Things To Do in The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds, filled with honey-colored stone houses and picture-perfect views, is one of the most beautiful areas in England. It’s easy to spend a quick weekend or plan a longer trip as there’s plenty to see and do at your own pace.
After a couple of weeks exploring the quaint villages and taking long strolls on the famous trails, we found that these were the best things to do in the Cotswolds:
Castlecombe
One of Cotswold’s most famous and scenic spots, you definitely have to stop by Castlecombe! But be aware, in the peak tourist months, you’ll be battling the crowds if you don’t arrive early in the morning.
Highlights:
Water Lane - If you do one thing it must be the iconic walk down this street to the bridge. It looks really amazing at the base of the street, looking up towards the town.
Manor House Hotel - for a wonderful experience, book an afternoon tea here and then walk around the magnificent grounds afterward.
Castle Inn - stop by here for lunch, which includes wonderful views of the town.
Broadway
Easily combined with a visit to Snowshill, this adorable village is worth visiting due to its long street full of adorable cafes, hotels, and tea shops. There are some beautiful houses all the way down High St.
Highlights:
Lygon Arms - a beautiful hotel that will make you feel like you’re in a Game of Thrones set, you can choose to stay here or just have a morning coffee or lunch/dinner.
Broadway Deli - the one thing that surprised me is the high-quality food choices everywhere in the Cotswolds. Broadway Deli is one of those places if you want a really delicious sandwich! They also have a great selection of cheese, fruit, vegetables, and herbs!
Flipside - sometimes, you just want a good burger or chicken sandwich! This is the place for that.
Cotswolds Falconry
This was an unexpected highlight of our trip to the Cotswolds!
The Cotswolds Falconry is an aviary where over 30 types of birds of prey are bred and trained. The birds are well taken care of and you can get very close to them to see all the amazing details.
But the highlight has to be the daily live demonstrations where they bring the birds out to perform all sorts of interesting feats. They are allowed to fly around as they please during this demonstration, including way up in the sky. You can really see how much the trainers care for these birds during these demonstrations!
There are usually three demonstrations per day: 11:30, 1:30, and 3:00. All the demonstrations are different, so we went at 1:30 and stayed for the 3:00 show as well.
My favorite bird, that I didn’t even know existed, is the Secretarybird. Just look at it!!! It’s completely wonky but beautiful!
Bibury
One of many quaint villages in the Cotswolds - Bibury is one of the more famous ones with loads of charm and footbridges.
Highlights:
Arlington Row - this famous row of cottages is the main draw of Bibury. It is often called the most photographed street in England, so get there early if you want it empty for a good shot.
Swan Hotel - A picturesque hotel where you can grab a bite to eat, it’s worth snapping a picture in front too!
Bibury Circular - if you have time and the energy, you can do this 5-mile loop which takes you to most of the best places in the area.
Sezincote
A surprising find in the Cotswolds, this is what happens when you merge Indian architecture with British influences.
There is a well-manicured garden surrounding the whole property as well as Hindu and Muslim architecture mixed with elegant British touches.
There are plenty of weddings being thrown here throughout the year, due to its romantic charm.
Stow-on-the-Wold
One of the most famous doors in the Cotswolds, the Tolkien Door at St Edward’s Church supposedly inspired the Doors of Durin in the Lord of the Rings.
Afterward, take a walk around the Stow Market Square to check out all the antique shops, cute tea rooms, and beautiful architecture.
We recommend Lucy’s for an adorable afternoon tea, the Cotswolds Cheese company for some great local cheese, and the Porch House for a meal in one of the oldest inns in England.
Stratford Upon Avon
One of the most adorable towns and the birthplace of Shakespeare, I loved simply just walking around the town center and checking out some of the famous Shakespeare buildings.
Highlights:
Anne Hathaway's Cottage - no, not the actress but William Shakespeare’s wife’s totally adorable 500-year-old cottage
Shakespeare’s Birthplace - this carefully restored, timber-framed house is where Shakespeare was born and spent his childhood. You can take a tour of the inside, but I enjoyed looking at it from the outside for free.
Hall’s Croft - Shakespeare’s daughter and her physician husband lived here - it has a beautiful exterior and the interior is full of interesting art and artifacts from the family.
Snowshill
This small charming town, where an opening scene from Bridge Jones Diary was filmed, is worth a visit as it isn’t on many of the tourist guidebooks.
Highlights:
Snowshill Manor - part of the National Trust and full of interesting artwork from the owner Charles Wade, this is worth a visit! Afterward, make sure to check out the incredibly manicured Snowshill Gardens.
Cotswold Lavender - if you’re here between June and August, you might be able to catch the endless rows of lavender!
Snowshill Village - this peaceful village is easy to see, you’ll see the whole thing in 15 minutes with a quick walk around. We loved the quaint church and iconic red phone booth in front.
Snowshill to Broadway Tower - one of the best things to do in the Cotswolds is to have a nice walk, this being one of the best walks! It’s about 3.6 miles and you’ll have the chance to climb up the Broadway Tower.
Snowshill Arms - if you’re looking for that iconic Cotswolds Pub experience, definitely stop by here for dinner. It’s oozing with character, has great food, and you’ll definitely be chatting with some locals here.
The Slaughters
Easily combined with a visit to Stow-on-the-wold, the Upper and Lower Slaughters are just another one of those can’t miss, iconic walks in the Cotswolds.
Highlights:
River Eye - walk along the River Eye in Lower Slaughter where you’ll encounter countless honey-colored stone cottages while a babbling brook flows by.
Slaughter Village Hall - on the opposite of the river, make sure to swing by this Grade II listed historical building
Upper Slaughter Riverbanks - another beautiful walk, stroll along the River Eye and absorb in all the quaint cottages and beautiful bridges.
Lords of the Manor - have afternoon tea at this wonderful manor
Honington
The highlight of this small village is the fairytale house with a thatched roof called the Rose Cottage.
We realized later on that almost every village in the Cotswolds has a Rose Cottage.. but this was the prettiest one we saw. :)
Since there is barely any traffic here and it’s not on the tourist map, it’s easy to stop on the side of the road and admire the house on foot.
Winchcombe
Home to the stunning Sudeley Castle and towering St Peter’s Church, Winchcombe was once the meeting point of 5 ancient trails and is a great place to wander around.
Highlights:
Sudeley Castle - one of the architectural jewels of the Cotswolds and the resting place of Tudor Queen Katherine Parr, this castle has 10 amazing gardens to walk through.
St. Peter’s Church - full of gargoyles, this church dates back to 1452.
Malmesbury
Full of history and one of the bigger towns in Cotswolds - Malmesbury is a fantastic place to spend a day.
Highlights:
Malmesbury Abbey - this stunning abbey was built in the 12th century with part of it in ruins while the nave is open for worship and visitation.
Abbey House Gardens - 5 acres of stunning gardens, this is definitely worth a visit when they have opening days. They were bought by private investors in 2021 and have sporadic opening days.
Westonbirt Arboretum
Home to over 2,500 species of trees and shrubs, this is one of the most important arboretums in England.
Even better, the whole arboretum is laid out in a visually pleasing manner rather than a botanically arranged so it’s one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.
A cool option is to do the Rooftop Walk, which lets you walk amongst the treetops.