The Cotswolds are an area of gentle hills in the heart of England, between Oxford, Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon, famous for their honey-coloured stone villages, steep roofs, streams crossed by little bridges and grand churches. It is one of the classic images of the English countryside, protected as an area of outstanding natural beauty, now called a National Landscape, the largest in England.
History
The name probably comes from cot, a sheep enclosure, and wold, a hill. In the Middle Ages this was one of the richest areas in Europe thanks to wool: the Cotswold Lion sheep, with their long, fine fleece, fed a trade that reached as far as Flanders and Florence. The wool merchants used their fortunes to build elegant houses and above all the great wool churches, out of all proportion to their villages, such as those at Chipping Campden, Northleach and Cirencester.
With the decline of the wool trade from the 17th century, the region became poorer and the villages remained almost untouched by industry. In the 19th century artists and writers such as William Morris, who called Bibury the most beautiful village in England, rediscovered this landscape. In 1966 the area was officially protected.
- 13th-15th centuryThe golden age of the wool trade
- c. 1380Wool merchant William Grevel builds his house in Chipping Campden
- 1871William Morris settles at Kelmscott Manor
- 1966The Cotswolds become a protected area
- 2023The area is renamed a National Landscape
What to see
Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water
Bibury, with the cottages of Arlington Row built in the 14th century as a wool store, is the most photographed village. Bourton-on-the-Water, the "Venice of the Cotswolds", is crossed by the River Windrush and its low stone bridges; it also has a model village and a motor museum.
Stow-on-the-Wold and the Slaughters
Stow-on-the-Wold, on its hill, has a large market square and a church with a door framed by two ancient yew trees, which recalls an image from The Lord of the Rings. Nearby, Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter are tiny villages along a stream, linked by a footpath across the meadows.
Chipping Campden and Broadway
Chipping Campden has one of the finest high streets in England, with its Market Hall of 1627. The Cotswold Way, a path of about 164 kilometres to Bath, starts here. At Broadway, the Gothic Revival tower on the hill offers a view over sixteen counties.
Castle Combe and the south
Further south, Castle Combe is considered one of the prettiest villages in the country and has been used as a set for many films. Cirencester, the Roman Corinium, is the "capital" of the Cotswolds.
Getting there
- By train: from London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh or Kemble in under two hours, then a bus or taxi.
- By car: from London in about two hours via the M40 and A40.
- By air: Birmingham Airport is about an hour away, Bristol Airport about an hour and a quarter.
Nearby
- Oxford and Blenheim Palace.
- Stratford-upon-Avon, to the north.
- Bath and the Roman Baths, to the south.
Tips
- How long: at least two days.
- When to go: May, June and September; in December the villages are decorated for Christmas.
- A tip: leave the car at Lower Slaughter and walk to Upper Slaughter along the stream: it is the loveliest walk in the Cotswolds.