The Ultimate Cotswolds guide

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The Cotswolds, my home for the last 10+ years, and in my opinion one of the most beautiful, diverse, and interesting places to live. There is something for everyone here, whether you want idyllic walks in the countryside, sweet independent shops, café’s in thriving market towns, picturesque villages, quaint farms and farm shops to visit, rivers to paddle in, or the hottest bars and restaurants outside of London. You really are spoilt for choice so you shouldn’t limit yourself to just a day unless you can keep coming back every weekend!

I want to make sure that when people visit the Cotswolds, they see it through my eyes and see the abundance on offer and days out that I do myself. There will be some typical places to visit that you may have already been to or heard of but there will be lots of places you won’t even know existed here in the area of outstanding beauty.

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Although I could write pages and pages on the Cotswold I have tried for now to list my top places for you but don’t worry I will continue to post about the Cotswold so you won’t miss out on anything. You will find the best places for you to visit for the day, events and things to do, and the best places to eat and drink.

Further down is a list of days out, so you can easily explore the Cotswolds if you just have a day to visit and still see lots of my favourite places.

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Places to visit

Gloucestershire:

• Bibrury
• Bourton on the Hill
• Cheltenham
• Chipping Camden
• Cirencester
• Daylesford
• Fairford
• Frampton on Severn
• Minchinhampton
• Nailsworth
• Naunton
• Painswick
• Stow on the Wold
• Stroud
• Tetbury
• The Slaughters
• Winchcombe

Oxfordshire:

• Burford
• Chipping Norton
• Oxford
• Woodstock

Somerset:

• Bath

Warwickshire:

• Stratford Upon Avon

Wiltshire:

• Bradford-on-Avon
• Castle Combe

Worcestershire:

• Broadway

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Things to do…

• Batsford Arboretum, Moreton in Marsh
• Birdland Park & Gardens, Bourton on the Water
• Blenheim Palace, Blenheim
• Broadway Tower, Broadway
• Clay Pigeon Shooting, Broadway
• Cotswolds Farm Park, Guiting Power
• Cotswold Gin Distillery, Shipston on Stour
• Cotswolds Water Park, Ashton Keynes
• Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford
• Crocodiles of the World, Burford
• Dyrham Park, Chippenham
• Hidcote House and Gardens, Chipping Campde
• Highgrove Gardens, Tetbury
• Huskey dog Sledging, Tewkesbury
• Painswick Rococo Gardens, Painswick
• Sizincote House and Gardens, Moreton in Marsh
• Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Slimbridge
• Snowshill Manor and Gardens, Snowshill
• Sudeley Castle, Sudeley
• The Dragonfly Maze, Bourton on the Water
• The Model Village, Bourton on the Water
• The Roman Baths, Bath
• Water sport around South Cerney Lakes, South Cerney
• Westornbirt Arboretum, Westornbirt
• Woodchester Vineyard, Woodchester

Also check out…

• Barnsley House – Cinema
• Calcot Manor – disc golf
• Cowley Manor – outdoor cinema and events
• Farmers Markets – Cirencester, Cheltenham, Stroud
• Walks in the countryside (see suggestions below)
• Whatley Manor – Cinema and Jazz Sundays

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Places to walk

• Birdlip Viewpoint
• Broadway
• Fairford
• Frampton on Severn
• Laurie Lee walk
• Macmillan way
• Minchinhampton Common/ Box/ Amberly/Rodborough Common
• Painswick Beacon
• Selsey Common – go see the dinosaurs
• Slad Valley
• South Cerney
• The Cotswold Way
• Self guided Cotswolds walks

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Events

• Amberley Cow Hunt, Amberley
• Badminton Horse Trails, Badminton
• Barn Theatre, Cirencester
• Big Feastival, Kingham
• Chalford Scarecrow Hunt, Chalford
• Festival of British Eventing, Gatcombe
• Frampton Country Fair, Frampton on Severn
• Gifford Circus
• Open Gardens
• Painswick Rococo Gardens, Painswick
• Pub in the Park, Bath
• Tetbury Wacky Races, Tetbury
• Tetbury Wall Sack Races, Tetbury
• The Cotswolds show and Food Festival, Cirencester
• Wilderness Festival, Oxford

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Where to stay

• Artist Residence, Oxford
• Barnsley House, Barnsley
• Bibury Farm Barns, Bibury
• Broadstreet Townhouse, Bath
• Calcot Manor, Tetbury
• Cowley Manor, Cowley
• Dormy House, Broadway
• Kings Head Hotel, Cirencester
• The Lygon Arms, Broadway
• Malmaison, Oxford 
• No. 15 Great Pulteney, Bath
• No. 131, Cheltenham
• Old Bank Hotel, Oxford
• The Fish Hotel, Broadway
• The Painswick, Painswick
• The Rectory, Crudwell
• The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, Bath
• The Slaughters Manor House, Lower Slaughter
• The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
• Thyme – Hotel, Restaurant, Spa, Lechlade
• Vanbrugh House Hotel, Oxford

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Where to eat

• Beckford Bottle Shop, Bath
• Gees, Oxford
• Sheep on Sheep Street, Stow on the Wold
• Teatro, Cirencester
• The Bull Hotel, Fairford
• The Crown, Minchinhampton
• The New Inn, Coln St Aldwyns
• The Porch House, Stow on the Wold
• The Potting Shed Pub, Crudwell
• The Scallop Shell, Bath
• The Stump, Cirencester
• The Swan, Ascott-under-Wychwood
• The Upton Firehouse, Burford
• The Village Pub, Barnsley
• The Wheatsheaf Inn, Northleach
• Widbrook Grange, Bradford on Avon

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Afternoon tea

• Barnsley House, Barnsley
• Calcot Manor, Tetbury
• Cowley Manor, Cowley
• Dormy House, Broadway
• Lavender Bakehouse, Chalford
• Lygon Arms, Broadway
• The Fish Hotel,Broadway (Tipsy afternoon tea and dog-friendly afternoon tea)
• The Kings Head, Cirencester
• The Lamb, Bussage
• The Painswick, Painswick
• Whatley Manor, Malmesbury

Spa’s

• Barnsley House , Barnsley
• Calcot Manor, Tetbury
• Cowley Manor, Cowley, Cheltenham
• Dormy House Hote, Broadway
• Ellenborough Park, Cheltenham
• The Lygon Arms, Broadway
• Thyme, Lechlade
• Whatley Manor, Malmesbury

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Days out

• Stroud, Scumble goosie (shop) Nailsworth, Jolly nice (farm shop) Cirencester and Tetbury
• Cirencester, Barnsley, Bibury and Burford, Chipping Norton
• Stow on the Wold, Daylesford, Broadway, Chipping Camden
• Chipping Norton, Stow on the Wold, Daylesford, Broadway
• Stratford Upon Avon, Chipping Camden, Broadway
• Minchinhampton Common, Nailsworth, Tetbury
• Nailsworth, Stroud, Painswick
• Cirencester, South Cerney, Fairford
• Bath and Bradford on Avon

For more inspiration on the Cotswolds, take a look at my previous blog posts – The most picturesque villages in The Cotswolds, A guide to Oxford and for more Bath and Oxford details, take a look at a weekend away in the city.