Cotswold thatched cottages
The iconic image of the Cotswolds is of pretty villages filled with beautiful, mellow honey-gold stone cottages, but not topped, as many people perhaps expect, with a thatched roof. The sheer abundance of limestone meant that cottage roofs were historically tiled rather than thatched. However, it is still possible to discover them dotted around the countryside.
There is something quintessentially English about a thatched cottage. Luckily, we have the inside track on where in the Cotswolds you can find them and, if you want to, stay in one.
Where to find a Cotswold thatched cottage
Up in the northern reaches of the Cotswolds, you’ll find a little cluster of villages where the thatched cottages are definitely Instagram-worthy. The village of Broad Campden is a gorgeous village known for its profusion of thatched cottages. Nearby Chipping Campden also has its fair share if you take a few moments to step away from the main high street.
The village of Great Tew, now synonymous with Soho Farmhouse, is the exception to the rule and many of the cottages do have thatched roofs, a striking contrast to the darker gold ironstone found here. We have our own fairy tale thatched cottage in the village, which is the perfect, romantic escape for couples. Lily Cottage lies in a terrace of thatched cottages and with roses around the door and a view unchanged for centuries, it is as pretty as they come. For larger groups, we have the equally delightful Thatch on the Green, a character-filled cottage that sleeps six in comfort.
Bretforton is a charming village in Worcestershire sitting on the very edge of the Cotswolds and we have two thatched cottages where you can stay. Old Fox Cottage is a beautifully beamed and thatched cottage complete with a thatched fox creeping along the ridgeline. Across the square, easily identified by the two boxing hares dancing along the roof, lies Rose Cottage, a simply picture-perfect and equally enchanting thatch cottage.
Appropriately named, The Thatch House is nestled in the traditional village of Gotherington, just north of Cheltenham. This charming thatched house has a Cotswold stone front and a feature white and black rear facade. Gotherington has thatched houses scattered through its streets with footpaths passing through, it is worth exploring the village to see how many you find.
Our last thatch is a beautiful Grade-II listed 340-year old cottage built of the local warm-coloured Hornton stone – even the porch is thatched. Suncroft lies close to Banbury, making it the perfect location for exploring the Cotswolds and historical sites such as Warwick Castle and Stratford-upon-Avon.
