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Map: Cotswolds, United Kingdom
Author: Pauline
Notes: Towns, villages, historic houses, and sights of the Cotswolds in southwest England (United Kingdom).
Ancient Monuments
Akeman Street (SV)
Roman road in the River Leach valley.
Chedworth Roman Villa (SV)
Ruins of a Roman Villa in the River Coln valley near Cirencester.
Rollright Stones (SV)
Stone Circle and standing stones near Chipping Norton.
Historic Buildings
Broadway Tower (SV)
18th Century Gothic folly on hilltop near Broadway. William Morris lived here!
Hailes Abbey (SV)
Remains of a 13th-century Cistercian abbey outside of Winchcombe. The Roman Road, the Salt Way, passes nearby.
Owlpen Manor (SV)
Tudor manor in the southern Cotswolds, near Uley. Open a few days a week. It is well worth a visit because the house is wonderful, the gardens very nice and the surrounding countryside is beautiful. This part of the Cotswolds is "off the beaten path".
Snowshill Manor (SV)
Cotswold manor house with eclectic collection and Arts and Crafts-style garden. National Trust.
Sudley Castle (SV)
Originally over 1,000 years old, destroyed by Cromwells troops, rebuilt, visited by royalty - you know the type of thing. You can tour the castle and gardens. Beautiful countryside and it is close to the lovely town of Winchcombe.
Woodchester Park (SV)
Woodchester Park and House. The Woodchester House was built in the French Gothic revival style, using local Cotswold limestone, in the late 1800s. The building was never finished. Woodchester Park has lakes and nice walking trails. You can walk in from Nailsworth, or drive in from Nympsfield.
Large Towns
Cheltenham (SV)
A beautiful Regency town with a lively downtown - shops, department stores, malls, restaurants. The best Waitrose in the area is near the train station. This is the largest town in the area.
Gardens
Hidcote Manor Garden (SV)
Beautiful large gardens near Chipping Campden. You can see a "ha-ha" here! Kiftsgate Court Garden is nearby; you could see both on the same day.
Kiftsgate Court Garden (SV)
Large gardens near Chipping Campden, close to Hidcote Manor Garden. Kiftsgate garden is smaller and is not as crowded with visitors. There is a beautiful Bluebell walk (blooms in May). Good tea room.
Westonbirt Arboretum (SV)
The National Arboretum. Large gardens and wooded area near Tetbury.
Parks
Sherborne Estate (SV)
Estate and large park. 4,000 acres with water meadows, deer park, woodland, and countryside to explore.
Towns
Broadway (SV)
Beautiful village, very popular with tourists. Broadway Tower (walk from Broadway) and Snowshill nearby.
Burford (SV)
Beautiful market town, eastern gateway to the Cotswolds. Town is built on a hill sloping down to the River Windrush. Interesting historic buildings on the High Street, medieval bridge over river.
Chipping Campden (SV)
Beautiful market town in the northern Cotswolds with many shops, pubs, tea rooms, restaurants. Interesting church. Good walks from here. Hidcote and Kiftsgate gardens are nearby.
Chipping Norton (SV)
Nice market town in the north-eastern Cotswolds with many shops, pubs, tea rooms, restaurants. Not has touristed as the other towns. Rollright Stones nearby.
Cirencester (SV)
Smaller than Cheltenham, more beautiful. Historic town center, lots of shops and restaurants. Two good parks: Abbey Grounds and Cirencester Park. Corinium museum with Roman artifacts.
Lechlade (SV)
Nice small town, but the nearby area is more interesting that the town. The Thames Canal and start of the River Thames pass south of town. Good walks from here. Kelmscot and the William Morris house are to the east.
Minchinhampton (SV)
Beautiful market town on the edge of the Minchinhampton Commons (National Trust), south of Stroud. Narrow lanes, beautiful houses, a very interesting village.
Nailsworth (SV)
Small town south of Stroud in an area that doesn't get many tourists. Not a town you would go out of your way to visit, but it has some good restaurants (we love The Mad Hatters) and shops.
Stow-on-the-Wold (SV)
Beautiful market town in the center of the Cotswolds with many shops, pubs, tea rooms, restaurants. Sits on a hill. Good base for exploring the area.
Stroud (SV)
Good town with lots of shops. Not as perfect as many of the other Cotswolds towns. High Street is a pedestrian mall. Good farmer's market twice a month. Trains to London.
Tetbury (SV)
Upscale town in the southern Cotswolds, with many antique stores. Good tea rooms, pubs, restaurants. British Royalty live nearby.
Winchcombe (SV)
Beautiful market north of Cheltenham, with many shops, pubs, tea rooms, restaurants. Not as touristed as nearby Broadway, but a delightful town. Sudeley Castle nearby. Good walks from here.
Wotton-under-Edge (SV)
Villages
Adlestrop (SV)
Small village in a beautiful area. Jane Austen used to visit her uncle who was the pastor here. Good hikes from the town. Visit Daylesford Organic Farm nearby.
Asthal (SV)
Small village on the River Windrush. The Mitfords (authors) lived here.
Bibury (SV)
William Morris called Bibury the most beautiful village in the Cotswolds. These two villages side by side along the River Coln, Bibury and Arlington, are popular with tourists. Famous Arlington Row (National Trust).
Blockley (SV)
Beautiful village near Chipping Campden with good church and historic houses. Good walks from here.
Bourton-on-the-Water (SV)
This gets my award for the most touristy town in the Cotswolds. Huge tour bus parking lot, endless trinket shops. But this is the best town to see the River Windrush - it runs along the main street.
Eastleach Martin (SV)
Eastleach Martin and Eastleach Turville sit on opposite sides of the River Leach. Beautiful villages and there is a very good country walk from here. Both villages have good churches.
Lower Slaughter (SV)
Two small villages, Lower and Upper Slaughter, a mile apart on the River Eye. Popular with tourists. Good tea at hotel in Lower Slaughter.
Minster Lovell (SV)
Small village at the edge of the Cotswolds. Won some award for prettiest village in the Cotswolds. It is nice, but all the other villages marked on this map are just as charming.
Moreton-in-Marsh (SV)
Good market town, just north of Stow-on-the-Wold, with many shops, restaurants, pubs, tea rooms.
Painswick (SV)
Beautiful village but the main road passes through the village. Good church with interesting trees in churchyard. Cotswolds Way passes nearby.
Stanway (SV)
Small village with a manor house (not always open). Four pretty villages in a row - Stanway, Stanton, Laverton, Buckland. There is a good walk from here to Buckland or up to Snowshill.
Uley (SV)
Small village near Owlpen Manor (not open every day). Beautiful countryside and good walking in this area. Not very touristed.
Boundary
Cotswolds Boundary
My rough estimate of the boundary of the Cotswolds. This is not the boundary of the official AONB (Area of Natural Beauty), but is the area most people think of when they refer to "the Cotswolds".
