Slow Travel Google Map: United Kingdom, Cotswolds

Author: Pauline
Notes: August 2006. The Cotswolds According to Me. Towns, villages, sights of the Cotswolds in England. Updated September 2006 with Slow Views - click SV in Information Window to see a zoomed in satellite view. Read the Travel Notes.

Ancient Monuments

Akeman Street

Roman road in the River Leach valley.

Chedworth Roman Villa

Ruins of a Roman Villa in the River Coln valley near Cirencester.

Rollright Stones

Stone Circle and standing stones near Chipping Norton.

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".

Large Towns

Cheltenham

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.

Cirencester

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.

Stroud

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.

Restaurants/Cafes

Howard Arms, Ilmington

Small village on the northern edge of the Cotswold, with a good pub, The Howard Arms. Stop for lunch here after visiting the nearby gardens, Hidcote and Kiftsgate.

Plough Inn, Ford (SV)

Small village with a good pub, The Plough Inn. The drive from Stow to Ford and then to Stanway is my favorite Cotswolds drive.

The Bell, Sapperton

Small village with a good pub - The Bell. The Thames and Severn Canal runs under the village in the Sapperton Tunnel, the longest tunnel in England when it was built in 1789. You can see the end of the tunnel (canal not in use).

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

The National Arboretum. Large gardens and wooded area near Tetbury.

Broadway Tower (SV)

18th Century Gothic folly on hilltop near Broadway. William Morris lived here!

Chastleton House

Jacobean house in a charming village near Stow.

Hailes Abbey (SV)

Remains of a 13th-century Cistercian abbey outside of Winchcombe. The Roman Road, the Salt Way, passes nearby.

Owlpen Manor

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".

Sherborne Estate (SV)

Estate and large park. 4,000 acres with water meadows, deer park, woodland, and countryside to explore.

Snowshill Manor (SV)

Cotswold manor house with eclectic collection and Arts and Crafts-style garden. National Trust.

Sudley Castle

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.

Burford

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

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.

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.

Moreton-in-Marsh (SV)

Good market town, just north of Stow-on-the-Wold, with many shops, restaurants, pubs, tea rooms.

Nailsworth

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.

Tetbury

Upscale town in the southern Cotswolds, with many antique stores. Good tea rooms, pubs, restaurants. British Royalty live nearby.

Winchcombe

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.

Villages

Adlestrop

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

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.

Broadway (SV)

Beautiful village, very popular with tourists. Broadway Tower (walk from Broadway) and Snowshill nearby.

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.

Minchinhampton

Beautiful village on the edge of the Minchinhampton Commons (National Trust), south of Stroud. Narrow lanes, beautiful houses, a very interesting village.

Minster Lovell

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.

Painswick

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

Small village near Owlpen Manor (not open every day). Beautiful countryside and good walking in this area. Not very touristed.

Car Rental	Hotel Booking	Flight Booking	Train Tickets	Books, Maps, Events
Europe Cell Phones	Long Distance Cards	Luggage, etc.	Travel Insurance	Classifieds

* Advertise on Slow Travel | Post your travel questions on the Slow Travel Forums