There are three 'Ampneys' named after the brook of that name. Ampney Crucis is largest, boasting two former water mills and a riverside hotel. The Holy Rood Church is almost hidden by trees; more isolated Ampney St Mary Church, all that remains of the lost village, is in…
The village of Aston, four miles south of Witney, is centred around the Square - which is actually a triangle! Often linked with the neighbouring hamlet of Cote, Aston has all the essentials of village life - a church, a school, a post office, a general store and a pub. The…
The village of Bampton was a major late Anglo-Saxon centre: the focus of a royal manor, and site of a 'minster' church. At the time of the Norman Conquest, Bampton was a large settlement and in the Domesday Book of 1086 there is already mention of a market in…
The small village of Barnsley is set right in the heart of the Cotswolds between Cirencester and Bibury on the old road from Cirencester to Oxford. Along with its church it has a pub and a luxury hotel (Barnsley House) in what was formerly the home…
The centre-piece of Berkeley is the magnificent 12th century Berkeley Castle with its dark and brooding bloodstained history, where Edward II was brutally murdered in 1327. It is the oldest inhabited castle in England, having been home to 24 generations of the Berkeley family…
Bibury is a charming, typically Cotswold, village just a short drive from Cirencester. It’s easy to see why William Morris called Bibury ‘The most beautiful village in England’ – wonderful stone buildings strung out along the banks of the River Coln…
The small village of Bladon lies a couple of miles south of Woodstock on the south side of Blenheim Palace estate. The village is best known for being the burial place of Sir Winston Churchill (and his wife) in the churchyard at St Martins Church. There is a small…
Situated in the Evenlode Valley and traversing part of the Oxfordshire Way, this scenic village has an attractive green and still retains its 15th century church and Victorian maypole, as well as a popular village pub.
Bourton-on-the-Water is a popular destination with gently flowing River Windrush running through the centre of the village and crossed by attractive little bridges. However Bourton can be really busy, especially at weekends and Bank Holidays during the summer, and to…
Close to Chipping Campden but with its own identity based around the influences of the Arts and Crafts movement. C R Ashbee, the architect who did so much for nearby Chipping Campden, lived here for a while early last century. There is a rare 17th century Friends Meeting House…
Carterton is one of Oxfordshire’s newest towns and the second largest in West Oxfordshire. In 1894 the enterprising William Carter bought part of the Duke of Marlborough's estate and parcelled it up in to 6 acre plots, which he then sold off to settlers. At first it was…
Castle Combe is a quintessentially English village often named as the ‘prettiest village in England.' Castle Combe has featured regularly as a film location, most recently in The Wolf Man, Stardust and Stephen Spielberg’s War Horse. It was also used in the…
Chipping Sodbury is a medieval market town edging the southern end of the Cotswold Escarpment. The High Street is home to a wide variety of shops, restaurants and public houses, including the traditional butchers, bakers and greengrocers. The town has an unusually wide main…
A small village with many interesting buildings. The church of All Saints (1827) has features modelled on three Oxford colleges. There is a Gothic fountain on the village green described by Pevsner as ‘hideously ugly with water dripping from a rude spout’. Housed in…
Cleeve Hill is the highest point both of the Cotswolds hill range and in the county of Gloucestershire, at 1,083 feet (330 m). It commands a clear view to the west, over Cheltenham and the racecourse, over the River Severn and into Wales; and to the north over Winchcombe.
Between Bibury and Fairford, this is one of three neighbouring villages - Hatherop and Quenington are the others. Good, easy walking country in a picturesque landscape of parkland, woods and water meadows.
