Where the Cotswolds Lies

The Cotswolds spans several counties, though its heart sits firmly in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. To the north, the landscape rises through pretty wool towns like Chipping Campden and Broadway. Further south, Cheltenham offers Regency elegance alongside the hills, while Cirencester marks what was once the second-largest town in Roman Britain. Along the western edge, the Cotswold escarpment drops toward the Severn Vale and the wilder country of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, a landscape with a very different character but easily reached on the same trip.

Villages and Market Towns

This is a region best explored one small place at a time. Bourton-on-the-Water draws visitors with its low stone bridges over the River Windrush, while Stow-on-the-Wold sits high on the wolds with a market square that still hosts antique fairs. Winchcombe rewards a slower visit, tucked beneath Sudeley Castle with independent shops lining its high street. Further east, Burford tumbles down a steep hill toward the Windrush, and Tetbury has become known for its antiques trade and royal connections. Each has its own rhythm, and staying nearby means you can wander without a plan.

Things to Do

Walking is the natural way to experience this landscape. The Cotswold Way runs over a hundred miles from Chipping Campden down to Bath, tracing the escarpment edge with views across the Severn Vale, and shorter stretches make for an easy half-day out from almost any of our cottages. Beyond the trail, expect gardens open to the public, historic houses with centuries of stories behind them, and market towns where a Sunday roast or a proper pub lunch is never far away. Food lovers will find farm shops throughout the region selling produce grown just fields away, and several of the area's restaurants and pubs have built national reputations without losing their local feel.

Best Time to Visit

Spring brings bluebells to the beech woods and lambs to the fields, while summer stretches the days long enough for an evening walk before dinner. Autumn turns the beech hangers gold and thins the crowds, and winter has its own appeal, log fires, misty mornings over the wolds, and market towns strung with lights. There isn't really a wrong time. It simply changes what the region has to offer.

Getting Here

The Cotswolds sits within easy reach of London, roughly two hours by road via the M4 or M40, and several towns have direct rail links from London Paddington. The M5 connects the region from the south and west, making it a straightforward stop whether you're travelling from Wales, the Midlands, or further afield.

Find Your Cotswold Cottage

However you plan to spend your time here, a well-placed cottage makes all the difference. Browse our collection of holiday homes across the Cotswolds below, from cosy retreats for two to grand houses built for a full family gathering.