The Cotswolds Road Trip: Sheep, Cathedrals, and the Best Gin We've Ever Had

Wandering Works for Us Podcast

Date: 4 July 2026

Title: The Cotswolds Road Trip: Cathedrals, Gin, and Sheep

Summary of EpisodeWe pick up where the Oxford episode left off and head into the Cotswolds, basing ourselves in the tiny village of Longborough at Lime Cottage.

Along the way, we fall hard for Longborough Gin, take a day trip into Gloucester to see the cathedral (Harry Potter fans, this one's for you), and have a few white-knuckle moments learning to drive England's narrow country roads.

We also spend our days wandering Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, and a miniature model village straight out of The Borrowers. We wrap up with thoughts on what they'd do differently next time and a preview of what's coming: Bakewell, the Peak District, and Haddon Hall.

Key Topics

Why they chose Longborough as a home base, and their stay at Lime CottageLongborough Gin — discovered at the village shop, and now a mission to find in PortugalGloucester Cathedral: the whispering gallery, the cloisters used in Harry Potter, and a nearly 1,000-year historyA stop at a Gloucester shop hand-weaving wicker casketsLearning to drive on narrow English country roads (and being very glad for full coverage insurance)Bourton-on-the-Water: the "Venice of the Cotswolds," why weekends and tour buses can ruin the charm, and tips for timing your visitThe Bourton-on-the-Water Model Village — a faithful miniature recreation built from real Cotswold stoneStow-on-the-Wold: their favorite stop, including shopping at Woolovers, dinner at The Porch, and a Mother's Day Sunday roast at The StagThe "Tolkien Door" church in Stow-on-the-Wold and the Cotswolds' long history of inspiring writers like Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, and Jane AustenVillages they missed and want to go back for: the Slaughters, Bibury, Castle Combe, and the area around BathWhat's next: Bakewell, the Peak District, and Haddon Hall

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InstagramFacebookTiktokYouTubeLooking for a tour guide in Portugal? I have a whole list!Blog post for this episode: A Cotswolds Villages Guide: Gloucester Cathedral, Stow, Burton & More

I was not able to find a link for the Longborough Gin, but The Longborough Village Shop and Cafe carry it. Contact them!