The villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter are separated by less
then one mile along the course of the River Eye, which joins
the Windrush just west of Bourton-on-the-Water.
Bourton itself is an easy walk of just over a mile. Car parking
space in these popular little villages is very limited, so during
peak periods in the summer there is a lot to be said for using
the large car parks in Bourton.
The name of these villages has nothing to do with the civil war, and nothing to do with motorists arguing over parking spaces. It is derived from the Old English slohtre, a slough or muddy place. Of the two villages, Lower Slaughter is the prettier. The stream wraps around the village like a drape on an artist's model, showing off the cottages to best effect, and the little stone bridges are reminiscent of a smaller-scale Bourton. The Old Mill is probably the most picturesque spot, the water running over the mill-wheel leaving the air cool and fresh.
These villages illustrate the modern tension between being and doing. The modern tourist is a restless animal, endlessly doing things, and larger tourist haunts are filled with opportunities to fill the day with doing - eating, drinking, shopping, and commercial attractions of one sort or another. The modern tourist arrives in the Slaughters, spends 10 minutes trying to park, spends 15 minutes walking around, and goes. Another tick on the itinerary. Spend 30 minutes there and you will begin to feel like an old-timer. These villages are much as they were 200 years ago, and while they are beautiful places to be, there is very little to do.
An alternative is to take your time over these places. Walk along the footpath between the two villages and see the English countryside at its best. There are more kinds of beauty than one can see, but they take time to seep in through the senses.
Return to Contents
The Old Mill, Lower Slaughter.
One the banks of the Eye, Lower Slaughter.
Lower Slaughter Village Hall is dated 1887. The architecture is
an interesting late-Victorian interpretation of traditional Cotswold
style.
St. Peters, Upper Slaughter. The high banks on either side of
the path, with its flanking yew trees, is very picturesque.
Return to Contents
Return to Contents
Return to the Cotswold HyperGuide Village Index
Copyright © Digital Brilliance 1995