Often called England's prettiest village, Castle Combe in the Cotswolds in southern
England, is one of those places that you will never forget, especially with its world-famous
view across the river to the bridge and the village beyond.
This small river is one of the main reasons why this village was founded over eight centuries
ago, because the river powered the mill that manufactured wool from all of the sheep of
the area.
Then they made the wool into high quality fabrics, thanks to the skill of local weavers,
and these textiles were sold throughout the region, which created great prosperity enabling
this little village to thrive.
However, that wool industry declined for various reasons about 500 years ago, and the town
never developed any further.
As a result Castle Combe is beautifully preserved as a rare example of a medieval village.
It's quite small.
The area within the red circle is just 200 meters across, but there is a lot to see.
So take your time.
It's located on the southern edge of the Cotswolds, just 12 miles from the nearest city of Bath,
and just 75 minutes away from London.
Like many visitors, we’re taking a day trip from Bath, which is our home base for seeing
the region.
It was organized by Mad Max, a very capable company with many different tours in the area.
Arriving right in the middle of the little village at Market Square with several pubs
around us.
There is the White Hart, where you can have a meal or just a pint, and across the way
the other pub the Castle Inn, which also serves as a small boutique hotel with 12 rooms.
It's in a 12th-century building that has been lovingly restored into a classic bed-and-breakfast.
You can pop in for a pint, or cozy up for a delicious meal, or settle in for a wonderful
night sleep.
The Castle Inn is owned by the five-star Manor House Hotel, which is directly connected to
it by this archway cottage, which is one of the rooms of the Manor House Hotel.
We'll bring you on a tour inside that deluxe property at the end of the movie.
The hotel is connected to town by this short lane, lined by the 500-years-old stone cottages
leading back to the Market Square.
The four-columned structure in the center is called the Market Cross.
It was erected in the 14th century when the privilege to hold a weekly market in Castle
Combe was granted.
Produce would be sold in and around this stall, and they say that a priest would stand in
the middle, giving his sermon to a captive audience – located at the crossroads of
the three streets of the village.
It seems like an outdoor museum, but it's a living village with local population of
about 400 people.
And sometimes local running groups will come jogging through town in their village-to-village
fun run.
The historic appearance of town is maintained by a zoning code in which everything is strictly
controlled to maintain the authentic look of a 16th-century village.
There are no shops or big signs, no TV antennas, or brightly painted buildings, or traffic
lights in this village.
The stone steps are another historic landmark.
It was so that horse riders could easily get on and off their horses.
On the right side, notice the doorway with some tables of food outside.
Payment is on the honor system.
You can buy baked goods and bottled water and other items, then put your money in the
slot in the door.
It's Ellen's Cottage.
Castle Combe is one of the most photographed little villages of England, and it can get
very crowded during the peak summer season, but you'll notice it's rather quiet now.
We're visiting in early May, which is a great time to be here, and it helps to visit in
the morning before the larger tour buses arrive.
Our guide explained about the stone roof shingles characteristic of the area.
"So you get these big stones, big double stones at the bottom, and they gradually get smaller
and smaller at the top."
The village houses are all typical of the Cotswold type, constructed in honey -colored
stone, with thick walls, and roofs made of split stone tiles.
No new homes have been built in this historic area since about the year 1600.
That was about the time when this river decreased in volume for some reason, and that made it
difficult for the wool mills to continue functioning.
It was the beginning of the end of the wool industry in Castle Combe and a big reason
why no modern developments ever took place here.
And yet now, ironically, the river has become one of the important reasons why Castle Combe
is so attractive to the visitor.
It's created this absolutely beautiful scene, so be sure to walk beyond the bridge at the
south end of the village so that you can enjoy it.
The 15th century tower of the church is 80 feet high, with many features of the late
medieval, including four pinnacles, diagonal buttresses, a bell turret and fortified battlements.
You'll certainly want to pay a visit inside this Church of England parish church, called
St. Andrew.
It was built mostly in the 15th century, but includes some earlier 13th and 14th century
sections, and then later in the mid-19th century it was extensively rebuilt in the original
style, and there is no record of any earlier Saxon church on this location.
The oldest monument in the church is in the lady chapel – an effigy of Sir Walter de
Dunstanville, a very important local hero.
"This is the famous tomb of Barron Walter de Dunstanville.
He would've been the Lord of the Manor, and he died in 1270.
'Wow.'
We know that he went to two Crusades, and he died on the second Crusade he went on.
And we know that by virtue of the fact that he dressed in battle dress.
When you think about it, how remarkable it was, to get, to go to Israel twice, you know,
back in the 1200s.
They brought him back once he'd been killed."
This Norman knight was the Lord of the Manor in Castle Combe, with his feet now forever
resting on the head of a lion.
Naturally there's a historic cemetery behind the church in a scenic garden setting.
It's one of those hidden, little beauty spots that you might miss if you're in a big rush
to walk through this little village.
You could walk from one end to the other and back again in 15 or 20 minutes, but you've
seen this is such an unusually special place that it is worth slowing down and taking time
to let it all soak in.
After you've seen that classic view once, you'll probably want to come back and have
another good look at it.
Some visitors to Castle Combe ask, where's the castle?
It was a prehistoric Celtic fortress on the hill north of town, and then became occupied
by the Romans, and later by the Normans.
Well today, the castle no longer exists.
And the word Combe is an old Saxon word that refers to a narrow valley.
So that's how we get the name, Castle Combe.
Now that you've seen how beautiful the village is y, ou might be tempted to stay for a few
days.
And why not treat yourself to some luxury at the five-star Manor House Hotel, located
just 100 yards from town.
The price is a bit less than you'd pay in an urban setting for such comforts.
For example, during September through December, you can get a room for two people for about
300 pounds, including breakfast.
The hotel offers fine dining at its Michelin-starred restaurant where you can have a meal even
if you're not staying overnight, or maybe drop in for afternoon tea.
They have 21 rooms and suites in the main building, along with 29 deluxe suites in what
they called the Mews Cottages located on the property.
This is starting to look like a paid commercial, but let me remind you, I never accept any
fees or service in kind for the coverage of any subject, restaurant, hotel, or anything.
I just like to share this with you because it's such a beautiful place.
There is also a golf course, and flower and kitchen gardens, a pond, and there are some
nice walking trails on the 360 acres of the property.
The Manor House was first built in the 17th century and then expanded and rebuilt in the
19th century, and by the mid-20th century it was converted to a hotel.
Castle Combe makes a good home base from which you can see many of the other villages of
the Cotswolds in easy driving distance.
We are continuing our daytrip in the Cotswolds to visit a few more villages that we will
be showing you in other episodes.
Passing once again through the center of town at the Market Square, with the side of the
Castle Inn on our left and the Dower House, with those four peak gables just ahead on
the left side.
It was the home of the wives of the Lords of the Manor, they say, and also the home
of the village doctor, and it was the Dr. Doolittle house in the film that was shot
here 1966.
You can find more videos about other Cotswold villages in our collection, and also a series
of films about the main city of Bath.
We frequently upload new movies, so please subscribe to our channel and click that little
alarm bell so you'll be notified.
And if you enjoyed the movie, how a about thumbs up and we always welcome comments down
below, or if you have questions about the destination, make note and we will answer
them.
Thanks for watching.