The northern Cotswolds

Warm limestone and cut-hay in the air: on Chipping Campden’s High Street, oolitic façades turn to deep honey as the sun slips by St James’ spire. The 1627 Market Hall still creaks underfoot, Broadway carries you up toward Fish Hill, and the 1798 Broadway Tower by Capability Brown and James Wyatt stands at 312 m with views across the Vale of Evesham. It’s a 1h10 run from Birmingham via the M40 and A429, linking in Stow-on-the-Wold, once a wool crossroads where fleece and gossip traded hands in the 17th century.

Your day runs smoothly with a dedicated driver collecting you from your hotel in Birmingham, Mercedes doors open and the car on standby while you explore. Start with coffee in Chipping Campden, climb to Broadway Tower for the panorama, sift through antiques in Stow; add Snowshill Manor (National Trust) or Bourton-on-the-Hill if time smiles. Lunch is pre-booked in a Grade II listed pub, photo stops when the light turns, then an unhurried ride back: a full 9 hours end-to-end with room for a cheese stop in Moreton-in-Marsh.