A springtime view of a Cotswolds cottage in the village of Upper Slaughter.
Shot May 2017 on 35mm Fuij Film 400H - how I miss this discontinued film stock! Processed by Photovision.
Every time I go back to the Cotswolds in my imagination, I find myself here. Atop a narrow bridge that spans the River Eye, a spot that affords me an exquisite vantage point to take in the village setting of Upper Slaughter.
I first set eyes upon this quintessential Cotswolds scene in 2017, and have been returning to it at different times of the year ever since. My preference is to visit via the 1 mile (1.6 km) countryside walk from Lower Slaughter, an experience I find most enjoyable on summer evenings when longer daylight hours make it possible to bask in the surrounding beauty long after the day-trippers have left.
This photo was the one I used to launch my initial Women’s Walking Retreat through the Cotswolds in 2020 - postponed of course, until 2022. I felt that it embodied the restoration & inspiration I hoped the Cotswolds would offer my guests. It is the Cotswolds of my dreams, and the fact that I have the pleasure of visiting it in real life every so often is a pinch-me moment I never tire of or take for granted. This photograph has helped launch so many dreams into reality. It is the most hardworking photo I’ve ever taken, and I have no plans to retire it any time soon!
Stay tuned for more Field Notes from the Cotswolds…
