My stay in town that inspired Lord of the Rings showed me new side of the Cotswolds Every Christmas we head out of the hustle and bustle of outer London and make our way down to visit family in the Cotswolds.
With bedrooms bursting in the family home, some of us retreated to The Stag in Stow, a traditional pub with a selection of rooms, set right in the heart of the picture-perfect Cotswold town of Stow-on-the-Wold.
Tolkien loved the English countryside, and the Cotswolds' rolling hills and medieval charm and its timeless quality may have influenced his vision of Middle-earth, particularly the Shire.
Being away from the family home gave us a chance to mingle with other visitors, and during a quick chat in the bar I discovered something I never knew.
As new arrivals expand the family ever further, having everyone stay together under one roof is becoming increasingly impossible.
