It’s very possible that the Cotswolds is the prettiest part of England.
Now, I know that it’s subjective, and yes, there’s the Lake District and the coast and tons of other pretty places. But something about the Cotswolds just speaks to my soul. Maybe it’s all the green, but it’s probably the villages that look like an illustration from a book of fairytales.
Many travelers to England are excited to visit the Cotswolds, but it can be a little difficult to get to all the different villages if you don’t have your own vehicle. The public transportation around this part of the country is pretty sparse and infrequent. I visited the Cotswolds as part of a group tour from Bath with Mad Max tours, and this small taste of the Cotswolds has me itching to see more. I’d love to return to this area for an extended period of time, but if all you have is one day, this day trip is excellent. I’ll just have to bring Ben with me whenever I go back since I’m too chicken to drive on the wrong side of the road!
Since I haven’t done a good job explaining this yet, I suppose I should mention that the Cotswolds is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in southwest England known for its beautiful limestone. This stone was used in the construction of the vast majority of the villages in the area, which means they mostly look exactly the same as they did during the Middle Ages. If you were inspired to visit England after watching a historical movie set in a quaint English village, the Cotswolds might be the destination for you!
With so many charming villages to see in the Cotswold’s, it can be hard to choose which ones to see. While I don’t think you can make a bad choice, and while I have only seen a small number of Cotswolds villages, this guide should give you some ideas to help you plan your Cotswolds itinerary.
If you don’t want to actually stay in the Cotswolds, the area is close enough to Bath and Oxford to do day trips from either of those cities. However, looking back, I really wish I would have just rented a car and stayed at least a day or two in one of the villages.
So without further ado, here are the five villages in the Cotswolds that I think are the prettiest.
Castle Combe
The poster child for the Cotswolds, quite literally. If you do a quick search for “the Cotswolds,” most likely the picture that pops up will be of Castle Combe. This village dates back centuries, with no new homes having been built since the 1600s! With all its historic charm, it’s easy to see why Castle Combe was picked as the filming location for a number of movies, including Stardust and War Horse.
The village is so small, you can easily see the whole thing in a very short time. If you want to take pictures at the famous bridge, come very early in the morning. This little place can get quite crowded!
Bourton-on-the-Water
A slightly larger, but equally charming Cotswolds village is Bourton-on-the-Water. The River Windrush runs through the city, and it’s lovely to stroll along the little river and admire the surrounding architecture. You could spend a whole day exploring this town; there’s a little more to see and do here than in some of the other villages on this list. Personally, I enjoyed popping in and out of the numerous antique shops.
Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold is special for its large, beautiful market square and its spectacular church. One of the church doors sits between two huge yew trees, almost like something out of Narnia or Middle Earth.
On my tour to the Cotswolds, this was where we stopped for lunch. Lucy’s Tearoom right next to the church is the perfect spot for a quick cuppa and a slice of cake or a scone, and closeby Cotswold Baguettes serves good, cheap sandwiches. By this point in the day, I was on an antique store kick, so I also spent some time shopping in the Tara Antique Centre on the corner, which was really lovely.
Bibury
Bibury (specifically the row of houses called Arlington Row) has been called “the most beautiful village in England” by William Morris among many others. Arlington Row was once a collection of weavers’ cottages. (The main industry in this whole area for much of its history was wool.) Now, it is a famous spot to take photos. Like Castle Combe, Bibury is a small place that can get very crowded, so come early to get the best pictures with no people in them.
Woodstock
At the very edge of the Cotswolds lies the pretty little village of Woodstock. Woodstock is famous as the location of Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill’s family home. It would be easy to spend a whole day in this area, including a visit to the palace, a walk around its extensive grounds, and seeing the village of Woodstock itself. The huge palace differentiates Woodstock from some of the other Cotswolds villages, so it you are looking for something a bit different, definitely add Woodstock to your list.
I visited Woodstock on my own on a different day than I toured the rest of these villages, but it was too lovely not to mention on a post about villages in the Cotswolds.
Someday, I definitely want to go back to the Cotswolds and see even more of its spectacular scenery and charming villages. It is an area of England that I adore and hope to see more of, but for now, hopefully this short list will help you narrow down your Cotswolds itinerary.
Leave a Reply