The name Combe, meaning valley, seems inappropriate for a village set on a hill top 45m above Evenlode valley floor! The village may have moved away from an earlier site down on the valley floor. The village is on the edge of the Blenheim Palace estate and has a large…
Just outside Cirencester and the first of the villages along the Duntisbourne Valley. Turn off for the village church which is alongside the imposing Daglingworth House. Inside, a fine group of late Saxon carvings adorn the church walls. At Lower end is a circular medieval…
The tiny village of Deerhurst is situated some 6 miles from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire and can be reached via the A38 and B4213. It was the site of major historic importance at the Priory church of Saint Mary and is home to two Saxon Churches, which are thought to be regarded…
On the hill a mile or so north of Stow, with extensive views over the Evenlode Valley. In 1646 this was the site of a famous battle in the English Civil War, when Lord Astley and 3000 Royalists were defeated by Parliamentarian forces. Donnington Mill is the home of a country…
Dumbleton is situated on the edge of Dumbleton Hill, a foothill of the Cotswolds and is situated within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Great Tew is most certainly a 'picture postcard' village but it is not a traditional Cotswold village: here, on the edge of the Cotswolds, the stone is a much darker red - ironstone - and the cottages are thatched, not a particularly common feature in the Cotswolds…
Ilmington lies in the far South of Warwickshire, approximately 5 miles north-east of the market town of Chipping Campden. It is a large and impressive Cotswold village on the very northern Cotswolds and well worth wandering around. Access to the Norman church is by footpath. The…
Kelmscott is a quiet village, set at the end of a non-through road that peters out at the nearby river Thames. The village church, St George's, dates back to the end of the 12th century though it was subsequently enlarged on a number of occasions before 1550. Since then…
A medium sized village set underneath the escarpment of Selsley Common and Stanley Woods with splendid views of the higher ground around, especially from Marling Close recreation field. It is 3 miles from junction 13 M5 but situated quietly off the A419 Ebley bypass between…
This pretty village of Cotwold stone and thatched roofs is romantically positioned on the River Windrush. Reputedly the region’s most haunted village, Minster Lovell is perhaps best known the ruins of its 15th century hall, owned by generations of the Lovell family and now…
The river Windrush flows through the village and its water meadows, making it as picturesque as any of its neighbours in the hills between Stow and Cheltenham. Mentioned in the Domesday as Niwetone. Climb the hill for a really good view of church and village. Naunton has a famous…
Famed throughout the world for its beautiful University and College buildings and 5 world class museums, (all free), Oxford is everyone's 'must visit'. With its own ice rink, open air pool (with free kiddie splash park), punting, river cruiser and steamer trips, Oxford offers a…
Prestbury is a pretty village on the edge of Cheltenham noted, amongst other things, for ghosts! More than two dozen ghosts are said to haunt the village, including the Black Abbott in the churchyard and the spectral shepherd in Swindon Lane. The village is also home to Prestbury…
The attractive ford across ‘The Shill’ brook, the open village green and pretty stone cottages are much photographed and make the village of Shilton a truly Cotswold experience.
Surrounded by tranquil meadows this is the biggest village in Gloucestershire with a population nearing 3,500. It was founded in 999 by Saxon settlers, with a charter by King Aethelred II and was a key settlement on the River Churn. The village of South Cerney has prospered…
Stanton is an outstandingly beautiful village, situated below the wooded Cotswold edge. The medieval parish church has some early 14th century wall paintings and grooves on the packs of pews, marks made when shepherds used to tie their dogs. On the Cotswold Way.
Stanton Harcourt is a small, attractive village dating from a Bronze Age settlement. The Harcourt family resided there between the 12th and 18th century and the fine Norman church contains the tomb of Robert Harcourt, Henry Tudor's standard bearer at Bosworth Field (1485) and…
This estate village is centred upon the magnificent Stanway House with its baroque gatehouse and formal gardens with the highest (gravity fed) fountain in the world. The beautiful tithe barn and medieval church are also part of the Stanway estate. The village has a thatched…
Swinbrook is a small village on the River Windrush, about 2 miles east of Burford. Apparently untouched by time, it is the quintessential English village with its stone walls, pretty church, cricket pitch with wooden pavilion, and an old stone pub next to the old stone bridge…
A string of four attractive villages along the valley of the tiny Dunt Stream, just north of Cirencester, with lots of stone wall lining the lanes and paths. Duntisboune Abbots is the largest of the four but still intimate in scale.Duntisbourne Lee, Middle Duntisbourne and…
Turville and Martin – face one another across the little River Leach, their Norman churches merely a couple of stone throws apart. Two bridges connect the villages – a road bridge and a long footbridge of large flat stones, known as Keble’s Bridge.
