Region In Focus: The Cotswolds
The best places to visit in the Cotswolds are about as quintessentially English as you can get.
Gorgeous little villages, nestling in pretty hills, surrounded by green fields farmed for centuries.
What’s more the buildings are built using the local Cotswold sandstone, giving them a gorgeous honey colored look.
Here, anyway, is our list of the places to go if you are lucky enough to visit this beautiful part of England…
Best Places To Visit In The Cotswolds
1. Burford
One of the main towns in the Cotswolds, Burford sits on the River Windrush.
Its High Street of honey colored stone buildings is typical of the area.
2. Castle Coombe
Not one of the more famous Cotswolds villages — which reduces the number of tourists — but one of the prettiest. Also a great base from which to explore nearby Bath and Stonehenge
3. Stow-On-The-Wold
One of the many pretty market towns in the Cotswolds, Stow On The Wold is also well known for its antique shops.
Every wanted a 17th century dining table? Here is the place to get it…
4. Upper and Lower Slaughter
As well as having the most interesting names in the area (although, rather disappointingly, Slaughter is actually derived from the Ancient English word for muddy), these two villages are also two of the most gorgeous. They are also extremely old: they were mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086.
5. Bourton-On-The-Water
As can be guessed from the name, Bourton is on a river (the Windrush again) which meanders its way through the heart of the village.
The river is home to a annual game of medieval football with the goals in the river itself. Everyone gets very wet (half the point of course).
6. Chipping Norton
The quintessential Cotwolds market town, Chipping Norton still runs as it has done since the 13th century. Unlike some of its peers it remains a ‘real’ town rather just a tourist trap.
7. Bladon
Something a bit different to end with.
Bladon would not usually make it onto this list other than the fact it is the resting place of probably the most famous Englishman of the past 100 years: Winston Churchill
It seems amazing that such a man would be buried in a small country churchyard, but this is where his family had been buried for centuries.
