Lucy & Richard from Cotswolds Guided Tours, just love sharing their local area with visitors. If you want to learn more about the Cotswolds then we hope you find this Cotswolds travel guide useful. Remember you can always join us for a day trip exploring, you have two options our private Cotswold tours or our small, mixed group sightseeing Cotswolds tours. We are open all year round, so book & be our special guests for a wonderful day trip.

Located 5.5 miles East of Chipping Norton you will find the beautiful thatched estate village of Great Tew. Regarded as a 'model village' built within extensive parkland that overlooks the Worton Valley. Great Tew and Little Tew, a neighbouring village are collectively known as ‘Tewland’ and is often described as one of the prettiest villages in England. 

The village itself dates back to Roman times and many of the landowners has continued with restoration of the village buildings and facilities. Continuing on with the Civil war theme, one of the most famous residents Lucius Carey, Second Viscount Falkland, inherited the Estate in 1629. The Estate gained a certain romantic distinction under Falkland’s ownership as the influential ‘Great Tew Circle’ often met here to discuss important political and theological matters. Along with his wife Lettice, he was responsible for improving many of the buildings and fostering a happy community.  He became Secretary of State to Charles I before the Civil War, and was killed at the Battle of Newbury in 1643. There is a large 19thC manor house (not open to the public) that has been extensively renovated by the current owners, like the village cottages, the manor house had fallen into disrepair & money has been ploughed in to bring Great Tew back to it's former glory. The 19thC manor house was built by Matthew Boulton, a partner of James Watt who ran the famous Birmingham 'Soho Foundry' hence the reason why on the outskirts of the village you will find 'Soho Farmhouse'. Whilst in the village you must visit the Falkland Arms, it is like stepping back in time, with the tankards on the ceiling & fires roaring in the winter months.