April 2, 2015
Our walking days were behind us as we made our way to Bibury, on every list of the most beautiful villages in England. William Morris in fact pronounced it the most beautiful village in England.
The parish church, another St. Mary’s, is ancient; the main structure is Saxon, from the 11th century.
The center of the village is dominated by Bibury Court, a Jacobean structure from 1633, now the Swan Hotel.
But the village is best known for the cottages of Arlington Row. The structure was built in 1380 as a wool store for the nearby monastery; it was converted into a row of cottages for weavers in the 17th century.
Much of the village’s charm comes from the waterways that course through it, including a large wetland that is a wildlife preserve.
Here is the happy crew at the end of the visit.
At least most of us were happy…but some of us weren’t sure.
