The village of Ebrington shines like a jewel in a golden crown, its narrow lanes and tiny streets are aglow with beautiful mellow Cotswold stone houses and cottages, as can be seen through the local pub window:
Some of the cottages are quite old and are topped with thick golden thatch, while others hide beneath steep tiles with slender tall chimney's. It is a harmonious picture that engages the eye and takes the mind back to the carefree days before the motor car and only a horse and carriage travelled the quiet lanes.
Just a short distance from Ebrington is the beautiful National Trust property of Hidcote Manor whose Cotswold gardens are said to be the most beautiful gardens of the 20th-century. In 1907, an American officer, Lawrence Johnson, began to transform what was just short of a wilderness into a series of superb gardens. The transformation took 40 years. These gardens are truly magnificent and a must for all garden lovers.
A manor has existed at Ebrington for several centuries, it was owned by the Fortescue family who also had estates in Exmoor. The ancient church of St.Eadburgha shows many monuments to the family including one to Sir John Fortescue in his robes as Lord Chief Justice. Sir John died in 1476. The church is mainly Perpendicular with some Norman work remaining in the north and south doorwars, of its other treasures the church shows a 17th-century canopied pulpit and medieval stained glass windows. It is a church that is worth seeing.
Need a larger Cotswold home for your holiday? Try our sister property, Hainault House www.hainault-house.co.uk