Upper and Lower Oddington are just east of Stow. Together they make a long and attractive village with an isolated but much-loved old church half a mile down the track to Bledington Heath. Inside, marvel at the enormous Day of Judgement wall-painting from the early 15th century…
Upper and Lower Slaughter - the slightly macabre name comes from the Old English for 'muddy place' - are linked by the tiny River Eye, a tributary to the River Windrush. A wander alongside the stream in Lower Slaughter seems like a privilege - people actually live…
The village is split into two, the "Old Town" near the church and the "New Town" at the crossing of the B4077 and B4632 roads. The village pub, The Pheasant is situated at the heart of the village, beside the village shop. Despite the size of the village, it has a large church…
Twyning is tucked away just inside Gloucestershire to the north of Tewkesbury. As its Old English name suggests, it is a ‘place between the rivers’, in this case, the Avon and Severn. In two parts, Church End, a conservation area, is the original village…
2500 years ago, Uley Bury, a great Iron Age hillfort, dominated the area. Set in a stunning valley, one of the prettiest in the area, the church is a gem. Uley Brewery is an excellent supplier to local pubs. Prema Arts is an independent rural arts centre with a national…
Aldsworth ia a quiet unspoilt village located just off the Cirencester to Burford road some three miles from the well known of Bibury. Large fields, farms and open countryside surround this small village with its quaint 18th & 19th century buildings. The village…
The village of Ascott under Wychwood is situated on the south side of the River Evenlode and lies on the Cotswolds & Malverns Railway (between London and Worcester). It is one of the three Wychwoods - the neighbouring villages of Ascott, Milton and Shipton - once part of the…
Asthall is a small village a couple of miles down the Windrush Valley from Burford. However for a small village, Asthall has a rich history: a former Roman settlement on Akeman Street, which linked Cirencester with St Albans; the village church, dates back to the 12th…
The golden city of Bath has been welcoming visitors for over 2,000 years. Designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Bath is home to some of the most impressive architectural sights in the world such as the Royal Crescent, the Circus and Pulteney Bridge. At the heart of Bath…
One of the larger Cotswold villages and largely unspoilt, midway between Moreton-in-Marsh and Chipping Campden, Blockley was a main centre of the silk industry in the 18th and 19th centuries with the silk mills using the waters of the brook which runs through the centre of the…
A stunning hillside village located on a steep hill with wonderful views overlooking the town of Moreton in Marsh in the valley below. The village has many notable buildings including the church, local pub, charming Cotswold stone cottages and…
A long village divided into five 'ends', some of which are almost separate hamlets, it spreads itself out looking across the river Evenlode towards the Wychwood Forest. The substantial church is enriched with a fascinating array of gargoyles. Café de la Post…
Attractively spread out along the valley side. Chedworth is really several communities in one. The focus is the fine Church of St Andrews, with a delightful waterspout nearby, in Chedworth Woods, a mile north of the village, is one of the best preserved Roman Villas in Britain.
Cheltenham has been welcoming visitors for almost three hundred years, ever since the discovery of the first natural spring in 1716 led to the development of this fashionable, vibrant, Regency spa town with its painted stucco facades and intricate ironwork balconies. It has…
An attractive village with two village greens in the broad acres of the Thames Valley, east of Lechlade set amidst good farming country, with a stream flowing between houses and the High Street. There is a small 13th century church, on the north-west edge of the village, next to…
A small village straddling the A435, with the Colesbourne estate situated in the beautiful setting of the Churn valley, located half way between Cheltenham and Cirencester Colesbourne gets a mention in the Domesday Book but there is evidence of earlier occupation - the…
Tucked away in a beautiful deep valley only 4 miles west of Northleach this small village is on the Roman Whiteway which ran North from Cirencester. The village church, St Oswald's, is situated at the top of a steep hill, and dates back to the 13th century and…
This picturesque hamlet is on the far western reaches of the Cotswolds on the Southern side of Bredon Hill. On the hill there is Conderton Camp, an Iron age fort first built in the 2nd Century BC as a cattle enclosure. In the next century a drystone wall was…
Cricklade is a small historic 9th century Saxon town, situated midway between Cirencester and Swindon and is situated on the banks of the River Thames. The national walking trail, the Thames Path passed through the town and with the Cotswold Water Park and its 150 lakes nearby…
Surrounded by hills, and sitting on the Cotswold Way in the south Cotswolds, the market town of Dursley offers lovely walks with breathtaking views and is a great base for walkers. Dursley has Walkers are Welcome status and hosts its own Walking Festival every October. The…
Stone and thatched cottages with old farmhouses give this village its character in the gently folding hills east of Chipping Campden. Ebrington Manor has exsisted since the 14th century, owned by the Fortescue family, the ancient church of St. Eadburgha shows…
