With its flower-draped cottages, stone footbridges, and picturesque water mill, the tiny village of Lower Slaughter is a must-see on any tour of the Cotswolds. (In Old English, Slaughter meant “muddy place”.)
We visited on a beautiful day but could only stay for an hour or so. Nonetheless, I managed to dash off a quick pencil sketch of the old mill and get a few washes of watercolor on it before we had to leave. I added some finishing touches to it later at home.
Without my usual ink lines, this sketch has a softer look to it that seems to suit the quiet atmosphere of this place that seems lost in time.
Another day we visited Snowshill Manor, the home of the eccentric collector, Charles Wade, who was fascinated by anything handmade. His vast collections (more than 16,000 objects!) fill Snowshill Manor, and it was challenging for me to decide what to sketch the day we were there. I finally settled on a few of the items in the “Hundred Wheels” room.
An old-fashioned baby pram, a “bone shaker” bicycle, and a handmade wooden wagon all fit onto one little 5″ square page in my sketchbook.
Here’s the completed two-page spread….
Oh, and by the way, we Americans would tend to pronounce the name of the Charles Wade’s home as “Snows Hill Manor”, but we would be wrong. Our tour guide/driver, Chris, set us straight. It’s pronounced “Snozzle”!
If you’ve always wanted to visit the Cotswolds, click the button below to check out my 2027 workshop which is now open for registrations. The 2027 itinerary will feature all the same places I visited and illustrated in this travel journal. Come along and sketch it for yourself!
To see more sketches from my England sketchbook, go to Categories in the sidebar and click on England.
