The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Cotswolds are adorned with many pretty towns and villages that are easily recognisable by the honey coloured stone buildings that glow with warmth.

Amongst the charming countryside you will find a wealth of interesting places to visit, including magnificent castles, ancient churches, glorious gardens and stately homes.

Enjoy a day exploring the picturesque Cotswold countryside and soak up the local history or browse the many art galleries and antique shops that fill the streets of the pretty market towns and villages.

Shop at some of the oldest chartered weekly markets in the country or enjoy a leisurely walk around the town and stop for a tasty treat in one of the many traditional pubs.

History of The Cotswolds

With Bath in the south and Chipping Campden in the north, the Cotswolds is geologically a limestone mass that stretches 100 miles South West by North East.

The 'wold' part is old English for 'upland common' and the rolling hills are still used today for sheep and arable farming. In the past the area housed over half a million sheep, generating a significant wool trade that brought Flemish weavers to the area, which in turn made local merchants even more wealthy than the king! The legacy of this wealth can still be seen today with the numerous fine homes and churches that adorn the countryside.

Many of the towns and villages are now preservation areas and will remain as they were built many centuries ago and the area itself has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Chipping Campden

The historic town of Chipping Campden is set in the beautiful rural Gloucestershire and Cotswold countryside and has hardly been touched by the centuries. Said to be one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in England, Chipping Campden boats a number of unique boutiques, gift, jewellery and book shops for you take time to browse during your holiday. This charming old wool merchants' town is centrally located so planning your next excursion from here will be easy, why not visit Blenheim Palace, Worcester and the Malverns, Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick.