If you’re looking for some great places to visit, or stay at in the Cotswolds then you’ve come to the right place. I’ve lived in the heart of the Cotswolds my entire life and know it like the back of my hand. In this article you’ll find everything from the best campsites in the cotswolds, and the best places to visit. To hidden gems only us Cotswold folk know about – until now!
Arlington Row – Bibury
OK, so Arlington Row cottages by the River Coln in Bibury isn’t one of those places people don’t know about. In fact, it’s probably one of the most famous streets in the whole of the Cotswolds. Getting an empty photo like the one below is almost impossible, especially in peak season. Bus loads of tourists flock here throughout the Summer months so try to come off-peak season.
Bibury itself is a tiny little village but it’s packed with personality – why it’s so popular i guess. It includes…
- Saxon Church
- The Church of St Mary
- The Swan Hotel that serves beautiful lunches all day and champagne breakfasts
- The smallest post office you’ll ever see
- A few small shops
- An adorable little bridge
- Open gardens to walk around
Bibury is very popular with walkers and day trippers due to the many pretty walks you can do that lead off from the centre. If you enjoy going on nature walks in the countryside, you should definitely come and take a look around.
The gardens of the people that live here are often open to the public and well worth a look around, they really are stunning! The sort you would see on a postcard – beautifully maintained by their proud owners. Technically they are free to look around but some will ask for a small donation.
Accommodation In Bibury
- Bibury Campsite – one of the great campsites in the cotswolds, although quite small
- Cotteswold House
- The Catherine Wheel
- Swallows Nest
- The Swan Hotel
Bourton On The Water
As with Bibury, this is a very popular village that gets incredibly busy in the peak seasons. Try to go off season if you can! However, it’s well worth stopping by though with it’s low lying river bed, and small bridges that make you feel like a borrower.
Attractions In Bourton On The Water
- Christmas shop that’s open all year round
- Birdland – full of various birds including penguins and flamingoes
- A model village – it isn’t that big so it wont take long to walk around. It’s also not that expensive either
- The Cotswolds Brewing Company – great to stop off for a drink
- Jurassic Journey – a great little adventure walk for kids, full of dinosaurs!
- Salmonsbury Camp Hillfort – Replica Iron Age fort from 6,000 years ago
- Cotswold Motoring & Toy Museum
- Beautiful old mill viewpoint
- Upper & Lower Slaughter (see below)
Whether you like to shop, eat, or go for county walks, Bourton On The Water has it all. Go for a walk along the River Windrush and stop off at the Beautiful old mill viewpoint. Or stop off at the Cotswold Distillery Shop for a whisky blending master class.
Accommodation In Bourton On The Water
- The Wildings Campsite – (one of the best campsites in the cotswolds)
- Broadlands Hotel
- Chester House Hotel
- Old Bank Rooms
- Chestnuts Bed & Breakfast
- Dial House Hotel
- Puffins Cottage
- Holly House
- The Mousetrap Inn
- Inglenook Cottage
- The Old New Inn
Stow On The Wold
If you love little coffee shops, places to find fabulous gifts and enough cheese shops to last you a life time, you should definitely stop in at Stow On The Wold. You could also use this tiny town as a base to go off walking in the countryside. A great place to get some beautiful photos!
Attractions In Stow On The Wold
- Abbottswood – a great woodland walk
- Fosse Gallery
- St Mary’s Church
- The Unicorn Equestrian Centre
- Donnington Brewery – have a fabulous tour of the brewery by owner Johnny Arkle
- The Dragonfly Maze – great fun for all the family exploring through high hedge mazes
- National Trust – Chastleton House (a slight drive away)
Along with the many quaint shops and tea rooms, there are some great places to visit while visiting Stow On The Wold. However, you probably won’t need more than a weekend, at most, to see everything it has to offer.
