The 14 Best Places to Visit in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, combined the very best of what England has to offer.

With its rolling hills, history, thatched cottages, and romantic views, there is a lot to love.

Covering almost 800 square miles and spanning five counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire), the Cotswolds is one of the most beautiful places in England, if not the most, with plenty of places to visit to keep you occupied (and coming back).

If someone were to visit England for the first time, we would recommend the Cotswolds for the best slice of English pie.

The Best Places to Visit in the Cotswolds

It’s challenging to rank each place because they all have something unique to offer visitors, so we’ve arranged the list alphabetically.

1 | Bath

You can’t visit the Cotswolds and not visit Bath.

It has to be one of the UK’s most beautiful and iconic cities.

There are oodles of things to do in Bath.

Whether you’re a history buff, foodie, wanderer, or have an eye for architecture, there is something to satisfy your needs.

One of our favourite things to do anywhere is to wander the streets.

You get to see the things you don’t know when you hit the mainstream spots, and Bath is large enough to offer tons and tons of streets to wander.

However, for some hotspots, we recommend the Roman Baths, Royal Crescent, and the National Trust site Priory Park, which overlooks the city.

It’s a beautiful spot that offers unrivalled views over Bath.

2 | Bibury

Bibury is an iconic Cotswold destination that’s become incredibly Instagram-famous. English designer William Morris described it as ‘the most beautiful village in the Cotswolds’.

There isn’t much to see in Bibury other than the highlight, the historic Arlington Row cottages.

They were built in the 14th century as a monastic wool store and converted into a row of weavers’ cottages in the 17th century.

Arlington Row is owned and operated by the National Trust, and if you fancy staying, you can hire Number 9 Arlington Row.

Beyond Arlington Row is our favourite hill based purely on its name – Awkward Hill.

Much like Castle Combe, Bibury is a beautiful Cotswold village worth visiting, but it’s a bit of a one-trick pony that won’t capture your imagination for long.

3 | Biddestone

Biddestone is underrated, but is it the perfect English country village?

Charming honey-coloured stone-built cottages with gated, walled gardens around a village green with pubs, a 12th-century medieval Norman church, a water pump and a duck pond!

What more could you possibly want in a village?

Biddestone is perhaps our favourite of the Cotswold villages we visited.

We stumbled upon it while en route to Castle Combe.

Located between Corsham and Castle Combe, Biddestone is a small, rural and picturesque village.

Get off the beaten track and go for a little walk down The Butts to find the redwoods tree.

Where The Butts meets Challows Lane, there’s a vast, rather imposing redwoods tree.

The walk will also take you past the water pump and the church and give your legs a stretch!

4 | Bourton-on-the-Water

Known as the Venice of the Cotswolds, Bourton-on-the-Water straddles the River Windrush and is regularly voted one of the prettiest villages in England.

It’s also another strikingly famous Cotswold village.

Do you need any more reasons to visit?

Because Bourton-on-the-Water is one of the best places to visit in the Cotswolds, it gets super busy!

We mean, next level busy on a summer’s day.

Get there early to avoid the crowds, and don’t forget to visit Bakery on the Water for some delicious baked goods!

Bourton-on-the-Water has several attractions, including Birdland Park and Gardens, Cotswolds Motoring and Toy Museum, Dragonfly Maze, and The Model Village, so plenty can keep you occupied if you want more than a wander.

5 | Bradford-on-Avon

Bradford-on-Avon is one of our favourite towns in the Cotswolds, if not our favourite.

We feel it’s in the shadow of Bath a little, unfortunately.

If you are visiting Bath, you should try to visit Bradford-on-Avon (it’s only 20 minutes away).

It shares the iconic limestone found throughout the Cotswolds, is steeped in history, and is much quieter than Bath.

It’s not massive, but there is a lovely walk along the canal if you fancy it.

We hired a narrowboat in the Cotswolds and stayed a couple of nights in Bradford-on-Avon.

You should plan at least a couple of hours here, if not a little more.

You’ll find iconic places like The Bridge Tea Rooms, which serve the best traditional afternoon tea, beautiful canals, medieval monastic barns, and incredible views from the hills.

You can hire some canoes from The Lock Inn if you fancy something more adventurous.

We suggest getting lost on the paths and alleyways as you head down.

You will find all sorts of gorgeous little cottages and terraces overlooking the town.

If you like camping, we stayed at The Blackberries Camping Park near Bradford-on-Avon. You can read about our trip HERE.

6 | Burford

Burford is a busy little town with a high street always lined with cars, which you need to look past (because they ruin the aesthetics).

In Burford, you’ll find gorgeous buildings, ample coffee shops and tea rooms, pubs, independent shops, and some of the finest antique shops you’ll find anywhere.

You’ll also find Burford Garden Company, a garden centre on the edge of the town.

Burford Garden Company is quite possibly the best-curated shop we have ever been inside.

It’s hard to describe how amazing it is.

You might consider it a combination of Fortnum & Mason and Harrods, with a few plants.

You’ll find clothing, garden tools, homewares, food, pet accessories, outdoor buildings, a bookshop and stationer, a cafe and even an art gallery.

7 | Castle Combe

Castle Combe is possibly the most iconic of all the Cotswold villages.

If you come from the south via Ford, you will drive over the iconic bridge and up through the village.

Once you leave the village to the north, you might find some parking on the right, heading up the hill.

Failing this, follow signposts for ‘Free Parking’ at the top of the hill.

