Upper Slaughter

Upper Slaughter is one of a pair of neighbouring villages — along with Lower Slaughter, a mile to the south — widely considered among the most beautiful in England. Despite the grim-sounding name, which derives from the Old English word 'slohtre' meaning a muddy place, the village is a picture of pastoral tranquillity set in a gentle fold of the Windrush valley. Its character is subtly different from the better-known Lower Slaughter — slightly more secluded, slightly less visited, and all the better for it.

The village centres on a ford across the Eye stream, with a handsome collection of Cotswold stone cottages arranged around a small square. The manor house, parts of which date from Elizabethan times, stands close to the Norman church of St Peter, and the whole composition of buildings, water, bridges and trees has an almost theatrical perfection. Unlike its twin, Upper Slaughter rarely feels overwhelmed by visitors and retains a genuine village atmosphere throughout the year.

Upper Slaughter holds the distinction of being one of only a handful of villages in England with no recorded casualties in either World War — a 'Thankful Village' in the phrase coined by the travel writer Arthur Mee. This remarkable fact is commemorated quietly in the church and adds a particular poignancy to this peaceful, lovely place. Footpaths connect easily to Lower Slaughter and on to Bourton-on-the-Water.