The Quintessential Cotswolds 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

If you can imagine a place home to thatched-roofed houses with honey-coloured stone, lavender fields and an abundance of colour….well, that’s the Cotswolds!

The Cotswolds is an area of natural beauty in central southern England and extends across 800 miles of countryside. It is made up of lots of pretty towns and villages spread over five counties – Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire. A little fact for you: the word ‘cot’ means ‘sheep enclosure’ and the word ‘wold’ means ‘hill’ – perhaps that’s why almost every village in the Cotswolds has a ‘Sheep Street’.

During the Covid pandemic when staycationing was the only travel option, we loaded the car up (as much as you can with a convertible) and did a mini-road trip through the Cotswolds. To help you get the most out of your trip, I’ve selected some of my favourite villages and towns (alphabetical as opposed favoured order). We based ourselves in Burford, so that part of this blog also has some accommodation and restaurant recommendations too, should you find yourself there.

Banbury

The real-life location of the children’s nursery rhyme “Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross to see a fine lady upon a white horse….”

Banbury is a bustling market town right on the edge of the Eastern Cotswolds. Unlike the smaller villages in the Cotswolds (which I’ll get to), Banbury has a decent sized shopping centre, a museum devoted to the towns history, a castle and a mix of olde-worlde pubs and trendy wine bars. Despite the size, there’s no mistaking the iconic Cotswolds buildings with their cottagie good looks!

If Banbury makes your list, there’s two things you must do: visit Banbury Cross to see the bronze statue of the ‘Fine Lady’ and try a famous ‘Banbury Cake’ with their spicy, fruity flavour. Ok, there’s a third – if you don’t mind driving 30 minutes to Bicester Outlet Village. If Jimmy Choo, Gucci and cut-price Chanel calls to your inner shopaholic, this is a must-visit.

Bibury

Admittedly, I didn’t spend long in Bibury – half an hour, tops – but it’s one place that has to feature on my top ten because of its famous landmark, Arlington Row with its old 17th-century English cottages – well, wool weavers houses, to be precise. It was once described by local textile designer, poet and novelist from the 1800s – William Morris – as ‘the most beautiful village in England’. And I guess he would have known!

It therefore comes as no surprise that Arlington Row is said to be the most photographed spot in the whole of the Cotswolds and one that you will find on many a postcard. So pretty, it’s a highly sought after postcode! The row of cottages was also the image used on the front cover of the 2010 UK passport! I didn’t realise until I got home that it’s actually on my own…

As with any tourist hotspot, it can become very overcrowded and this is clearly a bugbear for those living there. The most respectful way to see the row yourself is to park up on the main road that runs alongside the Coln river and take your photos from there. If you feel a little daring, you can cross over a small footbridge and walk onto the row for a closer look (turning a blind eye to the sign that asks you to turn back and view the row from the road).

Whatever you choose to do, as far as beauty spots go, this one is right up there. Little wonder Arlington Row now belongs to the National Trust.

Bourton-on-the-Water

If Bibury claims to be the prettiest place in the Cotswolds, Bourton-on-the-Water must surely come a close second. It’s certainly one of the most popular tourist spots! Sitting on the River Windrush with a multitude of footbridges, Bourton-on-the-Water is known as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ and – provided you get a sunny day – is a lovely spot for a leisurely meander down the river.

Although really quite small, there’s a lot packed into this little haven – gift shops, chip shops, sweet shops, bakeries and even a long-standing Motoring Museum that houses classic and retired cars, including the famous ‘Brum’ from 1990’s children’s TV. Who is old enough to remember him (aside me)?

There’s also a model village – and not just any old model village – but one that has made the ‘big screen’ (albeit only the lesser known Christmas film of 2014 – ‘Nativity 3’). Or if you are more of a puzzle-solver, the ‘Dragonfly Maze’ is a bit of fun for half an hour or so – simply follow the maze, reveal 14 cryptic clues and then work out what to do to release the dragonfly! Did we – 2 grown adults – manage to do it? Kind of….

I imagine in the height of summer Bourton-on-the-Water would be overrun with people (a Thursday in October wasn’t so bad). As such, it’s best to get there early to enjoy as much of it to yourself as possible – or wait until the crowds die down and pay a visit early evening.

Broadway Tower

In fairness, this stop wasn’t planned but as I drove through the countryside and saw a striking tower in the distance, I pulled into the nearby carpark to have a closer look!

Set in 50 acres of parkland, Broadway Tower is a gothic folly set on the highest part of the Cotswolds. It is an English Heritage site and open to the public to go and have a look inside and marvel at the rolling countryside from the roof platform. Way back, William Morris (mentioned earlier) used the 65 foot Broadway Tower as his holiday home.

Of course, the tower is undoubtedly impressive, but another reason that I’ve put it on my list is for the red deer reserve that’s in the parkland.

If you’re an avid walker, you can find lots of routes from Broadway Tower. Snowshill and Chipping Campden (more about them, later) are within easy enough reach – or the more adventurous may venture out to The Slaughters (not as fearsome it sounds) – a few hours away.

Broadway village itself is a pretty tree-lined high street with a mix of stone cottages and period houses. There’s museums, galleries, shopping and dining to be had, too.

Burford

Beautiful Burford – our home for the week. If you are looking for the epitome of Cotswold living, this is the stop for you! Cobbled streets, wonky houses, independent shops, homely country pubs (complete with roaring fires) and wonderful restaurants. What more could you want?

