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Growing Up in the Cotswolds: A Storybook Childhood

“The thing about growing up in the Cotswolds is that it feels like you’re living inside a painting. The ever-changing seasons, the breathtaking views and the feeling of history in every stone building and winding lane. It all becomes part of you. You don’t realise it at the time, but all of these experiences shape who you become” – Nathan, Founder of Local Compass.

I was born in 1985, right in the heart of the Cotswolds, where the rolling hills and quaint villages form the backdrop to a childhood that could easily be lifted from the pages of a storybook. Back then, there were no mobile phones, no iPads and certainly no endless notifications pinging in your pocket. Instead, we had something far more valuable and worthy of our attention; an entire countryside to explore.

Most of my days were spent outside, exploring the vast, unspoiled beauty that surrounded me. The Cotswolds isn’t just the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England, it’s a wonderland for children. There were no limits to the adventures you could have, whether you were wading through a stream, climbing a tree, or getting lost in the fields. These were the days when a simple stick could become a sword, a fallen log a bridge to cross and a dense thicket of trees the perfect setting for a secret hideaway.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a close-knit family. When I was a child, my father worked in a local cloth mill, an industry that has been an important part of our region for many centuries. While it wasn’t a family-owned operation, it was something my father dedicated himself to until I was a teenager, when he changed roles and started working at the local dairy. The old cloth mill has since modernised and now produces the iconic bright green tennis ball cloth, an interesting link to the fabric of our region. My mother was a carer in the community, always putting others before herself. Mum sadly passed away in 2019 at just 58 years old, but her legacy of kindness and compassion remains with me, shaping the person I am today.

I have one brother, who is also my best friend. We were inseparable as children, exploring every inch of the Cotswold countryside together. From our home, we could venture straight out into the wild, and often did. Whether we were climbing trees, playing by the river or just getting lost in a field of golden barley, our childhood was full of adventures that we shared every single day. Those carefree moments are some of my happiest memories.

Climbing trees was practically a rite of passage. We had our favourite spots, perched high in the branches of ancient oaks, where you could see the whole world below you: the patchwork of fields, the winding country lanes and, in the distance, the silhouettes of vast Cotswold stone manor houses owned by wealthy aristocrats whose ancestors had been in good favour with the monarch of their time. We had no need for a phone to tell us where we were; it was the landscape itself that told the story.

We spent hours playing in many of the rivers that meander across this stunning landscape: the Frome, the Coln, the Windrush and the Eye. As young as we were, we were not simply dipping our toes in; we were fully immersed in their perfectly clear waters without a care in the world. I remember being chased by swans on several occasions and regularly having my feet tickled by our native brown trout. The days were long, and the laughter endless. There was no rush to get anywhere, no deadlines to meet, just the peaceful rhythm of nature surrounding us, from the chorus of birds singing in the trees to the wind rustling through the long grasses.

When we weren’t playing in the rivers, we were out in the fields or the woods making dens, often in the middle of a thicket of brambles or beneath a fallen tree. The whole concept of ‘getting lost’ didn’t scare us, it was simply part of the adventure. And when we did come home, with muddy knees and grass-stained clothes, it was always with a sense of accomplishment, like we’d discovered something important, even if it was just a secret spot where the wildflowers grew thicker than usual.

We also spent plenty of time at my Grandparents’ smallholding in Uley, a picturesque Cotswold village. I have countless memories of roaming their land with my brother, sneaking into the sheds to try and start up the old tractors that sat idle in the yard. It’s a good job we never managed to get one of them going, or I might not be here writing this blog! But those moments, laughing in the sun, covered in dirt and surrounded by the beauty of the land, shaped the person I am today.

Looking back, it’s easy to see how all of these experiences have influenced the way I view the world. Growing up in the Cotswolds, with its quiet lanes, ancient stone buildings and endless green fields, was a true blessing. The nature, the history, the sense of community; these things became ingrained in me, and now, as the Founder of Local Compass, I am able to share that same sense of wonder and adventure with visitors from all over our beautiful planet.

I look forward to sharing fun facts, personal stories and local insights with you all via our growing range of audio tours on Local Compass.

Best wishes

Nathan