The Villages Of The Cotswolds
Lower Slaughter, Gloucestershire
The Village
Lower Slaughter, the Bridge c1950
Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection.
Lower Slaughter is one of the classic postcard Cotswold villages, often being called the most beautiful village
in England, although this could be open to some debate, there is no question that Lower Slaughter is a
beautiful village.
Lower Slaughter is about 1½ miles from Bourton-on-the-Water, just off the busy Fosse Way. The name Slaughter
may seem a little dramatic at first bringing visitors visions of a bloody past, but the name has nothing to do with
anything morbid with the name coming from the Old English term "slohtre" meaning a marshy or muddy place.
Lower Slaughter is a village of Cotswold stone cottages standing beside the River Eye, a slow moving stream, which
is home to free-wandering ducks. The river is crossed by two narrow footbridges leading to The Square and the
19th century corn mill which was still working into the mid twentieth century. The Old Mill is now a museum, tea rooms
and stores.
Other notable buildings include the Manor Country House Hotel, the former home of Sir Richard Whitmore,
Sheriff of Gloucestershire and an MP for Bridgenorth during the 17th century, the 16th century dovecote which is one
of the largest in Gloucestershire and the Washbourne Court Hotel also built in the 17th century.The church, is
dedicated to St Mary and was rebuilt in the 19th century, and unusually for the Cotswolds has a tall spire.
Lower Slaughter, the Green c1955
Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection.
A footpath along the River Eye joins Lower Slaughter with Upper Slaughter a mile or so away and in the
opposite direction a well defined tarmaced path will take you into Bourton-on-the-Water. The village also has the
Macmillan Way, Warden's Way and Heart of England Way meeting in the village.
Getting Here
Lower Slaughter is off the A429 between Cirencester 17 miles and Stow-on-the-Wold 3 miles and Bourton-on-the-Water
1½ miles.
The nearest rail station is at Kingham 9 miles with services operated by First Great Western Link.
Bus services connecting Lower Slaughter may not visit the village but will stop at Slaughter Pike. The services are:
- P12 Bourton-on-the-Water-Moreton-in-Marsh Pulhams Coaches
- 801 Moreton In Marsh-Cheltenham Pulhams Coaches
- 806 Banbury-Bourton-on-the-Water Pulhams Coaches
- 612 Bourton-on-the-Water-Evesham Pulhams Coaches
- 55 Moreton In Marsh-Kemble Beaumont
Parking
On street parking, but please park with consideration to others.
Local Amenities
- The Washbourne Court Hotel
- Manor House Country Hotel
Nearby Attractions
- Old Mill Museum