A Slice of England Through an American Lens – Post 2: Gardens, Gates, Doors, and Stone

Another classic English touch of note here in the Cotswolds is that houses are usually named.

The name may be on a gate to the house.

A proper entrance is very important.

Doors are, of course, an important component of the entrance.

There are sensitively-designed new doors

but there are also many old doors, and they may still use the original locks, along with updated locks.

This door dates from 947 A.D. and is the entry to a building listed as the oldest inn in England.

English gardens are another honored tradition in this part of the country. It seemed that every home in the villages I visited had one, no matter how small. They are often an integral part of the entrance to the home.

Even the larger gardens somehow maintain a similar uniquely-English sensibility. There is order, yet it’s a casual, comfortable kind of order.

Nature is not just for the garden, sometimes it’s on the house.

Ivy and vines often cover walls or rooves. You might even find a bird’s nest nestled in vines.

Even the dogs are impressed with the unique English taste of Cotswolds villages – or perhaps they are waiting for a treat from a friend.