nick.heinimann contributor

The Cotswolds. Pack Your Bags Now.

The Beautiful Costswolds

The Cotswolds is a area in the midlands of England comprising of quite a few different towns. The cotswolds have some of the nicest drives and villages in all of england. It's so surprising how so few tourist's actually visit places like these just because they are not written about so often. Having been all over england this place is by far one of my favourite and also in my opinion the most beautiful. The place I visited was called Castle Combe. Once you arrive you might get the feeling that Castle Combe has been frozen in time. No new houses have been built in this tiny Wiltshire village since the 1600s, and its ancient, honey-hued Cotswold stone cottages remain its standout feature. You'll see beautiful valley views, a meandering river and some strict (but welcome) parking restrictions. I would highly reccommend you visit in the midst of winter because that is when almost no one is around and the place will look like a fairytale. Imagine having a whole village to yourself!

For photographers this place is quite unique and yet really challenging. Challenging in the sense that it is incredibly small so new photos and new angles are hard to come by. We stopped for tea at the old rectory tea room and had some scones and tea. The place is so cozy inside and the scones were absolutely delicious. If you are coming from london then it is about a 2 hour drive with the london traffic factored in. If you have the budget then the Ivy covered manor house is a quite expensive hotel with a michellin starred restaurant. If there is one thing you must do its wandering down to the bridge where the river is. It's fairly easy to spot and there you'll get that unique photo of the bridge and the houses lined up!

View from the top of the village View from the top of the village

Some of the 300-400 cottages in the village Some of the 300-400 cottages in the village

The iconic Shot of Castle Combe The iconic Shot of Castle Combe