Bath and the Cotswolds. England's most beautiful village

The redevelopment of the city was undertaken by the architect John Wood, a great admirer of Italian architecture and a true creator. Wood's dream was to revive Bath's classic Palladian appearance, and he succeeded. Under Wood's direction, many of the city's iconic buildings were built, including The Royal Crescent...

...and The Circle (a must-see). He used a unique honey-coloured limestone quarried in the city as the building material for his masterpieces. It was believed that it was used by the Romans. This unity of style made Bath's architecture a major landmark that tourists from all over the world still come to admire to this day.

Another place to try traditional scones is called The Bath Buns. According to an ancient recipe, they are made in the following way:
Take a pound of butter, mash it with the same amount of flour, add a teaspoonful of fresh yeast. Heat the cream slightly, add to the flour and butter to make a light dough. Place in a warm place and let rise. Take four ounces of candied cumin seeds, add half to the dough. Form into round rolls, sprinkle with remaining cumin seeds. Bake on a baking tray and serve with breakfast or five o'clock tea.

The unity of texture style made Bath's architecture a major attraction that tourists from all over the world still come to admire.

I suggest taking a look at the village of Castle Combe, which is considered one of the most (if not the most) charming villages in the Cotswolds and in England. Its history began with an ancient Roman fort that once stood on the land and served as a defensive fortress. Once abandoned by the Romans, the fortress was claimed by the Jutes and Saxons as a defensive measure and stayed there for another couple of decades. After winning the Battle of Deorham in 577, Saxon farmers founded the village of Combe, which means 'ravine' or 'ravine' in English.
The village passed from hand to hand for a long time. After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, it went to Humphry de L'Isle, a loyal follower of William the Conqueror. It later fell to Reginald de Dunstanville, who built a Norman castle there, hence the word "Castle" in the village's name. For his services, Reginald was made a baron, and three generations of his family lived in the castle until 1273.

It was unfortunately destroyed in the 14th century and its remains were used as building material for local houses. In addition, a new luxury mansion was built in the village, which is now a hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant, The Manor House. The rich history of the building is reflected in its architectural elements, the decor and its overall Gothic aesthetic. The estate is surrounded by 365 acres of woodland and terraced gardens (not to mention the medieval village itself).

In cooler weather it's best to warm up at The Castle Inn pub or at Michelin-starred The Bybrook, which serves afternoon tea and dinner from Thursday to Sunday (reservations, of course, need to be made in advance). But around the square are several pubs and a small shop where you can buy fresh pastries and honey, leaving money for the owners in a street box. And if you head down the street, you can find another small cafe where tourists are offered to rent picnic kits that include a light lunch. It's a good idea to grab one of the baskets and walk across the church grounds to the lawns of The Manor House Hotel to get comfortable on the riverside.

All good things come to an end (as sad as that sounds). Let's stay on course for London! There are many more beautiful and unexplored things ahead!