Cotswolds

The Cotswolds, a range of low limestone hills forming the watershed between the Thames and Severn basins, lie between the M4 (London to Bristol) and A40 (Oxford to Gloucester), bounded on the west by the M 5. They extend from Chipping Campden in the north to Bath in the south, a distance of some 55mi/88km, and are 24mi/38.5km across from east to west, reaching a maximum height of 1,070ft/326m. Fully justifying their designation as "an area of outstanding natural beauty", they provide splendid walking country, where beech woods alternate with pasture land grazed by vast flocks of sheep renowned for the quality of their wool.

Sheep farming has a long tradition in the Cotswolds, having been introduced in the 12th century by