There isn’t much to Castle Combe besides a quintessential English village, but it’s worth visiting.

You can get the classic photo from the bridge if nothing else.

There are two pubs, of which The White Hart has some covered seating outside so you can watch all the Instagrammers walking down toward the bridge.

Castle Combe is probably regarded as number 1 of the best places to visit in the Cotswolds, but not for us.

It’s worth a visit, and you can get your iconic Instagram shots, but there’s so much more to see in the Cotswolds than Castle Combe.

8 | Chipping Campden

Situated on the northern edge of the Cotswolds, Chipping Campden is another of the idyllic Cotswold villages you can’t miss.

When you visit, take the time to mosey up and down the high street.

You’ll see Market Hall, a structure built in 1627 that is now in the care of the National Trust.

Talking of the National Trust, while you’re in Chipping Campden, make an effort to head north, up the hill to the National Trust’s Dover’s Hill Car Park.

There are walks and a lush, open space with an insane view north, where you can sit, enjoy a picnic, absorb the scenery and soak up the peaceful surroundings.

There’s also Hidcote, which is not far away and is owned by the National Trust.

9 | Cirencester

Situated on the eastern border of the Cotswolds, Cirencester claims to be the capital of the Cotswolds.

It’s larger than many of the towns around the Cotswolds but still maintains charm and character.

If you’re looking to shop, Cirencester has a rich shopping scene with a delightful mix of independently owned shops and national chains.

We recommend you visit when there is a market on too.

The famous Charter Market is held every Monday and Friday, and the Farmers’ Market is held on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.

There are also speciality markets, such as the Christmas Market.

You are likely to find something happening most weekends. For more information, visit cirencester.gov.uk/markets.

For more information on Cirencester, including hotels and accommodation, attractions, shopping and restaurants, visit cirencester.co.uk/

10 | Corsham

We had only ever heard of Corsham when referred to as MOD Corsham and almost drove past it on our way to Castle Combe.

We decided to head in after seeing the signpost while we were approaching some traffic lights.

We don’t know why it’s never been on our radar, but it’s underestimated.

What a gorgeous little town it is, even in the wet!

Upon arrival, we were immediately met by a random peacock walking about the streets.

We guess it belongs to Corsham Court, which was a stone’s throw away.

But the locals didn’t seem perplexed by it.

It must be a regular occurrence!

Corsham is full of independent retail and beautiful buildings, typical of any Cotswold town with the iconic honey-coloured limestone.

We walked from St Bartholomew’s Church into the field and down the tree-lined path owned by Corsham Court, which is particularly beautiful in autumn.

11 | Lacock

Lacock was on our list of places to visit in the Cotswolds for a long time, and we finally made it several visits after our first visit to the Cotswolds.

A visit to this area of outstanding natural beauty would not be complete without visiting the fantastic Lacock village.

Lacock Abbey’s long and rich history resonates with me (Joel) as a photographer. That’s because an extraordinary thing happened there.

Much like the Industrial Revolution in Ironbridge, Lacock was the Birthplace of photography in Britain.

In 1835, William Henry Fox Talbot captured the world’s first photographic negative at his home, Lacock Abbey.

William shot a tiny picture of a window, but it was this picture that would go on to change the way we see the world.

And for the first time, an image could be captured, fixed on paper, and reproduced several times.

You can photograph the same window he photographed all those years ago.

Besides the wonders of Lacock Abbey, there is a cute little Cotswold village to explore just around the corner, which is home to several filming locations, including Harry Potter’s parent’s house, bakeries, pubs and independent retail.

There’s plenty to keep you occupied.

12 | Nailsworth

Nailsworth is a charming town nestled at the bottom of a wooded valley.

It’s cute, with plenty of character.

With a similar heritage to Stroud, Nailsworth is now renowned for its selection of award-winning restaurants, pubs, cafés, galleries and independent retail.

There’s a little place called Domestic Science.

It’s tucked down a little alley, which we recommend if you like vintage interiors and curios.

Like Corsham and Biddestone, Nailsworth was another place we passed through to get elsewhere.

It was dark when we initially passed through, but it looked interesting enough—much like the road leading up the hill out of town towards Rodborough Common!

The road is full of twists and turns and offers dramatic views of the town, so consider driving up to appreciate those views before heading to Stroud.

13 | Stow-on-the-Wold

Situated at the top of an 800-foot hill, Stow-on-the-Wold is a charming yet lively market town with plenty on offer, from cafes and independent retailers to cosy pubs like The Bell at Stow.

If you’re after an informal spot of lunch and the sun is shining, head to the Cotswold Garden Tearooms to sit in their little courtyard.

Famed for its tree-framed doorway, visiting St. Edward’s Church is a must.

You can even enjoy a picnic in the peaceful surroundings of the church.

14 | Stroud

Stroud has plenty of things to see and do to keep you occupied for a few hours.

Well known for its industrial heritage, you may even spot a few former textile mills across the valley.

Stroud is now brimming with independent cafes and shops and is home to one of the best farmers’ markets in the country.

Find more about the farmers’ market HERE.

It was full of local produce with everything to suit any need, from meat lovers to vegans and everything in between.

While in Stroud, there are two other places to visit.

The food court at the Five Valleys Shopping Centre and Made In Stroud.

The shopping centre has an excellent food court.

It’s full of independent street food sellers, and Made In Stroud is stocked with all sorts of local things, from beautiful gifts to artwork, jewellery and beer.

We bought some beer to take home, of course.

Map of Places to Visit in the Cotswolds

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