The Cotswolds is an area about the size of greater Tokyo within the English county of Gloucestershire in South West England. 25 miles (40 km) across and 90 miles (145 km) long to be exact. Popular with both the English themselves and visitors from all over the world, the Cotswolds are well-known for gentle hillsides (‘wolds’), sleepy villages and for being so ‘typically English’.
There are famous cities such as Bath, well-known beautiful towns like Cheltenham and hundreds of delightful villages such as Burford and Castle Combe. Above all, the local honey-coloured limestone, used for everything from the stone floors in the houses to the tiles on the roof, has ensured that the area has a magical uniformity of architecture.
Today, the larger market towns and villages of the Cotswolds are famous for their shops, such as Stow-on-the-Wold, Cirencester, Chipping Norton and Tetbury.
A comprehensive list of the towns and villages can be found here
Getting to and around the Cotswolds
There is very limited public transport in the Cotswold region. The best way to explore the Cotswolds is by car. This way you can discover the beautiful countryside and pretty villages, stop when something attracts your interest and spend as much time as you wish in any particular place.
If travelling by car it will take 1.5 to 2 hours to reach the Cotswolds from London, using well signposted major roads. The M4 and M40 motorways provide easy access from London. To get to our wedding venue, please allow for 2.5 to 3 hrs for traffic and country roads.
The average cost of hire is from about £60 per day. For more information on car hire visit www.hertz.com or www.avis.co.uk
View from Rodborough Common
Burton on the Water
Romantic Cotswolds
Berkeley Castle
(Some) Things to do in Cotswolds
Because the Cotswolds and the Gloucestershire as a whole is so big, we have limited the suggested activities to areas/towns close to our wedding venue in Tetbury. For our overseas guests, please contact us if you need more ideas concerning holidaying in Cotswolds, Bath, London or UK.
The main thing to bear in mind is that the Cotswolds is English country, so expect the nature and indulge in activities such as walks, spa pampering sessions, ballooning, garden visits and wildlife watching. And allow plenty of time to get around, soak in the idllyic wilderness and scenery!
The official Cotswolds tourism website has a comprehensive range of holiday ideas - with suggestions for your stay ranging from one day to two weeks in the Cotswolds. There are also itineraries specially designed by the Cotswolds Attractions Group, giving ideas for neighbouring attractions that can easily be visited together in one day. For more info, visit their website here.
Shopping
Tetbury is well known for its 25 antique shops and its close proximity to Prince Charles's residence of High Grove. The town has a wonderful variety of shops including many specialist shops offering a wide choice. Many of the shops are individually owned where you will receive personal attention of the owner and experience a level of service long since vanished from many high streets.
Not nearly enough? McArthurGlen’s Swindon Designer Outlet in Wiltshire is housed in the beautifully renovated Grade II listed buildings of the Great Western Railway Works and is one of the largest covered designer outlets in Europe. Shoppers will adore the quality mix of High St and Designer brands, reduced by up to 60 per cent, at over 90 top name stores including John Lewis Home Outlet, Kurt Geiger, Superdry, Hugo Boss, Hobbs, LK Bennett, Marks & Spencer Outlet, Ted Baker and Tommy Hilfiger.
You can find more shopping ideas in other towns and parts of Cotswolds by visiting here
Eating out
We don't even know where to begin! Time to abandon your usual taste buds and give in what British cuisine has to offer, from fish and chips to your usual pub grub to local fresh produce. The choice is aplenty. Here is a comprehensive list of suggested dining establishments depending on which town you may be staying. For specifically Tetbury, click here or see some suggestions below.
Café 53
A chilled-out, shabby-chic hotspot and a Cath Kidston favourite. The Polish chef makes the best beef goulash anywhere and the salads are also a hit. Eat outside in the sun.53 Long Street, Tetbury (01666 502020; www.cafe53.co.uk). About £25 for two
Quayles
This is where to go for outstanding deli food and lazy lunches with a glass of Champagne. Come here for everything you didn't think you needed: the best fresh crab, oozing cheeses as big as Catherine wheels, artisan bread, the juiciest lemons on the planet and the dangerously good, buttery homemade biscuits.1 Long Street, Tetbury (01666 505151; www.quayles.co.uk). About £25 for two
The Chef's Table
This open-plan restaurant, run by chef Michael Bedford and his wife Sarah, serves up rustic Mediterranean flavours such as crab gnocchi and creamy moules marinière. Extras include a small deli, a fish counter and a cookery school.49 Long Street, Tetbury (01666 504466; www.thechefstable.co.uk). About £60 for two
Summary of other places to visit from the Cotswolds
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Bath,
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Berkely Castle
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Bowood House
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Castle Combe
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Cheltenham Spa
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Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
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National Birds of Prey Centre at Newent
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Keynes Country Park
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Cotswold Farm Park
Gardens & Parks
Cotswold gardens are quintessential to your sightseeing itinerary.
Located in Tetbury, Westonbirt Arboretum, managed by the Forestry Commission, is one of the finest collections of temperate trees and shrubs in the world.
The 600 acre arboretum is home to 3,000 different species of trees and over 16,000 individual specimens. Details of opening hours and how to get there can be found here. For a comprehensive list of other featured gardens and parks in Cotswolds, visit exploregloucestershire
The Cotswolds in Gloucestershire
We go together like bread n butter...
Kingscote Barn