The ancient market town of Eynsham began life as a small Romano-British settlement and today retains much of its medieval heritage, including 16th and 17th century buildings constructed from materials taken from the abbey which was demolished on the orders of King Henry VIII and…
The town sits on a lovely stretch of the River Coln and owes its fortune to its location - an important coaching town on the old London to Gloucester route. Some of the inns and hotels are reminders of this by gone era. Fairford is famous for its parish church, St…
Filkins and Broughton Poggs - you may go looking for two villages but you’ll only find one - and a beautiful one it is. The enchanting stone houses, several with the characteristic slab fencing, and Cotswold Woollen Weavers, an 18th century wool mill and rare Cotswold…
Located on the slopes of the Upper Windrush valley, this pretty hamlet is often driven through on the B4077 going from Tewkesbury to Stow-on-the-Wold. The quaint Cotswold stone cottages and inn make for a pretty picture in this beautiful part of The Cotswolds. The area…
Frampton on Severn lies about 10 miles south of Gloucester on the eastern side of the River Severn. The Village Green in Frampton is said to be the longest village green in England, and is about 22 acres in size. Cricket is played on The Green outside the Bell Inn, one of the two…
Rich in history and heritage, the city boasts a wealth of architectural gems, numerous visitor attractions, a Premiership Rugby team and can truly be regarded as a great English city. You and your family will find so many wonderful and interesting things to do the city of…
A village in the heart of the north cotswold country in the upper reaches of the Windrush Valley. There is a small village green,with the Old Post office shop and cafe being at the centre, a village hall and then with a pub at either end of the village.Excellent…
Kemble lies four miles from Cirencester. In a meadow known as Trewsbury Mead, this village is the settlement closest to Thames Head, traditionally identified as the source of the River Thames which runs all the way to London. Passengers arriving by rail will find a pretty railway…
Kingham is a peaceful and secluded village, once chosen as Country Life's 'England's Favourite Village', yet it has a main line train service to London - only 90 minutes away. The station is about a mile from the village centre. Kingham is set in the…
The church spire of St. Michael’s can be seen for miles, as Leafield is a hill-top village and a centre for the Wychwood Forest. Here was the royal hunting forest, part of which still survives as a National Nature Reserve. Leafield was once a centre for pottery production…
Long Hanborough is a large village with an attractive mixture of thatched, stone, slate and tile roofed cottages. Lying between Witney and Woodstock, the village station provides easy access to Oxford on the Cotswold Line. Thiis village has three pubs in the area…
Longborough is nestled on the hillside above the beautiful Evenlode valley just North of Stow-on-the-Wold. This traditional Cotswold village is peaceful and largely undiscovered with some hidden gems. There has been a settlement at Longborough (named after the Long Barrow above…
Dating back to medieval times, Milton under Wychwood is a large working village on the edge of the Evenlode valley and is one of three villages named after the ancient forest of Wychwood: the others are Shipton under Wychwood and Ascott under Wychwood. The Royal Forest of…
The delightful, small market town of Minchinhampton sits on the edge of Minchinhampton Common, near the towns of Stroud and Nailsworth in the south Cotswolds. The town itself is made up of pretty stone cottages, many dating back to the 17th century and medieval wool trade. There…
The artistic, market town of Nailsworth is nestled in a wooded valley to the east of Stroud, in the south Cotswolds. Nailsworth is renowned for its selection of award-winning restaurants, pubs and cafes. Eating out in Nailsworth means you are spoilt for choice. Hobbs House Bakery…
Overbury, and the nearby hamlets of Conderton and Kemerton, are situated on the southern slopes of Bredon Hill on the boundaries of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Beauty. The village is a well kept estate village with a range of interesting building, church and walking…
A beautiful and peaceful stone village on the north-east edge of the Cotswolds. Ramsden, meaning 'wild garlic valley', is another ideal base for exploring the surrounding countryside either on foot or on bicycle. Once deep in the heart of the Wychwood Forest, the village…
This small picturesque village lies between Stroud and Cirencester and is famous for two key historic features: the 18th century 2 mile long underground Sapperton canal tunnel on the Thames and Severn Canal, which for a while was the longest in…
The Slad Valley has become immortalised by the words of the famous author Laurie Lee, whose classic novel ‘Cider with Rosie’ is known and loved all over the world. This green and tranquil, hidden valley can be found near the towns of Stroud and Painswick. Many of the…
Snowshill, charmingly set with the Cotswold hills rising steeply around the village on three sides, is known for its exceptional unspoilt beauty and for the views over the Severn Vale to the west. An ancient road called Buckle Street crosses the parish and Snowshill…
