Touring the Cotswolds - England from Kent to Cornwall

A tour for multi-explorers: The Cotswolds are often referred to as the “heart of England” – a hilly landscape with very nice little towns and villages, which runs from southwest to northeast through six counties.

Overview

Tour of the Cotswolds

Key Facts of Tour 6 - The Cotswolds

Trip duration:

You should allow about 8 days for this trip – you will visit six counties or more, but the distances are rather short.

Destinations to be visited here:

The Cotswolds comprise Gloucestershire , Oxfordshire , Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire

Does one arrive at the coast with the particularly nice places?

Not at all on this route; instead, you’re a little inland through the lovely hilly countryside.

Is it possible to move around on this tour, e.g., hike?

The Cortswolds offer a wide variety of hiking options, not least in the vast gardens or the Westonbirt Arboretum.

Is this tour suitable for beginners traveling to England for the first time?

This tour wouldn’t be our first choice for that. We would describe it more as a wonderful tour for experienced travelers who have already seen the coasts and other highlights.

Do I need a car for this trip?

Absolutely, otherwise you’ll hardly get anywhere! It’s precisely the small and somewhat remote villages of the Cotswolds that make them so charming.

I come from a country where they drive on the right. Is it difficult to drive on the left?

No – the British would say. But seriously, driving on the left does take a little getting used to if you’re visiting from abroad. The good news is that, after leaving the airport, you’ll usually join a motorway almost immediately. Since the carriageways are physically separated, there’s virtually no chance of ending up on the wrong side of the road. That gives you plenty of time to settle in and realise that driving on the left isn’t actually difficult—it’s just unfamiliar. The first roundabout can feel a little daunting, and so can your first turn at a junction in a town or village. But after just a few days, it all starts to feel completely natural.
A practical tip: When booking your rental car, choose an automatic if you can. It saves you from having to get used to changing gears with your left hand, making the whole experience much more relaxed.

Description of Tour 6 “The Cotswolds”

The journey is quite short in terms of mileage, but longer in terms of impressions. There are no coastal towns, but all the nicer places inland. From London (usually Heathrow Airport) you can quickly reach the famous university city of Oxford. It’s worth visiting at least one of the colleges! The surrounding area is also stunning. There is also one of the many small canals that once crossed the whole country. Today, the adorable narrow boats are popular houseboats.

A short detour should be made to Woodstock, adjacent to Blenheim Palace, the family seat of Winston Churchill. Another magnificent mansion is Kelmscott Manor.

A particularly nice place in the Cotswolds is Broadway with its houses of light stone and its huge chestnut trees which have wonderfull blooms of white and red, especially in the spring.
Different, but not less attractive is nearby Chipping Camden.

At the far edge of the Cotswolds we find the city of Gloucester, which once had an important inland port and whose old warehouses are partly beautifully preserved, some of them are very run down.

To the south, again in the hillier area of the Cotswolds is the small town of Stroud, which as a special feature has its Farmers’ Market once a week in the streets and the market area.
In Tetbury, the Woolsack Race is held once a year – a spectacle in which the whole town is joined by athletes carrying a large woolsack up the steep road.
Not far away is Malmesbury, which is on the one hand is a nice place with an abbey ruin and on the other hand houses the “Abbey House Gardens“. It’s worth a visit just for this on its own!

Somewhat secluded, very quiet and wonderfully peacefully in the countryside is then Newark Park, which is a small, old mansion with a beautiful garden and great views. We are already far south in the Cotswolds. Here we will find Castle Combe, a particularly delightful village, which is also a big tourist hotspot. Be sure to come at off peak times and then feel like you have been transported back centuries!
With a short stop at Lacock, the setting for many historical films, we arrive at Bath with its wonderful Roman baths. From here it is only a stone’s throw into the valley of the River Avon and Bradford-on-Avon. At least the Avoncliff Aquaeduct, a bridge for the canal over the river, should definitely be on the agenda before returning to London and the airport.

For this trip you should calculate at least 8 days.