Overview

SAT NAV GL54 2JB. UPPER SLAUGHTER. How funny to have the name “Slaughter” for two of the nicest villages you could wish to see, but of course, these twin villages where named such way back in history when the old English name simply meant “muddy places” Todays villages are anything but muddy, and when built, they became nothing but beautiful places to live in. We will offer you a review of Lower Slaughter next, but Upper Slaughter, although the less visited of the two, is also a very picturesque small village, which stands on the bank of the river Eye, in Gloucestershire. The village has not allowed any new building work to be erected since 1906, and this has of course made sure these villages remain a very attractive area to both live in, and for tourist to visit. Upper Slaughter lies upstream from Lower Slaughter as the river Eye meanders its way along to Bourton on Water, (regarded by many as the most beautiful village in the Cotswold) and although very little is here to see, it is still worth your visit, especially if you choose a nice sunny Spring or summer day, when the fragrance of many flowers fills the air, and colour abounds all around you, well worth while. If you are following our suggested route, then on the way down to Lower Slaughter, you will drive through the scenic countryside and pass the view of “The Lords of the Manor House” (Photo 1) across the meadows. ( THERE IS A VERY INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE MANOR ON THEIR OWN WEBSITE ) www.lordsofthemanor.com. Taking bits of their review, we see the Manor dates back to around 1649, which was a much smaller house, then over the years it has been added to. It was in 1972 that the Manor was converted into a hotel, and today it is one of the hotels in the Cotswold that is still under private ownership, and in 1997 it was purchased by the Munir family, and the Manor and gardens remain in beautiful condition because of their care and attention, and well worth visiting (photo 2) It may be difficult however if you are chair bound as the property is surrounded by chipping paths and slightly hard to get over, and inside the Manor there are narrow corridors that may prevent you seeing a lot of the house, but if you have a reasonable amount of movement, and can walk a few yards, then it would be a treat to go and visit. There car park lies behind the outer wall of their property (photo 3) which is situated over to the right of the photo, so passing the house to the right, just pull sharply to the left at first junction to get into the car park, then walk through the most delightful gardens to reach the Manor House. If you managed to find a parking spot in the square (photo 3) (we say if you did, because most of the bays are for the use of owners of their property, so please be kind and think of their difficulty of finding spaces for their cars) then you can ride the few feet to get to the Manor, either to the right for gardens, or turn left to ride down to their main driveway and arrive at the manicured lawns, where table and chairs await your presence for a relaxing drink with them. (0n this tour however, we would suggest you wait 15 minutes and drive down to Lower Slaughter, due to keeping to our schedule ) Our SAT NAV directions you may have entered ( GL54 2JB) will take you directly down to the river Eye first of all to see the photos included for the village, or if you parked in the Manor for refreshments, or managed to find a spot in square, then the lane by a few cottages (photo 4) is ideal for the short ride on your chair down to the river (photo 5). The cottages around the square, built up to 1906 by Sir Edward Lutyens, lead the way down to the river Eye, with its green banks and quaint little bridge. Another thing you can do is drive down from the square and cross the Ford (photo 5) and quickly park up alongside the river and enjoy the views over the village (photos 6 to 8) and having crossed the Ford, turn right and drive along the lovely lane towards Lower Slaughter. OUR FINAL THOUGHTS. Another must see, it’s a beautiful little village with the Ford running through it, it’s quaint, quiet and beautiful.

Transport & Parking

Difficult to find parking, no public car park here, but as it’s only a drive through to see and take photos then no need to worry to much. Just enter on SAT NAV. GL54 2JB Our route will first of all take you down by the river Eye, then just double back to The Manor hotel

Access

Easy parking by river Eye for quick view, it’s all on the level for you, but visiting the Manor May be difficult because of all the chippings you need to get over from car park into gardens. Narrow corridors in Manor May also be difficult for you.

Toilets

No toilets available, it’s just a view over the River Eye, unless you stop for drinks at THE MANOR HOTEL, where a toilet is available

Staff

Photos