Eastleach

Eastleach is in fact two villages — Eastleach Turville and Eastleach Martin — facing each other across the River Leach in south Gloucestershire, connected by Keble's Bridge, a simple stone clapper bridge that is one of the most photographed spots in the Cotswolds. The bridge takes its name from the Reverend Thomas Keble, brother of John Keble of the Oxford Movement, who was curate at both parishes in the 1820s and is said to have built or restored the crossing. In spring, the banks of the Leach on either side of the bridge are thick with daffodils.

The two villages between them contain two medieval churches standing barely a hundred metres apart on opposite banks of the river — an unusual arrangement that reflects the original division of the settlement between two manors. St Andrew's in Eastleach Turville is the larger and contains some fine Norman stonework including a carved tympanum above the south doorway. St Michael and St Martin across the water is now redundant but well maintained, its simple interior a peaceful space for quiet reflection.

Eastleach is one of the less visited corners of the Cotswolds despite being genuinely exceptional, perhaps because it lies between the better-known destinations of Burford to the north and Lechlade to the south without being directly on any main tourist route. The surrounding countryside along the Leach valley is good walking territory, with footpaths running north towards Southrop and Hatherop and south towards Lechlade. The village has no pub or shop, which contributes to its feeling of genuine seclusion.