Travel bucket list idea:
The Cotswolds, United Kingdom (UK)
Credit Shutterstock.com/littlenySTOCK
If you’re looking to visit a classic, picture-perfect English village, there’s nowhere better than the Cotswolds. The lush hills are dotted with small towns and villages, famous for their immaculately-kept medieval high streets, lined with half-timbered houses and cottages built with traditional, honey-coloured Cotswold stone.
Many of the villages date back as far as the 12th century, when the region was famous throughout Europe for its wool and cotton production. The area flourished, and over the following centuries many merchants built elegant houses, some of which still exist today.
Many of the villages have small museums, but really the best way to enjoy them is to simply potter, dipping into historic pubs and chintzy tea-rooms along the way.
Gloucestershire, United Kingdom (UK)
Experience
Straddling the river Windrush, Bourton is regularly voted one of the prettiest villages in England. Tea and cake by the riverside are a must-do, as is pottering around the elegant boutiques and souvenir shops. Don’t miss the Model Village, built to one-ninth size of the actual Bourton (it even has a model village within the model village).
Good for age: 18+
Worcestershire, United Kingdom (UK)
Experience
Often referred to as the ‘jewel of the Cotswolds’, Broadway’s wide main street is chocolate-box pretty, with elegant, honey-hued cottages housing designer boutiques, cafes and bars.
Good for age: 18+
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (UK)
Experience
Eye-catching half-timbered houses and medieval homes step down Burford’s sloping high street, that tapers into a medieval bridge over the River Windrush. A great base for walking, Burford is also home to England’s oldest chemist (dating back to 1734). Dip into the 16th century Tolsey building, one a meeting place for local merchants and now home to the Burford Museum, giving an insight into the town’s colourful past.
Good for age: 18+
Wiltshire, United Kingdom (UK)
Experience
One of England’s prettiest villages, Castle Combe is a perfectly-preserved slice of medieval life, with a pub that has been open for more than 500 years. The Market Cross and St Andrews’s Church date back to the 13th century; on the exterior of the church, the faceless clock is one of the oldest working clocks in the country.
Good for age: 18+
Gloucestershire, United Kingdom (UK)
Experience
A bustling market town steeped in history, with well-preserved medieval houses, dating back to when it was a prosperous wool town. Ancient houses stand cheek-by-jowl on the long, curving High Street, now sleek hotels, restaurants and shops. At the heart stands the Market Place, dating back to 1627, still home to stallholders today.
Good for age: 18+
Gloucestershire, United Kingdom (UK)
Experience
Once famous for its huge annual fairs, where 20,000 sheep would be sold at one time, the huge market square at Stow is now flanked by shops and cafes. Antique-hunters will find plenty of shops to browse in, and a number of walking trails fan out from the town.
Good for age: 18+
The Cotswolds can roughly be split into north and south areas, with the northern half being home to most of the best-known villages – Chipping Campden, Bourton-on-the-Water, Broadway and Stow-on-the-Wold, while Castle Combe lies in the south, near Bath. The proximity of the northern villages to each other means it’s possible to explore several in one day, although it can take time to find parking spaces.
Driving is by far the easiest way to get between the villages, although most are connected by buses (which can be infrequent). There are also guided tours, that take in several villages in one day.
The Cotswolds villages are one of the biggest draws in England, and villages like Bourton-on-the-Water and Broadway will be busy on a sunny weekend at any time of year.
If possible, the summer months are best avoided as the roads get clogged and villages crowded. If you do come in July or August, plan to see one village in the morning and one in the afternoon as a maximum, to allow time for traffic and to find parking.
Autumn is particularly beautiful, as the countryside between the villages blazes with colour and high streets are carpeted with leaves. Winter can also be an excellent time to visit, with cosy pubs, roaring fires and independent shops for a spot of Christmas shopping.
