Cotswolds Photo Gallery - The Slaughters

The Slaughters refer to 2 villages close to each other on the River Eye, with the name coming from Old English meaning muddy place. Today, you can visit the two together and walk from one to the other. It's actually not a long journey. My walk begins in Lower Slaughter, with many limestone buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. There is also a restored flour mill at a corner of the village. You can either walk on the main road between the villages, which is safe with so little traffic. There is also a hiking path in the countryside as well. Upper Slaughter was already mentioned in the Domesday Book, with excavations revealing artifacts from the 12th century. It has kept its historic charm with no new buildings since 1906. Parking is very limited in both villages and it is possible to hike here from nearby Bourton-on-the-Water, a much larger town with a beautiful river setting as well.