8 Beautiful Towns You Must Visit in the Cotswolds

Would you like a taste of something quintessentially English? Then you must visit the charming, honey-coloured towns and quaint villages of the Cotswolds!

You could easily spend weeks exploring the whole of the Cotswolds. However, I only had 4 days to see as much as possible, so I hope you’ll enjoy the first part of my 4-day itinerary, where I introduce you to 8 beautiful towns and larger villages. (For reference, altogether I managed to visit 15 towns and villages and spent a couple of hours exploring a Palace!).

If you’d like to see our walk, then make sure to watch our Part 1 and Part 2 YouTube videos linked below.

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Introducing the Cotswolds

Covering 800 square miles, the Cotswolds is the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales. If you’ve never heard of this designation before, it means that the area is both beautiful and important. Therefore, efforts are being made to conserve and enhance its beauty. In addition, it is the third largest protected landscape in England after the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. 

The Cotswold means something like “sheep enclosure on the hills”, coming from the word ‘Cot’ meaning sheep enclosure and ‘Wold’ meaning hill. During the Middle Ages it became prosperous from the wool trade. The money was then invested into building churches and manor houses. Now, the Cotswolds is not just a popular tourist destination, but also acts as a retirement and/or holiday home destination for those who can afford it.

There is plenty to do and see in the Cotswolds, but without doubt the best thing to do is to just walk around, take in the beauty and the atmosphere of the place and get lost in small side streets.  In my opinion, one of the many reasons this area is so attractive is the harmony that its buildings create due to the fact that they were all built from the yellow Oolithic Limestone.

Please always respects the locals when visiting these small towns and villages! These cute houses are people’s homes and not everybody likes hundreds of tourists posing in front of their doorsteps.

8 Towns you must visit in the Cotswolds

There are of course plenty of adorable towns around the Cotswolds. However, the 8 I’ll introduce below were on almost every single blog post, travel tips and recommended places I read about. 

1. Cirencester

Let’s kick off the list with ‘the Capital of the Cotswolds’, Cirencester. During the Roman times it was actually the second largest town in the whole of Britain. Today it has a population of around 18,000 people making it the largest town in the Cotswolds. Due to its size, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did the other towns. But I was genuinely blown away by just how beautiful it is. 

Things not to miss in Cirencester:

The first sight you’ll probably see is the 12th Century Church of St John the Baptist, often called the ‘Cathedral of the Cotswolds’. It’s such an impressive church that you definitely need to check it out. 

Another must see is the Corinium Museum which contains the finest and most extensive Romano-British collection found in the locality. Entry fee (£7.40/adult) must be purchased online prior to your visit.

Make sure you walk around Cirencester Park which over the years has been a deer park, a military base, a hospital and the venue for a Glenn Miller concert.

And of course, you cannot leave Cirencester without walking around its most picturesque streets. My favourites were Market Place, Coxwell Street, Cecily Hill, Sheep Street, Castle Street and Park Street. Cirencester felt a lot less crowded than some other towns in the Cotswolds and I only wish we had a bit more time to explore there.

2. Burford

After visiting ‘the Capital of the Cotswolds’ why not introduce yourself to the ‘Gateway to the Cotswolds’. Burford is such a pretty market town located on the River Windrush; you just cannot miss it!

The mixture of a row of old but cute cottages, a beautiful high street, a medieval church and bridge, alleyways and side streets are just how I pictured the perfect English town in my head. 

The most photographed street in Burford is definitely Burford Hill. It has a row of the most beautiful homes on each side of the main street running through the town. You can definitely spend some time here snapping the perfect Instagram photo or just sitting on one of the benches taking in the view.

Did you know that England’s oldest pharmacy is in Burford? No, I didn’t either. So, make sure you spot it and snap a photo of it. 

The High Street is perfect if you fancy a bit of window shopping or are just looking for a great place to eat. If you like books, then stop by at the Madhatter Bookshop and have a little browse of both the books and hats.

3. Broadway

The ‘Jewel of the Cotswolds’ couldn’t be more accurate to describe Broadway. As its name suggests the town’s main attraction is the High Street or ‘broad way’ which is actually the longest High Street in England. It’s lined with red chestnut trees and the most adorable Cotswolds limestone buildings. Just to warn you, you’ll be overwhelmed by the number of restaurants, tea rooms, pubs, boutiques and antique shops.  

I was instantly captivated by Broadway and couldn’t stop myself snapping photos of the amazing buildings along the High Street. 

Broadway Tower

The 18th Century folly tower is definitely a must see if you’re exploring the Cotswolds. 

Apparently, you can see at least 14 counties from the top of the 65-foot tower. You can go into the tower and check out how far you can see for an entry fee of £8. (We didn’t have the best weather conditions to do that, so we just enjoyed taking some fun photos from the ground). You can park all day long in front of the tower for a fee of £3 or you can just walk from Broadway. 

4. Bourton-on-the-Water

Often referred to as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’, Bourton-on-the-Water is definitely a place to put onto your itinerary when touring around the Cotswolds. With River Windrush meandering through the town and countless adorable bridges built over it, I think Bourton-on-the-Water has every right to call itself ‘Little Venice’. 

