The Cotswolds — an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

I’d seen the photos.  Photos of charming stone buildings with overflowing flower boxes - adorable city squares with old wells at the center - ivy covered walls and honey colored quaint houses - sweeping vistas - golden stone town on “wolds” (rolling hills). 

And I thought to myself:  these places aren’t actually real.  They’re made to look that way for movie sets....right?  Well, actually no. The small villages in the Cotswolds in south central England are not movie sets — they’re real villages that just happen to look like they were plucked straight out of the 1400s.  If you saw the movie “Stardust” — yes, I’ve seen it a couple of times — then you have seen one of the villages in the Cots. 

Stretching across 800 square miles of bucolic hills, Britain’s Cotswolds region includes countless charming villages in five counties - Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire - that personify the enduring appeal of the English countryside. The Cotswolds is Britain’s largest designated “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” (AONB) - an area that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Hehehe...I thought only wines (AOP) and cheeses (DOP) have designated categories and labels. :-)

​BIBURY (Gloucestershire)

Arlington Row Weavers cottages in Bibury

We were there quite early and there were no other tourists around yet, the village was quiet and I felt as though it would be impossible not to be relaxed here. I wandered along the main street, with the river on one side and a line of stone shops and cottages on the other. A pedestrian bridge crosses the river over to one of the most iconic scenes in the Cotswolds: the line of old weaver cottages known as Arlington Row.

Arlington Row and the Rack Isle

I wandered along the little street that runs past the cottages and wanted to move in to one of them immediately. They are just perfect.  I took the pathway over to the main road to the old Arlington Mill and followed the tranquil canal down to re-cross the river and onto the Swan Inn.

L to R: the old Arlington Mill; view to the Swan Inn in Bibury

L to R: tranquil Bibury scenes

With Arlington Row on the one side and the expanded boggy water meadow known as Rack Isle, where the wool was hung to dry after being washed in Arlington Row, on the other, Bibury makes for some of the most picturesque places. Bibury’s quintessential English charm, with a wonderfully attractive setting, is a unique experience. Whether you stop by for a stroll around its narrow passages on a sunny summer afternoon or on the coldest winter day, like I did, Bibury is a unique travel attraction.

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BURFORD ((Oxfordshire)

Two of the cutest shops I visited in Burford

One long high street set upon a hillside and filled with honey/butter colored stone houses characterise the medieval town of Burford. This medieval town is considered the “gateway to the Cotswolds“. A beautiful old Cotswold town, its High Street sloping from the high Wolds (rolling hills), where you can see beautiful views over the open countryside, down to the River Windrush in the pretty Windrush valley.

Top to bottom: Burford’ s High Street

The High Street in Burford is one of the most photographed places in the Cotswolds.  Whether you’re at the top looking down or the bottom looking up, it is a wonderful view. But it is the walk up and down the High Street that is particularly wonderful, as here you will pass antiques shops, clothing stores, museums, restaurants, gift shops and just about any kind of shop you could hope to see. The buildings are traditional, many in Cotswold stone, all beautifully kept and keeping Burford looking picture postcard perfect.

The Cotswolds Arm - where we had lunch of Fish and Chips. One of the best restaurant to dine in Burford.

Some of the the antiques shops in Burford

Burford is home to some wonderful antiques shops right on the High Street in the centre of town. So whether you’re looking for antique furniture, instruments, figurines or pretty much any kind of antiques, you could stumble upon a perfect find on your way through the “Gateway to the Cotwolds.”
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Huffkins - the “Starbucks” of the Cotswolds established it’s first branch in Burford. A historic tea room and bakery in the Cotswolds that has been around since 1890! With scones fresh out of the oven and a grey tea infused with vanilla, I instantly felt refreshed and toasty warm before heading back out into the cold weather I was enduring. 

​BURTON-ON-THE-WATER (Gloucestershire)

Consistently ranked as one of the prettiest villages in the whole England, and although not exactly a “canal city”, Bourton-on-the-Water is frequently referred to as the ‘“Venice of the Cotswolds” due to the patchwork of attractive little arched bridges that criss-cross the River Windrush that flows through its center.  It is one of those charming little villages that England is known for.  It also boasts of an attractive high street that’s comparable to other picturesque villages and has a relaxing atmosphere.  The place is not small that you’ll get bored, but neither is it that large that it’ll get noisy or chaotic. 

Cute cafes and tea houses in BOurton-on-the-Water

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The most popular bakery in Bourton-on-the-Water

​STOW-ON-THE-WOLD (Gloucestershire)

Stow-on-the-Wold town center

Just a 15-min drive away from Bourton-on-the Water is the highest of all the Cotswolds towns with the nickname “where the cold winds blows”.  Stow-on-the Wold is a charming market town in the Cotswolds, with a large and lively market square, walled archways and a fine reputation for some of Britain's best antique shops. It's also home to some delightful Cotswolds pubs so it really does have something to offer everybody. It is also a fantastic place to eat out, especially if you are looking for a light bite during the late afternoon. Tea  rooms are abundant in this market town and some of the finest tea rooms include Lucy's Tearoom, Huffkins and Cotswold Garden Tearoom. And you mustn't forget to visit The Old Bakery for the best cream scones around. 

Having coffee and an English Rarebit in one of the cute tea houses in Stow-on-the-Wold

Inside the Cotswold Chocolate Company in Stow-on-the Wold

Some of the pubs in the Stow

Newly made fudge — one of Stow-on-the-Wold’s famous products

Is Cotswolds worth visiting?
Yes, without a doubt. One of the best reasons to visit this part of England is that each village has its own identity. Yet, they all still carry the warmth of the area’s golden-coloured limestone. You can take your pick of lively market towns and grand country houses. Explore the villages by car or walk through the scenic countryside along footpaths.  There are tons of things to do in the Cotswolds, whether you’re alone, with family or with friends.  

A day trip was definitely not enough as I could have visited each and every village without getting bored. However, for just the basic Cotswold experience, to hit up the most popular towns was enough for a first time visit. But I do know,  I shall return...!!!