The Cotswolds are full of charm, history and beauty. These unusual facts might inspire you to visit some of the spots in this beautiful part of England.

• The Great Wall of China is shorter than the length of the Cotswold Stone Walls.
• The annual Cheese Rolling at Cooper’s Hill in Birdlip involves chasing down a 7lb round of Double Gloucester cheese down a steep slope. The cheese is given to the first person who reaches it.
• The Cotswolds are the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK.
• Cirencester has the tallest hedges in the UK. The 300-year old yew fence surrounding the Bathurst Estate measures over 40 feet tall. The annual cutting of the hedge takes a team of two around 80 hours. The clippings can be used to create a drug that fights cancer.
• During popular events like the annual river football match, the village of Bourton on the Water can have more visitors than local residents.
• Cirencester is the second largest Roman town in Britain. For Cotswolds Private Tours, visit https://cotswoldtour.co.uk/cotswolds-private-tours/
• The ancient English word “wolds” means “gentle hills”.
• The Romans built a number of straight roads when they arrived in AD47. Fosse Way is still the most visible. They made them straight supposedly to avoid ambush at corners!
• It’s the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-Upon-Avon that is the most popular church in England, as this is where Shakespeare is buried.
• Cotswold stone is the source of the unique, beautiful glow of traditional Cotswold buildings. The Cotswold stone from the North Cotswolds has a honey colour, while the stone in the South is more golden.
• S. Elliot was inspired by the Cotswolds. He wrote many of his poems here. He loved to walk in the hills and visit Chipping Campden.