Accommodation In Stow On The Wold
- Park Farm
- Swingletree at Park Farm Holiday Cottages
- South Hill Farmhouse Hotel
- Oak House
- Corsham Field Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast
- Odd Cottage Blue Lagoon Luxury Cottages
- Pear Tree cottage
- Blackpitt Farm Cottages
- The Porch House
- Stag Lodge
- Mole End
- The Limes
- Woodlands Guest House
Cirencester
The small town of Cirencester, in the heart of the Cotswolds, is full of personality and a great place to visit. Did you know, Cirencester is often visited by Prince Charles, Prince William & Kate and Prince Harry. Prince Charles is often seen driving around in his Jaguar, and the Prince’s come to here to play polo (Harry not so much since the move to LA). So if you happen to time it right, you might just see a glimpse of them wondering by.
Attractions In Cirencester
- Parish Church – stunning inside and out
- Ruins of the Roman amphitheatre – free to wander around
- The Corinium Museum
- Walk through Cirencester Park
- Swim at the open air pool
- Cotswold Country Park & Beach
- Corn Hall – often has a variety of market stalls
- All Saint’s Church
- UK’s largest hedge
- Cerney House & Gardens
- Keble’s Bridge – a great little walk alongside the River Leach
- Go Wing Walking – AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers
- Enjoy a show at The Barn Theatre
- New Brewery Arts – for any crafty folk
- Take a walk around the Cirencester Abbey Grounds
- Waterland Outdoor Pursuits – 5 minute drive into South Cerney
There really is so much to see and do in and around Cirencester. Plus, it makes a great base to go further afield as well. Cheltenham is only a 20 minute drive away, as is Bibury & Burford. You’ll probably want more than a weekend here to see and do everything.
Cotswold Lavender
OK, so not a town or village, but Cotswold Lavender is definitely one of the best places to visit in the Cotswolds, especially if it’s lavender season. Fields after fields of lavender, as far as the eye can see. Just outside of Worcestershire (WR12 7JY), not far from Snowshill Manor, this would be a great place to add to your list on the way to, or from Stow On The Wold.
Here you will find some great fields filled to bursting with lavender to walk through – the perfect Instagram photo location. There is also a tearoom and a shop filled with produce made on the farm.
Lacock & Lacock Abbey
Lacock is around 4 miles from the town of Chippenham and looks just like a village lost in time. A beautifully preserved village with a stunning abbey in the centre. This abbey is actually where much of the Harry Potter movies were filmed.
If nothing else, Lacock is a great place to go for a wonder through the winding streets, stopping off at a few quaint shops and tearooms before heading to the abbey.
Also in Lacock you’ll find the Fox Talbot Museum. A Museum of Photography that commemorates the achievements of a former resident of the Abbey, William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-77). Did you know, he was the inventor of the negative/positive photographic process.
Upper & Lower Slaughter
Better than their names suggest, these are actually very stunning places to visit and would be the perfect addition to your day trip to Bourton On The Water as they are just down the road.
In Lower slaughter you’ll find the stunning mill and wheel that still turns. There is a fab little loop walk you can do around the area, wondering through the perfectly manicured streets, and over tiny little stone bridges. It probably wouldn’t take you more than a few hours to see everything here, but it’s well worth a little pit stop.
However in Upper Slaughter you’ll find stunning homes, covered in wisteria, and even a few with thatched roofs. Other than that, there isn’t much else here but if you want to see stunning English homes, it’s a must!
Painswick – Rococo Gardens
The Rococo Gardens in Painswick are known for being especially beautiful throughout the summer months as the gardens are bursting with colour and the fragrant smells the UK in bloom. Because of this, they are very popular with brides & grooms as wedding venues.
Painswick itself is a very small little village with not a lot in it so the main reason you’d go is to view the stunning gardens. However, it isn’t open all year round so make sure you double check before you go. You should be OK during the summer months though.
The gardens aren’t too easy to walk through as there are quite a few steep areas to get down, but it’s so worth it if you can. Also, in snowdrop season, you must do the wooded walk as all you can see through the trees are beautiful snowdrops in bloom.
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