What to do in The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds moves at the pace of a Sunday afternoon, even on a Tuesday. Wander through honey-stone villages where wisteria climbs every wall, then make time for Bibury — William Morris called it the most beautiful village in England, and Arlington Row's weavers' cottages are reason enough to agree, or Bourton-on-the-Water, threaded through with a shallow river and stone bridges. Chipping Campden is made for antique-hunting; a farm-to-table cooking class in a converted barn kitchen is made for everyone else. History lovers should detour to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace, or the French-inspired chateau of Waddesdon Manor and its sprawling formal gardens. Lace up boots for a stretch of the Cotswold Way, or take to the sky before breakfast in a hot air balloon for a proper look at the patchwork below. Out here, slowing down isn't optional. It's rather the point.