The Thames Valley and Oxfordshire
The River Thames meanders majestically through the verdant countryside to the west of the capital. The Thames Valley is a region of contrasts, with magnificent historic houses and beautiful, varied countryside whilst the Chiltern Hills offer some of the finest scenery in southern England, yet all within easy reach of central London by train. The National Trust protects over 18,000 acres in this area, ranging from great estates to small traditional buildings.

Chastleton
The village of Chastleton is a small, quiet, Cotswold secret, almost hidden in the middle of a triangle formed by Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh and Chipping Norton, each about five miles distant. Chastleton is within easy distance of Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford and Cheltenham, attractive walks and rides are available, but it is for the quiet beauty of this part of England that The Brewhouse is recommended. Chastleton House dates from around 1607 and was built for Walter Jones, an Oxfordshire wool merchant, lawyer and Member of Parliament for Worcester. Arranged around a central courtyard, the property has avoided extensive alteration or addition and many of the original contents survive together with those of successive generations who occupied the house. The property passed into the care of the National Trust in 1991 and was first re-opened to the public in 1997. It stands within modest and largely unchanged gardens where the rules of croquet were first codified and published in 1866.

National Trust places nearby: Upton House and Gardens, Dovers Hill, Snowshill Manor and Gardens, Sherborne Estate. Shop and pub: Stow-on-the-Wold, Tea-room/café/restaurant: Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh, Chipping Norton. Other attractions: The Cotswolds, Cotswolds Farm Park. Activities: walking, cycling.

Ordnance Survey Landranger Map 151