A Guide to Visiting the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds in England are an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” and are definitely a must see during your visit. The beautiful villages dot the English countryside and there are quite a few towns to choose from. Known for their honey colored homes, these villages are somewhat frozen in time since they were never updated or modernized. Here are my favorite villages to visit in the Cotswolds and what to know before you travel.

Cotswolds AONB
The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Beauty actually consists of multiple villages stretching over one hundred miles. We were able to visit four Cotswold villages in the one day we had to explore the area. I looked through several travel books to help me decide which villages to visit. The Cotswolds website also has a lot of good info.
View more info on the Cotswold website HERE.

Chipping Campden
We visited Chipping Campden early in the morning to start our day exploring. This village was my favorite in terms of buildings. We walked around the village starting on High Street, down to Church Street, and back around. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and accommodations on High Street in Chipping Campden.
For more info, visit the town’s website HERE.

Notable Sites in Chipping Campden:
Market Hall – 400 year old open market building
St. James Church – Historic wool church
Lyon Arms Hotel – 600 year old pub
Court Barn Museum – Small museum about crafters from 1900 to present day
Old Silk Mill – 18th Century silk mill (now a gallery)

We visited Chipping Campden early in the morning so none of the shops or restaurants were open yet. I don’t have any recommendations but there are plenty of options.

This beautiful structure is the 400 year old Market Hall. It is right in the middle of town on High Street.

This beautiful row of honey colored houses can be found across the street from the Court Barn Museum.

Before heading to our next destination we made a pit stop at Hidcote Gardens. It is a site owned by National Trust and is a really pretty garden and tea room. I personally would skip it if I could go back, only because it would’ve given us time to explore more Cotswold villages. If you have ample time, consider it!
View more info on Hidcote Gardens on the website HERE.

Broadway Tower
Plan for 1 – 1.5 Hours
Before visiting the next town of Broadway, we stopped on the outskirts of town at Broadway Tower. This was a quick stop for us since there is not much else to see but the tower itself, gift shop, and cafe. Tickets are 3-6 pounds per child and 14 pounds per adult to go inside the tower and on the grounds.
View more info on Broadway Tower’s website HERE.

Broadway Tower arguably has the best view of the Cotswolds. The view would be even more beautiful on a clear day (it was drizzling when we visited).

Keep an eye out for the red deer at Broadway Tower. They can often be seen in the fields sleeping or grazing. We saw many hikers and bikers taking a break at Broadway Tower’s cafe. There is a hiking trail that connects the Cotswolds called “Cotswold Way” that stretches 102 miles.

Broadway
Broadway is the town we made it to around lunch time. Another beautiful town full of honey colored buildings, the bustling High Street is full of shops and restaurants. I also liked that this village had some beautiful thatched roof cottages. There are pay parking lots and a small bit of street parking in Broadway.
View more info on Broadway’s website HERE.

Notable Broadway Sites:
Broadway Museum & Gallery – American writers/artists work since 19th century
Gordon Russell Design Museum – 20th century furniture designer
Broadway Tower – (see my info above)

Broadway had the cutest shops! There are also plenty of food options.

We had afternoon tea for lunch at Tisanes Tearooms. It is a locally owned tea room and full of charm.

Stow-on-the-Wold
Several Cotswold towns have these fun triple names. We visited Stow-on-the-Wold later afternoon and the weather was unfortunatly not cooperating with us. This town had the largest concentration of shops in the center of town on Digbeth Street, Church Street, and The Square. The center of town makes a big square and there is lots of street parking. Don’t miss the charity shops! “Charity shops” are what they call thrift shops here in England and they often have hidden gems. There are a few charity shops in Stow.
View more info about Stow-on-the-Wold HERE.
View a PDF map of the town and sites HERE.

Notable sites in Stow-on-the-Wold:
St. Edward’s Church – 11/15th Century Church
Market Cross – Cross statue erected in the middle of town

Bibury
Bibury is the most photographed Cotswold village, specifically known for the beautiful street of houses called “Arlington Row”. You won’t find shops and restaurants lining the street in Bibury. Bibury is quiet, very quaint, and won’t take but an hour of your time. I highly suggest visiting first thing in the morning or later in the evening as Arlington Row gets overly crowded by tour buses. The river is beautiful and it’s so clear you can see the fish swimming along.
View more info on Bibury HERE.

Notable sites in Bibury:
Bibury Trout Farm – Gift shop, cafe, catch your own fish
St. Mary’s Church – Built in 899, Saxon-Anglo Church
Arlington Row – Famous row of golden houses

For more things to do and see in England, check out my other blog posts HERE.

Finding the fun everywhere life takes us!
Love, Olivia Michelle