Because of its location on the far West of Oxfordshire, Burford is known as the ‘Southern Gateway to the Cotswolds’ – and what an entrance it is! Gorgeous…

There’s something for everyone in Burford. Those with a sweet tooth can buy an ounce of bonbons at the old-fashioned sweet shop, carb-lovers can rave over the bread selection at the traditional bakery, cheese connoisseur’s will delight at the offerings in the artisan delis and antique hunters are bound to find something shiny and sought after in one of the many antique stores! Whatever your pleasure, you’re bound to enjoy a wander along Burford’s high street.

Burford has so many great eateries, you’ll be spoiled for choice! But here are some extra great ones: The Highway Inn is perfect for a cosy, candlelit meal with your other half. The famous shortcrust pies at the Royal Oak are a must (I recommend the game pie). If a curry is on the cards, the Spice Lounge serves up a marvellous massala! All are fantastic and slap bang in the centre of the high street.

If an afternoon tea calls, I can’t recommend The Lamb Inn (on Sheep Street) highly enough! Expect stunning surroundings that will make interior designers drool, top service with a smile – and most importantly, the best damn cakesyou may ever taste.

Accommodation tip: We stayed in a quaint little cottage called ‘The Cider Press’ which was on a quiet side road off the high street and set alongside the River Windrush. There wasn’t anything more that we could have wanted from our accommodation – just steps from the centre of the town, super-cosy and complete with welcoming fresh flowers and a bottle of wine (book via Sykes Cottages).

The Cotswolds Wildlife Park is located just 5 minutes from Burford, by car. From lions, to penguins, to giraffes, to lemurs – there’s plenty of furry and fuzzy faces to see.

Chipping Campden

Chipping Campden is a lovely old medieval market town in the North Cotswolds. There are a number of towns named Chipping’ in the Cotswolds and the word literally means ‘market’. It was once the most important of the medieval market towns for wool manufacturing.

Upon driving into the town, the first thing that stuck me was the old, traditional country cottages – the type with overhanging thatched roofs that you used to see on the box of a jigsaw puzzle. A very nice welcome indeed!

The high street in Chipping Campden is full of buildings of all shapes and sizes, as well as cute boutiques and florists. Historians can stand in the centre of the old market hall and imagine the days of old, when the streets would be full of pack-horses bringing in the wool and textiles. Apparently the area inspired Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

I also visited Chipping Norton – a place where the rich and famous are said to reside, including the likes of Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet and the Beckhams. In honesty though, Chipping Campden gets my vote – it has a nicer feel about it and just feels more traditional. But don’t let me put you off seeing both if time permits!

Cirencester

Whilst on the subject of market towns, a drive through the countryside (not far from Bibury) will take you to the historical town of Cirencester.

In Roman Britain, Cirencester was the largest town outside of London and some say it may well have been the UK capital in the 4th-century. Not only is it very old, but it is clearly very well thought of! Back then, Cirencester was called ‘Corinium’ and there’s a museum there now by the same name, that houses antiquities from the time. The Roman amphitheatre is also available to visitors.

Today, the high street houses an array of colourful shops, coffee houses, a craft market and the impressive St John Baptist Church. If you choose to do some shopping, you can expect to find high street regulars such as Boots, Waterstones and FatFace, as well as small independents that sell plastic-free products, scented candles and – you’ve guessed it – antiques.

If you do decide to venture into Cirencester, you might want to time it to go on a Monday or Friday for market day. It is one of the oldest charter markets in the country and got a mention in the doomsday book in 1086. The monthly farmers market is every second and fourth Saturday in the month, where you can find lots of local produce such as pies and brewed ales.

Snowshill

Calling all Bridget Jones fans! This tiny, remote village is actually rather famous in the ‘world of film’.

Some of you might recognise this village church from scenes in the first film of the trilogy when Bridget goes home to visit her parents for Christmas? Apparently, diehard fans come from near and far just to catch a glimpse of the red phone box and church! I also managed to locate the house used as Bridget’s parent’s home, with the help of the ever trusty google maps.

Only in Hollywood: The filming of Bridget Jones Diary actually took place in July, so Snowshill was treated to a premature snow flurry courtesy of the film crew. Not only that, but they also cut the heads off the flowers, put fairy lights in residents windows and erected a Christmas tree in the village green!

With or without its fame, Snowshill is one of the cutest villages I found in the Cotswolds – even in overcast weather. Oh and one thing – it’s not pronounced as it’s written – it’s ‘Snozzle’, apparently!

Stow-on-the-Wold

Another tourist-favourite is Stow-on-the-Wold, meaning ‘where the wind blows’. It is possibly named due to it being the highest of the Cotswolds towns, set on an 800 foot hill, which can inevitably get a tad windy.

One reason for its popularity is the doorway at St Edwards Church, rather like something from a fairytale and the perfect backdrop for any Instagram post! It is said to have been the very thing that inspired JRR Tolkien ‘doors of durin’, from the Lord of the Rings novels.

The town is great to have a wander around too. There are plenty of cake shops and chocolatiers set within the narrow alleys and within the main square. If you’ve heard the term ‘chocolate box village’, Stow-on-the-Wold is a great example!

So, have I managed to convince you that you must book a trip to the Cotswolds?

This blog is just a snapshot of what’s on offer in this gorgeous part of England – lots more for me to ‘go at’ next time. Any tips for me? If so, leave them in the comments below 👇🏻