Jon Moorhouse
My love of the Cotswolds began when I moved to the village of Luckington at the age of two. I attended the village school during my younger days, and my friends and I used to play in the rolling hills and rivers that make the area so famous.
I’ve lived in the Cotswolds for 50 years and I feel lucky every day to be surrounded by so much beautiful nature, wildlife, history and architecture. I want everybody to love the Cotswolds as much as I do, and that’s why I offer my services as an exclusive chauffeur and tour guide for this unique piece of English countryside.
My lifelong experience means that you’ll get to visit the area’s lesser-known hidden gems and benefit from plenty of local knowledge.
A Passion for Music
At my secondary school in the City of Bristol, I found a passion for music. During this time, I became an accomplished pianist and trumpet player, performing in many orchestras and bands in the city.
During the nineties, I studied at a music college in Cambridge, graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in classical music. I continue to play and listen to classical music, but my main interest is showing enthusiastic travellers around the area I love best: The Cotswolds.
The Foundation of Knowledge
Between school and college, I was lucky enough to work for a local building company in the Cotswolds. Learning the skills of roofing and stone wall building using natural limestone gave me first-hand experience of how houses were built in the Cotswolds hundreds of years ago. My boss then was Robin, who is now the Duke of Beaufort’s head butler.
I learned how to create the stone tile roofs that are common in the Cotswolds, which requires putting the shortest tiles at the top of the roof and the longest at the bottom. It’s very labour intensive and time consuming but gives amazing results that will last for 50 years before they need repairing.
I also learned the art of dry stone walling, where stones are overlapped until the wall reaches the right height, then upright stones are placed on top to prevent animals from jumping over the wall. It takes about a day to build a metre length of wall, so bear that in mind as you explore the Cotswolds!
The Other Love of My Life
While the Cotswolds were my first love, they are also where I found the love of my life.
I met my wife Kerry in the village of Luckington in 2000. We went on to get married in the same 12th-century church as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
Today, Kerry and I live in a small 18th-century cottage just a few miles away from Castle Combe, one of England’s prettiest villages. Every day here is special and unique, and I’m proud to call the Cotswolds my home.
What our clients say…
Just had the best tour to see the best places in the Cotswolds. Jon has a lot of history knowledge about all the small and big Villages. Very interesting to listen to for all ages; not to mention his high tech comfy car! He showed us all the hidden Villages what one would not see on a tour bus- and pubs! Fantastic experience- a must do and will do again part 2!
Thank you Jon.