Cotswolds

The Cotswolds covers a huge area – almost 800 square miles – and runs through five counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire).

One delight of visiting the Cotswolds is exploring the different areas, each with its own identity, yet all with those defining Cotswolds features golden stone and rolling hills, the ‘Wolds’. Explore quintessentially English villages of honey-coloured stone; take in splendid, lively market towns; visit some of the country’s greatest palaces, castles, and country houses; marvel at the natural world in acclaimed reserves and at some of the most famous arboretas in Britain; walk through breath-taking landscapes along historic trails; or make a splash in our lake-land area with its inland beach. There’s a vibrant buzz in places like Cheltenham, Cirencester, Tewkesbury, Stroud and Witney. There are many exciting things for the whole family to do. And an arty heartbeat, too – which extends to the wealth of festivals and events that testify to the region’s creative vibe. The Cotswolds is also richly rural: more than 3,000 miles of footpaths and bridleways to explore; ancient woodlands and wildflower meadows; 4,000 miles of historic Cotswold stone walls dividing up the landscape.