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–>Bibury has some of the most charming cottage stays in the Cotswolds. You can find them HERE, and other charming places to stay if Bibury is your spot. <—
–>Hand-picked tours of the Cotswolds, England. The best-of-the-best tours, including Pub crawls and castle exploration HERE <–
There’s a row of honey-colored cottages in the Cotswolds village of Bibury that you’ve almost certainly seen, even if you didn’t know its name. Arlington Row — a line of 17th-century former weavers’ cottages — is reportedly the most photographed street in England, and it has the crowds to match.
Here’s the trick the postcards don’t mention: timing is everything.
The cottages face roughly east, and the magic window is early morning — arrive before about 8 a.m. and you’ll often have the lane almost to yourself, with soft light on the stone and the day-trip buses still an hour out. When the day-trip buses roll in, its impossible to enjoy yourself.
The second-best option is golden hour, just before dusk, once the coach tours have cleared. Midday is when it’s busiest, and the light is flattest, which is the worst of both worlds.
One quiet reminder: people actually live in these cottages. They’re private homes, not a film set — so admire, photograph, and keep off the doorsteps.
A fun activity when traveling with kids is the Bibury Trout Farm. They can buy fish food to sprinkle in the water or rent fishing poles to catch trout, its a fun little time.
The takeaway: set one early alarm on your Cotswolds trip and spend it here. Ten minutes of cold morning air buys you the shot everyone else is fighting for at noon.
–>Bibury has some of the most charming cottage stays in the Cotswolds. You can find them HERE, and other charming places to stay if Bibury is your spot. <—
–>Hand-picked tours of the Cotswolds, England. The best-of-the-best tours, including Pub crawls and castle exploration HERE <–
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