The Cotswolds-Sapperton Valley
The ancient woodlands are composed of large oak, ash, silver birch, hawthorn, occasional sycamores, willow, and beech. In some areas the woods have been coppiced (cut down to a certain level of stumps, then allowed to shoot out and grow again), which seems a more sensible way of harvesting the wood, yet not killing the trees.
Becoming familiar with the local customs and activities is a delight, whether it is eating Winstone’s double ice cream with fresh blackberries, visiting a water-wheeled mill where pool table cloths and RCMP serge uniforms are manufactured, watching kite-flying and picnicking families enjoy their day on the broad commons, or simply driving through pastoral landscapes and villages snuggled in the hills.
