Bibury, Arlington Row, and that Yellow Car.

Coined "the most beautiful village in England" by William Morris is Bibury, in Gloucestershire.

Although its officially recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 under the name Becheberie, the ruins of an Ancient Roman villa were discovered in the 19th century, including pottery and coins. Bibury is also one of the six places in the United Kingdom to be featured in the famous "Mini-Europe" in Brussels.

Considering how many photos I took while I was there, it's hard to argue with Morris on the picturesque beauty of this village. My only hesitation is that it was SO busy, it almost felt like I was in "Bibury: The Amusement Park" rather than the idyllic village it's meant to be. (Don't be fooled by my cropping of people in all the photos). Chalk it up to the amazing weather getting everyone outside, I guess!

What surprised me the most was how quirky and busting such a small place was - in addition to a good number of homes dotted along the roads, the village hosts an inn with a pub including a stunning garden for guests only, a trout farm, relaxing trails to take a stroll through, tea rooms, patios, and a stunning display of wildlife. The River Coin flows through the centre of the village and you could see dozens of trout working their way through the sparkling clear water while swans floated happily above. There's a large circular swamp just past the non-road side of the river that you can walk over via a footbridge in order to get to the iconic west side of the village.

This most iconic bit of the village I mentioned, originally called "Rack Isle," is Arlington Row. This series of cottages along the hill has served multiple purposes throughout its history including sheephouse, wool store, the place for the weavers to hang their cloth to dry, but nowadays it's famous for being pictured on the inside of all UK passports...and everyone's Instagrams.

But who can blame them?

Almost as famous as the cottages themselves is the bright yellow Vauxhall Corsa parked towards the end of the row. This tiny car has wreaked outrage from photographers and tourists alike for ruining the aesthetic of their photo, and the owner could care less. I honestly think the whole ordeal is hilarious - with some cropping or photoshop you can hide it but people genuinely curse its existence and its colouring. But c'mon - he lives there, he puts up with tourists hounding his village, why shouldn't he park in front of his home! He's 71 years old, do people really expect him to find a new place to park walk a long distance just to get through his front door or purchase a new car just to please everyone?

YOU DO YOU, yellow Vauxhall.

How do y'all feel about it "ruining" everyone's photos?

Wooly Bully.

(Optional mood music to play while reading this post)

I've mentioned the prosperity of Woollen Industry in old England in nearly every post about The Cotswolds. The boom was followed by a big dip of poverty, the mills dried up and the economy came to a stand still. When industries, investors, and populations went elsewhere to settle - these once-prosperous towns were abandoned and left to crumble. Many of their populations nowadays are not much higher or even lower than they were hundreds of years ago. However unfortunate their fate may have seemed amid the devastation, the stop of growth has preserved the charm of Cotswold villages that we appreciate today. Even if they are a modern village with internet and whatnot, wires and telephone poles are hidden away, making them some of the most picturesque places in the world.

The Cotswold Woollen Weavers is a museum/shop/cafe hybrid in the tiny village of Filkins, home to about 200 people. You can find everything from furniture to books and just about any wardrobe piece you can think of made from wool. I was tempted to pick up a cosy blanket but it wasn't exactly practical with summer around the corner. Sadly there were no local sheep around when I was there, after seeing fields of them with their baby lambs I did have my fingers crossed that I would stumble upon some and squeal at how adorable they are.

The staff are friendly and entrance to the mini-complex is free, but its large enough where you are left to your own devices and are free to wander from building to building. There's a grassy courtyard with picnic benches smack bang in the middle, a perfect spot to take a cup of tea or snack from the cafe as a break between your shopping and gaining your share of woollen history.

Bloomin' Bampton.

Spring essays and laptop drama be gone! *does dramatic wand-waving gesture*
After my month of living in between the Apple store and the library, I can finally get to sharing the bits from my romp through the Cotswolds I mentioned a couple weeks ago.

Snuggled in Oxfordshire, about 40 minutes west of Oxford lies the adorable and ancient market town of Bampton. With a population of just under 3,000 it's one of the larger Cotswold villages, but retains the charm. It was mentioned as a town from as early as 1086 in the Domesday Book - which, for the longest time I thought people were saying DOOMSday....as in some book about the apocalypse. Like many Cotswold villages, it experienced a boom of prosperity during the Middle Ages from the woollen industry in addition to textiles and leather. St. Mary's church is the dominating feature of the village and although the present church dates back to the remodeling of 1270, evidence points that a former church existed on the site much before the Norman Conquest.

