While Sudeley in Gloucestershire, England, was an exploration of a thousand-acre private property, the rest of Cotswolds seemed like one open-air garden after another, with pleasant surprises at each and every turn — and Winchcombe was the standout choice for our adventure on the following day. Make haste!

Meaning valley with a bend, Winchcombe is a quaint medieval market town of some 6,000 inhabitants that still preserves the natural curvature of its narrow streets — for this, visitors continue to flock in droves.

However, the pretty hamlet had rough beginnings. During the Restoration in 1660, the walled village was avoided due to its lawlessness and cattle raiding. Although the protective ruins of old have all but deteriorated, the original cathedrals and chapels, royal homes and manor houses, inns and pubs, still serve as an ode to the past.

Our first stop for the day was the small-but-packs-a-punch Winchcombe Museum, all staffed by greathearted volunteers. Now newly-revamped after its closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the showroom has a recollection of local history and its bigger-than-life residents throughout the years. A section is dedicated to the Simms Collection of Police Memorabilia, all owned by former police officer Ross Simms.