Cotswolds
United Kingdom
- Countryside
- Sloping hills and honey-coloured hamlets
- Country life
- Gently does it
More typically English than a bowler-hatted Bertie Wooster whistling Elgar, this chunk of gently undulating and seemingly evergreen countryside is enough to send Anglophile tourists into apoplexy.
Britain’s largest designated area of natural beauty, the Cotswolds covers an area roughly bounded by Oxford to the east, Cheltenham to the west, Stratford to the north and Bath to the south. Long before the tourist invasion, the Romans left their legacy in towns such as Cirencester, and remains of villas and forts can be seen from Bury Hill to Woodchester. Today, besides sheep, the area is home to some of the country’s most scenic towns and villages – all thatched cottages, ducks waddling across village greens and honey-hued churches. Other sensory delights include strolls on the beautiful banks of the River Wye, or following Fosse Way, the arrow-straight Roman road that still pierces through the loveliest landscapes imaginable.
Pictured: The George
Boutique hotels in Cotswolds
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in the Cotswolds. Also see our guides to Bath and Northeast Somerset for more Smith-selected hotels nearby.
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Getting there
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
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Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best Cotswolds has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
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Eating, drinking & dancing
We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Cotswolds.
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Smith Maps
Here is the map of Cotswolds; each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel is marked by a flag; click it for more details.
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Road trip
Getting off to a civilised start in prosperous Tetbury, our Cotswolds jaunt is geared towards unhurried exploration, all chocolate-box views and mellow-stone hamlets. There are gastropubs galore along the way and, in terms of impossibly attractive high streets, we’ve saved the best till last.
moreLocal knowledge
- Taxis
- The smaller towns have limited taxi services – book minicabs in advance. Hotel staff will know the best local firms.
- Tipping culture
- 10 or 15 per cent is standard, but many restaurants now add a discretionary 12.5 per cent, so be careful not to tip twice.
- Packing tips
- Take a packet of indigestion tablets if you intend to gorge on the region’s renowned cheeses; and some decent walking boots and a waterproof jacket will serve you well if you plan to do any exploring on foot.
- Recommended reads
- Cider With Rosie, Laurie Lee’s childhood recollections of rural Gloucestershire, is perhaps the most lyrical literary evocation of the area. Jerome K Jerome’s protagonists in his masterpiece of Victorian wit, Three Men in a Boat, drift through the Cotswolds on part of their journey. Local poet UA Fanthorpe also writes about the region – try her erudite Collected Poems.
- Regional specialities
- It would be perverse to come to the Cotswolds and not fill yourself with delicious Double Gloucester, a smooth whole-milk cheese first produced in the 16th century. The best is made by octogenarian Diana Smart of Old Ley Court in Churcham, who uses milk from her herd of Brown Swiss, Holstein and Gloucester cows (www.smartsgloucestercheese.com).
- Currency
- Pound sterling (£).
- Time zone
- GMT.
- Dialing codes
- Country code for the UK: +44.
