The Jane Austen novels have for sure awakened anybody who read them the need of seeing the picturesque English hills she so fondly wrote about. So beyond the cosmopolite London streets and the distinct smell of the old college libraries, the England unveils for those of us not in a hurry to visit it, its pastoral side.

The winding roads going up and down on the green hills, meadows and forests, cool streams, flocks of sheep and cottages built from the Cotswold golden stone are all part of the wonderful English country side.

Thousands of years and numerous wars have not moved the gardens, the castles and the inns that are still abundant in the sleepy little country towns. What could not be preserved as it was, was restored or replicated in the loveliest form.

Elaborated churches and the elegant estates of the wool traders from the 15th century are still there, some transformed in picturesque hotels like Stratton House or Cardynham House. These are the places that are offering the tourists the traditional English tea and cucumber sandwiches.

The ultra modern London has not touched these places where the Damascus steel and the antiques are still decorating the luxury hotels like Royal Crescent and Chewton Glen. Still the scenery must not be considered rigid since the travelers can expect warm welcome invitations from the locals to enjoy a beer and a knight’s tale.

The mineral water springs from Bath are known since the Roman Empire times and they are worth a visit especially because the modern spas are using the thermal water as a luxury commodity. You can find accommodation at Royal Crescent or in any local inn, you can enjoy the walks on the ancient lovely streets and the sun set over the Bath Circus.

Broadway city invites you to stop for a cup of tea and a golf game. And while you are at it, you can also take the time and visit the Buckland village. You can play cricket or tennis on the pastoral property of the Buckland Manor hosting a hotel from the 18th century.

At the edge of a deep valley, a long row of inns and pubs made of stone and perfectly preserved, are welcoming the tourists to Chipping Camden. The beer drinking landlords here are always ready to tell you how their ancestors used to welcome the tourists a few centuries ago and prove to you what remarkable hosts they are. Near the town waiting patiently inside a beautiful garden there is the classical Edwardian Hidcote Manor.

Berkley Castle is the place you can find the royal lifestyle and the savor of the British history. The Berkley family has built this wonderful residence in 1153 and their offspring are the barons that today are discussing Magna Carta. The castle is opened for tourists who can visit the rooms and walk on the 6000 acres property covered completely by gardens.

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