Standlake is situated approximately 5 miles (8 km) southwest of the market town of Witney. The village origins probably pre-date the Roman occupation and archaeological evidence has been found of occupation in both Roman and Anglo-Saxon times, while the church of…
Brimming with independent shops, cafés and galleries and home to one of the best Farmers’ Markets in the country, there are plenty of things to do in Stroud. In Stroud, you will find an eclectic mix of shops selling everything from fossils to fairies and…
Situated where the Rivers Severn and Avon meet, Tewkesbury has a character all of its own and is one of the few places in the Cotswold area where you will see black and white half–timbered buildings. In fact, there are almost 400 listed buildings and this makes it…
Once there were three, now there are four; the new village of Upper Rissington emerging from the former Little Rissington RAF base along the hilltop between the Windrush and the Evenlode Valleys. Great and Little Rissington are good vernacular Cotswold villages on the hillside…
The historic town of Wotton-under-Edge sits within the Cotswolds Area of Natural Beauty, in the undiscovered south Cotswolds. The ‘edge’ refers to the Cotswold escarpment, under which the town nestles, overlooking the Severn valley. The heart of Wotton-under-Edge has…
A famous Cotswold beauty spot, and popular throughout the year. As its name suggests, Broadway is dominated by a wide main street lined with independent shops, restaurants, hotels and plenty of antique shops. The Cotswold scarp runs down through the valley into the Evesham Vale…
Burford’s famous High Street sweeps downhill towards the River Windrush, its medieval bridge and its impressive church, both sides of the street flanked by an unbroken line of ancient houses and shops. Little has changed over the centuries, Burford is popular with…
Set in the Evenlode Valley, the town of Charlbury grew from a small clearing in the Wychwood Forest to a prosperous market town, due largely to its reputation as a glove making centre during the 18th and 19th centuries. Surrounded by the remains of the ancient Wychwood…
Chipping Campden is quite simply one of the finest towns in the Cotswolds – well-preserved and full of history, but also full of life and bustle. Its elegant High Street is a delight, described by the historian, G.M. Trevelyan, as “the most beautiful village street…
Perched on the highest point in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, Chipping Norton, affectionately known as ‘Chippy’ by locals, was once a centre for the Cotswold wool trade and was given a Royal charter by King John in 1205. The medieval Guildhall and St Mary's Church…
Cirencester, known as the Capital of the Cotswolds, is a lovely market town with a fascinating history where you will receive a warm welcome. In Roman times, Cirencester, known as ‘Corinium Dobunnorum’, was the second largest town only to London. During the 6th…
The delightful town of Lechlade-on-Thames lies on the River Thames. Enjoy a boat trip, take a stroll across the pretty Halfpenny Bridge or explore the Thames Path National Trail from the town. The Church of St Lawrence, which dominates the market square, has beautiful…
You might already know of Malmesbury’s rich history as England’s oldest borough or heard about the stunning 12th century Abbey still very much in use today. But there’s so much more to discover in this charming market town. Visit the original Market Cross, the…
Located at the head of the beautiful Evenlode Valley, Moreton in Marsh is a thriving market town with excellent public transport links including a direct link to London by rail, the town dates back 1000 years to the Saxon era. The broad High Street is lined with elegant 17th and…
The delightful Cotswold town of Northleach is tucked away from the busy A40, between gently rolling hills, at a crossroads of the Roman Fosse Way. The streets in and around the ancient Market Place are rich in architectural interest ranging from half-timbered buildings and…
This beautiful, historic wool town, sitting in regal hilltop splendour near Stroud, is known as ‘The Queen of the Cotswolds’. It is one of the best-preserved settlements in the Cotswolds, built from mellow honey-coloured stone quarried from nearby Painswick Beacon…
At nearly 800ft, Stow is the highest of the Cotswold towns, located on the Roman Fosse Way and at the point where several roads meet, hence an important trading centre. It has a long history, it probably dates from a prehistoric fortified settlement on top of the hill, and…
Tetbury, an historic wool town, is the southern gateway to the Cotswolds. The town is known as an architectural gem with many of the wool merchants’ houses remaining the same as they were in the 16th & 17th centuries during the height of the town’s…
For more detailed information on Winchcombe visit www.cotswolds.com/winchcombe Winchcombe has a wonderfully timeless quality about it, Cotswold stone cottages enhanced by black and white half-timbered buildings, narrow side streets and charming houses make up the centre of this…
Known across the world for blanket making, especially in North America where the Witney Point Blanket was traded in exchange for furs, the town owes its prosperity to the wool trade. Witney is the largest of the market towns in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and much of the…
For more detailed information see our Visit Woodstock page Woodstock, eight miles north west of Oxford is often visited for two reasons: Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, and his grave in nearby Bladon. However, Woodstock has much more to offer... It is a fine…