Visiting Bibury in Gloucestershire was on my bucket list so it seemed only right that I visited the village as part of my 2016 New Year’s Resolution! The village is one of the most photographed in the whole of England and there’s even a picture of Arlington Row inside the UK passport (that’s your fun fact for today).
We were staying at the Crowne Plaza Oxfordshire property for a long weekend so in my mind, I was going to get up early and head to Bibury before every Tom, Dick and Harry turned up…I slept in, then went for a late breakfast and turned up in Bibury with Tom, Dick, Gary, Jeff and Harry it seemed.
Bibury is a tiny little village and famous for a row of gorgeous little cottages, Arlington Row which are totally worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Be warned, there are tourists everywhere trying to get photos of the cottages…
…but it’s actually fun to watch everyones faces as they see Arlington Row for the first time…
…you just need to wait and you may get that moment when you get the spot to yourself…
…if not, look at the gorgeous features of each individual cottage…
…rambling flowers around colourful doors…
…seemed wrong not to include No. 6 Arlington Row as well!
What I didn’t realise was that these cottages fall under the National Trust and you can now stay in one for a few days…if only I had known (there’s a link to the cottage in my travel tip section so keep reading!).
Now just to burst the “it’s so perfect” bubble…there is a banana mobile that you won’t be able to avoid; unless the owner has gone to do his grocery shopping. Apparently tourists and photographers are up in arms over the car however the villagers think the car is just a storm in a teacup…hmmm…either way, it seems to be a very English problem!
You know how they say that you should never work with children or animals in film…well I tried to get the cottages with the swans in front…
…and you know how I’m scared of birds (this includes man / lady eating swans).…
…seriously, I tried to do some swan whispering to get this damn bird to look up to get a photo while walking as it was floating down the river…
…honestly this is why I don’t like birds….
…in the end we got there but I’m pretty sure that bloody swan did this on purpose and it was given a number of spirited names during the process!
^^I even managed to photograph the black swan…why hello Natalie Portman!
^^Thought it was time to drop in a Bibury shoefie…my stomach muscles had a work out trying to get my feet into the photo…plus I was trying not to fall off the wall as well…I didn’t fall just in case you were wondering!
There is more to Bibury than just Arlington Row even though it is the main drawcard and what everyone comes to see…there are some beautiful homes that you’ll want to move into…
…with beautiful doors of course…
…more cottages covered with rambling roses…
…and tiny little cottages!
After a nice little wander up and down Arlington Row, I felt the need to do some gluten free research in Bibury so popped into the William Morris Tea Room…
…I just wanted a cool refreshing drink BUT ended up having a gluten free coconut kiss…mwah!
^^It reminds me slightly of an odd shaped boobie!
The Swan Hotel seems to a be where all the cool bloggers stay…and with good reason…you can get up early and take photos around the village before all the tourists arrive and they offer afternoon tea as well…
…plus it looks absolutely stunning. I’m slightly confused if I would want to stay at The Swan Hotel or the National Trust Arlington Row cottage if I ever went to stay in Bibury…which one would you choose?
Travel Tips for your trip to Bibury, Gloucestershire
- Parking is almost non-existent especially on the weekends so park at the top of the hill and walk down…it only takes 5-10 minutes (dependent on how many times you stop to photograph random doors!)
- The Swan Hotel and the National Trust Arlington Row cottage seemed to be your best accommodation options in Bibury however there are a few B&B options as well
- The William Morris Tea Room had one gluten free cake option if you’re a tad peckish
- Either arrive extra early or late to Bibury to hopefully avoid the crowds; I visited around 11am and there were already a number of coaches parked up.
- There are a number of signs up (in various languages) asking you not to enter private property, please respect these requests and don’t enter a persons garden without permission…I saw this happen and was flabbergasted!
- On my weekend in the Cotswolds I also visited Great Tew in Oxfordshire which is a hidden gem in the Cotswolds and definitely worth a visit before it becomes a super popular destination like Bibury. Plus if you’re thinking of visiting Gloucestershire for a whole weekend then check out my post…where you can even stay in a castle for a night!
- Check out the Visit England page on Gloucestershire to see what other cool places there are to visit in the county
So have you visited Bibury in Gloucestershire, what did you think of this beautiful village in the Cotswolds?
xx
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