By rail
Moreton-in-Marsh, ~1.5 h from London
United Kingdom
Cotswolds, United Kingdom
Honey-stone villages and rolling hills
Getting there
By air
Heathrow (LHR), ~1.5 h
Best time to visit
May to September — the long days
Don't miss
Bibury
Bourton-on-the-Water
Castle Combe
Blenheim Palace
Things to do
Village walks
Country pubs
Blenheim Palace
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Saffron Blaze · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Walking shoes
A quieter corner
Snowshill's lavender in July
Questions travellers ask
What's the ideal season for the Cotswolds?
May to September, when the days are long — and July if you want to catch Snowshill's lavender.
Which Cotswolds villages should I visit?
Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water and Castle Combe, with Blenheim Palace for a change of pace.
How do I get to the Cotswolds from London?
Trains reach Moreton-in-Marsh in about 1.5 h from London. From Heathrow (LHR) it's also about 1.5 h.
What should I pack and eat in the Cotswolds?
Walking shoes for the village walks, and an appetite for pub lunches, cream teas and a country pub or two.
About Cotswolds
- Hills
Where it is
The Cotswolds are a range of rolling limestone hills in south-central and south-west England, mainly in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, stretching from just south of Stratford-upon-Avon to just south of Bath.
History
In the Middle Ages the Cotswolds grew rich from the wool of a local breed of sheep, the Cotswold Lion, and much of the wealth went into building grand churches and stone market towns. The golden-stone villages were little changed by later industry, and since 1966 the hills have been protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, now called a National Landscape.
People
Cotswold villages are home to farmers, craftspeople and commuters, and English is spoken with the accents of the West Country and the Midlands. Traditions include cheese-rolling down Cooper's Hill and Cotswold morris dancing at village fêtes.
Known for
- Honey-coloured stone villages
- Arlington Row in Bibury
- Bourton-on-the-Water
- Blenheim Palace
- Country pubs and walking trails
Did you know?
Blenheim Palace, on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds, was the birthplace of Winston Churchill in 1874 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.