Rustic Charm And Welcoming Smiles, The Cotswolds

People flock in there hundreds during the summer months to the Cotswolds, they come to soak up the rural charm and picturesque villages. If you are like me and want to experience the charm without the crowds, then remedy is at hand.

The way to enjoy the Cotswolds and avoid the crowds is to become, for however short a time, a resident. The area abounds in one- and two-day courses offered in a variety of subjects, and while others are jostling for space on High Street, you can be expanding your horizons in any number of charming venues. Most classes end by 4.30 in the afternoon, about the time day trippers head home. Since summer sunsets don't arrive until 9 or 10 o'clock, that leaves plenty of time for walking, biking, or a scenic to drive to a neighbouring village for relaxing dinner.

Courses on offer at various locations throughout the Cotswolds cover a range of topics, including:

Arts and Crafts

Farncombe Estate, Broadway, hosts numerous courses in art appreciation, fine and applied arts, crafts, textile arts, and dance. Cotswold Art Studio, Candicote, features illustration and watercolour courses, stone carving, mosaic and jewelry making while the Stanton Guildhouse offers wood carving and furniture restoration in addition to mosaic, pottery, and fine arts courses. One of the more unusual courses offered can be found at the Cotswold Perfumery, Bourton on the Water, where visitors learn to create their own fragrances.

Cooking

Three cooking schools offer short courses designed for visitors: Thyme at Southrop; Foodworks near Cheltenham; and Dancing Trousers, midway between Stroud and Oxford, where most finish by 3 in the afternoon, leaving even more time for sightseeing.

Gardening

The Rococo Garden, Painswick, is an inspiring setting in which to learn garden design, flower arrangement, ornamental pruning and shaping, and how to grow your own food, as well as botanical illustration, art and photography. Sue Gibson's School of Gardening, Slimbridge, teaches garden planning and design along with courses on organic and other techniques. At Gossington Hall, near Slimbridge, the Cotswold Gardening School offers one-day, four-day and morning courses in a wide range of garden topics.

Rural Crafts

Through Cotswold Rural Skills and Cotswold Woodland Crafts students study with local artisans at a variety of venues to learn heritage skills such as dry stone walling, blacksmithing, hedge laying, green woodworking, and chair making.

Sports

Riders are in luck, for the list of instructions available to improve riding, dressage, and jumping skills is nearly inexhaustible. Golf lessons are on offer at the area's many golf courses while at Croft Farm Water park, Tewkesbury, visitors can learn to canoe, sail, windsurf or run a powerboat. Those who prefer sightseeing from aloft can opt for gliding or flying lessons from the Cotswold Gliding Club and Cotswold Aero Club.

Professional Skills

The Cotswold Conference Centre, located on Farncombe Estate, partners with a number of professional learning and development companies to provide seminars in management and leadership skills, team building, and other performance-related topics.

Although Farncombe Estate has limited guest rooms available, most venues do not. The range of accommodations include luxury Cotswold hotels, holiday cottages, inns, bed and breakfasts, farmhouse stays and even spa hotels. Since course sizes are usually limited, it's best to book both courses and accommodations early to make sure your visit is everything you want it to be.