However, in the past few years it's experienced a boom in tourists rather than market goods thanks to...

Yup - Bampton doubles as the village from Downton Abbey. Even though the series is set in Yorkshire, they do almost all of their filming down south.

Needless to say I had to swing/frolic by Mrs. Crawley's house and say hello (and shed some more tears for Matthew).

Downton Abbey fangirl spots aside, my other favourite bit about this tiny village was the sprinkling of beautiful, colourful flowers the tiny streets and front gardens. I've never been a big gardener aside from a phase I went through when I was younger when my dad built me a little garden as a summer project where I grew dozens of terrifyingly large cucumbers - but all of the beautiful gardens in England have converted me to dreaming of a big leafy garden in my backyard in the future.

Are you a Downton Abbey fan? I'm so sad the next season is the last, I've never been a big TV person but I have watched it religiously! 

Cruisin' Through the Cotswolds.

Before moving to England, I thought I would spend all my free time traveling to big names like London, Manchester, Liverpool, etc. While I do love London, even with the occasional chaos, and will be making it north of The Midlands before it kills me, what I've come to discover is that some of my absolute favorite day trips have been to tiny villages scattered around the countryside. Although Lacock is still my most loved escape, a recent day trip through Cotswold Villages with MadMax Tours (my go-to tour company in the West Country) charmed me right off my feet.

The Cotswold Region spans over 6 counties and is comprised of over 80% farmlands. Its secluded and beautiful charm plays home to residents including Prince Charles and Camilla - who reside at Highgrove House near Tetbury, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Kate Moss, and JK Rowling's childhood house. That being said, you might want to check out the real estate prices in the Cotswolds before you decide to pack your things and head for the simple life... Countless movies and television shows have taken advantage of the picture perfect scenery and used this region as filming locations - everything from James Bond to Pride and Prejudice.

One of the most prominent features of the Cotswolds is the Jurassic limestone. "Typical" stone that comprises the buildings in this area is a honey-colored rock that gets gradually more pearl-colored as you go south towards Bath and even quite golden-yellow in some areas. As these stones are full of fossils, if you are lucky and have a bit of patience, you might be able to spot a sea urchin fossil right on the side of someone's home.

While there are buses available to take you from town to town, having your own car or utilizing a tour company like I did is the way to go - take the transportation stress out of your day. Trotting along the country roads you'll see thatched roof cottages, fields of sheep, miles of rolling greenery, massive estate homes, and villages that look like they were caught in a time warp. Many of these villages played big roles during the wool industry boom in England, and then suffered great economic catastrophe, stopping the town's growth in their tracks. Their loss is history's gain, as the architecture and culture has stood the test of time and preserved the character that so many towns and cities have lost to industrial booms.

The full day tour is jam-packed with sights and stories from the minute you depart Bath. Our guide, Richard was incredibly knowledgeable and included little facts like "Oh, the pub we're about to drive by on the left was where Prince Harry was caught drinking underage." or "That lumpy looking hill is actually the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater."

If you have the free time to make it to the south west of England, I highly recommend taking a tour of the Cotswolds to explore the unique villages and get a feel for the true British countryside. I'll be doing individual posts about a few of my favorite stops now that my computers woes are mostly over, including one of me prancing around the village they use in Downton Abbey.

Charming Castle Combe.

You know when you go somewhere and think "Wow, this feels like a movie set?"

Enter, Castle Combe Village in Wiltshire.

Our first stop of the day on the Mad Max Tour that I talked about a few days ago took us about 45 minutes from the center of Bath, through rolling hills and an insane amount of green countryside.

Arriving in Castle Combe is a time-warp. The village is completely equipped with internet and cable like everyone else – but you'd never know it. Thanks to Hollywood and big names like Spielberg using the village in films such as the original Doctor Doolittle and War Horse, all cables and anything modern is hidden away, built inside walls and other structures to maintain the historical aesthetic. Take down a few for sale signs, scoot the cars away, and you have a ready-made set.

Between the peaceful stream and blissful surroundings, it's hard not to imagine yourself living in simpler times. If you fancy packing up your things and moving to this storybook street, we were informed that most of the homes there will set you back an eye-watering £500,000 to £3 million.

There were a few tea shops and pubs dotted along the road (as the village is literally is a single road) along with a restored Manor House turned hotel and golf course, which I think would make for a delightful weekend getaway or wedding.

Wiltshire quickly became one of my favorite rural areas in England, as it's just so unspoiled. Coming up next in my blogroll is the highlight of my day...

Do you prefer exploring big cities or tiny towns?