4 Best Sights in Moreton-in-Marsh, Bath and the Cotswolds

Founded in 2014 by a New Yorker inspired by the area's barley fields, the Cotswolds Distillery is a gem of the area. Although the long-term goal was to make whiskey, that aging process takes time, so in the interim, the distillery experimented with 150 different botanical spirits, including 60 recipes for gin. The best of those experiments was put into production as the Cotswolds Dry Gin, and the first whiskey was ready three years later. The distillery now offers a variety of tours and master classes as well as tastings. Ninety-minute distillery tours with tastings take place daily at 10:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 3 pm. You can combine a visit with lunch at the Still House Café on-site. Stourton is 8 miles northeast of Moreton-in-Marsh. The distillery also has shops in Bourton-on-the-Water and Broadway.

A reminder of the ancient civilizations of Britain can be seen about 8 miles east of Moreton, where three stone groups occupy a high position on the wolds. The site lacks the grandeur of Stonehenge and Avebury, but has a peace and beauty of its own and is almost as important. Legend gives the stones, dating from before 1500 BC, the names of the King's Men, the King Stone, and the Whispering Knights.

It comes as somewhat of a surprise to see the blue onion domes and miniature minarets of Sezincote, a mellow stone house and garden tucked into a valley near Moreton-in-Marsh. Created in the early 19th century, Sezincote (pronounced see-zincot) was the vision of Sir Charles Cockerell, who made a fortune in the East India Company. He employed his architect brother, Samuel Pepys Cockerell, to "Indianize" the residence with Hindu and Muslim motifs. Note the peacock-tail arches surrounding the windows of the first floor. The exotic garden, Hindu temple folly, and Indian-style bridge were favorites of the future George IV, who was inspired to create that Xanadu of Brighton, the Royal Pavilion. If you come in spring, glorious aconites and snowdrops greet you. Children under 10 are allowed inside only at the owners' discretion.  House tours must be prebooked via the website. 

Considered the largest outdoor market in the Cotswolds, the Tuesday Market takes over the center of the main street between 9 am and 3 pm, with a mix of household goods, fruits and vegetables, and some arts-and-crafts and jewelry stalls. It's no newcomer to the market scene either: it was chartered in 1227.