high on my priorities and I'd only originally planned to spend, at most, a day in the Cotswolds, I really didn't bother with much more research.
Thus it was that I was heading in from the south (Cirencester) when we crested the hill and, hey presto, here was this gorgeous hotel staring at me in the face and, beside me, an historic old water mill. The Hotel is the Swan Hotel, originally a 17th century coaching inn.
I also summed up fairly quickly that I was glad I was there in the shoulder season. It was fairly obvious that in springtime this place, and others like it, would be awash with tourists.
It took us about another 2 hours before I actually got to walk Arlington Row, so entranced and hungry were we, both items taking about an hour!
The village is really about one intersection and the 400 metres in any of the three directions leading away from that Y-intersection.
It's so beautiful that they come by the busload just to savour this small area. I hope you enjoy some of what I saw.

Stratford-upon-Avon

by Sarah97

"Shakespeare's place"

As I have majored English Language and Literature in University, I couln't miss this place! A place where William Shakespeare have lived!!!

This photo is taken in front of Shakespear's house at Stratford-upon-Avon.

Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day....? ^ ^

"Swan Hotel"

"A canal and the red boat"

"Street scene."

I think I took this photo near the house of the founder of Harvard university. But I am not sure 100%. Excuse me...