Things not to miss in Bourton-on-the-Water:

The town also has numerous rather unique attractions that are definitely worth a visit.

One of them is the Miniature Village which surprise, surprise is a very well detailed replica of the entire town. And if you think that’s cool wait until you hear that there’s a miniature version within the Miniature Village which has its own miniature village. Well done to the creators! Entry fee is £4.50 for adults.

If you’d like to do something cool, then definitely visit the Dragonfly Maze. It’s recommended for all ages and has clues to solve which makes it more unique then just a standard maze. Unfortunately, the maze was closed at the time of our visit, but we would love to return and visit it one day. Entry fee is also £4.50 for adults.

If you’re a nature lover, you need to pay a visit to the Birdland Park and Gardens. It actually has the UK’s largest exotic bird collection with over 130 species of birds. Entry fee is £11 for adults.

If you like cars, then the Motor Museum should be on your itinerary. It has a collection of rare vehicles and classic car memorabilia. Entry fee is £6.50 for adults. Alternatively, you can visit the Model Railway exhibition for £3. 

It was definitely the busiest town we visited over the weekend! Since it was crammed with people I just couldn’t relax and enjoy the beauty of this town like I thought I would. Therefore, I highly suggest arriving very early in the morning if you’d like to take some good photos. 

5. Stow-on-the-Wold

At 800 feet above sea level sits another picturesque market town, Stow-on-the-Wold. Other than being the highest town in the Cotswolds, it’s also located both on the Roman Fosse Way and at a meeting point of several roads. Therefore, it inevitably became a significant trading centre. 

During the height of the wool trade Stow-on-the-Wold became popular for its annual fairs where they sold thousands of sheep. It’s a significant shopping centre so make sure you explore some of the antique shops, art galleries and other gift shops. 

My favourite part of the town was St Edward’s Church. This medieval church was actually used as a prison during the English Civil War since it was the only building that could be locked. The church’s best feature is a 13th Century door with ancient yew trees on either side of it. 

I’m not gonna lie, seeing a photo of this door was definitely my main motivation to visit this town. However, after walking around it in the early morning I was definitely glad that we didn’t skip this location.

Top tip – If you’d like to capture the iconic Market Square, I highly suggest arriving first thing in the morning to avoid a massive crowd and also to be able to photograph the town without a ton of parked cars. 

6. Tetbury

Another charming historic wool town in the Cotswolds is Tetbury. There are some iconic buildings you cannot miss when walking around the town. One of them is the Market House which was built in the 16th century and is still used as a market today. You can also check out the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin and St Mary Magdalene which has one of the tallest spires in the UK. 

I don’t think I’d ever seen so many antique shops in one town before I visited Tetbury. Literally every other shop is selling antiques. So, if you’re into antiques or just after some special objects and trinkets make sure you have a few hours (or even days) to spare! 

However, the ultimate highlight of Tetbury is the medieval Chipping Steps. As the name suggests it’s a row of the most picturesque houses along a steep set of stairs. If you’d love some envious Instagram shots, then make sure you don’t miss it!

7. Winchcombe

Do you enjoy learning about history, exploring castles, a little bit of retail therapy and of course, walking? Then definitely visit Winchcombe, a town set above the River Isbourne. 

Visit the Winchcombe Museum if you’d like to learn more about its history. Stroll along the well photographed Vineyard Street and take some sneaky photos through the gate of Dent’s Terrace. Stop at Winchcombe’s most impressive building, St Peter’s Church which is festooned in grotesques. 

If you’re in Winchcombe for a bit longer, then make sure you visit Sudley Castle. This 15th Century castle has an award-winning garden which definitely makes it worth visiting. In addition, Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr is actually buried there.

8. Chipping Campden

Last but by no means least, you need to put Chipping Campden, one of the best-preserved towns in the Cotswolds, onto your itinerary. This quintessential Cotswold town was one of the area’s main wool markets. 

The postcard perfect town has several unique features. One of them is the High Street which includes the picturesque Market Hall, built in the 17th century. Another iconic landmark is St James Church which is considered England’s finest Wool Church. The early influence of the Renaissance is shown on the Alms Houses that are still occupied to date. 

Chipping Campden is also the home of the Cotswold Olimpick Games, which is a celebration of old sports and games such as King of The Hill, Championship of the Hill, Tug O’ War and Shin Kicking. (I know, that must be a bit painful…)

Additional things to do around the Cotswolds

As I mentioned at the beginning, there is so much to do in and around the Cotswolds. So, if you have more time then definitely visit some of its most picturesque sleepy villages.

There are some other amazing places you should put onto your bucket list such as Bath and Bristol. You can also climb Cheddar Gorge, visit Glastonbury – a famous festival destination – or the smallest city in England, Wells. I prepared a blog post about these places which you can read by clicking here. 

Lastly, make sure you put Bleinheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, onto your itinerary too. I prepared a blog post about 10 things to do at Blenheim Palace which you can read by clicking here.

Have you ever been to the Cotswolds before? How much of the area did you manage to explore? Which was your favourite place you visited? Let me know in the comments below.