Cotswolds

The Cotswolds is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covering rolling limestone hills across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties in England. The region is known for villages built from honey-coloured Cotswold stone, including Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, Castle Combe, Stow-on-the-Wold, Broadway and Burford, and for market towns such as Chipping Campden and Cirencester that grew wealthy on the medieval wool trade. Wool churches, known for their large naves, stand in many villages, and drystone walls divide the pasture. Most visitors tour by car, as public transport between villages is limited. A day usually covers three or four villages, with time for a pub lunch, a walk along a stretch of the Cotswold Way national trail, and perhaps a garden or manor house. Bibury's Arlington Row, a line of weavers' cottages, and the Windrush stream through Bourton-on-the-Water are the best-known photographic spots. Castle Combe is often photographed from the bridge over the By Brook. The villages are at their most crowded on summer weekends and bank holidays, when small car parks fill by late morning. Early morning and late afternoon give quieter streets and warmer light on the stone. Walking opportunities range from short village loops to the 102-mile Cotswold Way from Chipping Campden to Bath. There is no single admission fee, as the area is open countryside, although individual gardens, museums and manor houses charge their own entry. Accommodation is concentrated in inns, bed and breakfasts and converted cottages, and booking ahead is wise for summer weekends. The Cotswolds also reward slower exploration. Market towns such as Cirencester and Chipping Campden host regular markets, while gardens at Hidcote, Kiftsgate and Sudeley Castle show off English planting at its best. Pubs serving local ales and Sunday roasts are a feature of village life, and farm shops sell Cotswold produce. Walkers can use the many public footpaths and bridleways, and cyclists favour quiet lanes in the northern hills.