The Cotswolds exemplifies a vision of rural England. Pretty yellow-stone villages huddled in tranquil wooded valleys and surrounded by evergreen farmland. In our Bed and Breakfast Cotswolds Guide, you will find the best places to visit in the Cotswolds with a selection of the most outstanding beautiful B and B Cotswold gems.
Best Towns In Cotswolds
The best towns in Cotswolds in our opinion are Snowshill, Bibury, Castle Combe, and Stanton, where you will find idyllic stone-built villages. Chipping Campden might be the epicenter of quaintness. The townscapes are imposing too, as you’ll find at Bradford-on-Avon, Corsham, and Burford. You will find below our B and B Cotswold guide which shows the best B&Bs by visitor ratings closest to the area.
Most Beautiful Cotswold Villages
Best Bed And Breakfast Cotswolds
Bourton-on-the-Water
The most famous and popular village is probably Bourton on the Water. It is also known as “The Venice of the Cotswolds” with elegant 18th-century bridges crossing the River Windrush that flows through the center of the village. There is plenty to do in Bourton-on-the-Water like a visit to the model village, Birdland, Bourton Model Railway, Cotswold Perfumery, Cotswold Motoring Museum, Toy Collection, Dragonfly Maze and Salmonsbury Meadows Nature Reserve.
Most Beautiful Cotswolds Villages
The Old New Inn
The Old New Inn – Beautifully refurbished Bed and Breakfast Cotswolds
Click here for reviews and prices
Chestnut Bed and Breakfast
Chestnut Bed and Breakfast – 300-Year old, Grade II Listed Building
Click here for reviews and prices
Webbys Windrush Walk
Webbys Windrush Walk – Great location – a welcoming Bed and Breakfast Cotswolds
Click here for reviews and prices
Chipping Campden
Called the jewel in the crown of the Cotswolds, this small market town of Chipping Campden with hundreds of years of history in every house, is full of charm. Lots to do in Chipping Campden as well, such as visiting the Church of St James and Cotswolds Almshouses.
Woolmarket House
Woolmarket House – Historic building nestled in the center of town
Click here for reviews and prices
Norton Grounds
Norton Grounds – Adults only accommodation in beautiful countryside
Click here for reviews and prices
Badgers Hall
Badgers Hall – Grade-II building from the 15th century
Click here for reviews and prices
Burford
The medieval village of Burford is often described as the “Gateway to the Cotswolds”. Beautiful river views, charming antique shops, and a tranquil setting with stunning B & B’s make for a great place to stay in the Cotswolds.
Pytts House Boutique Bed & Breakfast
Pytts House Boutique Bed & Breakfast – Beautiful garden
Click here for reviews and prices
Star Cottage B&B
Star Cottage B&B – Lovely, cosy Bed and Breakfast
Click here for reviews and prices
Priory Restaurant and B&B
Priory Restaurant and B&B – Great breakfast and location
Click here for reviews and prices
Bibury
Claimed as one of the most beautiful villages in the Cotswolds if not in England. A small quaint village on the river Coin.
The Swan Hotel
The Swan Hotel – On the banks of the river Coin
Click here for reviews and prices
Castle Combe
Castle Combe was a backdrop of the fictional Puddleby-on-the Marsh in Dr. Dolittle, the 1960’s film with Rex Harrison, and more recently for Steven Spielberg’s film War Horse.
The Castle Inn
The Castle Inn – historic 12-century building
Click here for reviews and prices
Stanton
The history of Stanton dates back to the Iron Age and the village still boasts of unspoiled beauty and charm.
Abbots Grange
Abbots Grange – Unrestricted views over the Cotswolds – Adults only
Click here for reviews and prices
Bradford on Avon
The most compelling town of Bradford on Avon is uniquely positioned on the edge of the Cotswolds facing the River Avon.
Timbrell's Yard
Timbrell’s Yard – An elegant B&B at the banks of the River Avon
Click here for reviews and prices
The Old Cottage
The Old Cottage – Lovely character cottage
Click here for reviews and prices
Corsham
The attractive town inspired Charles Dickens to write The Pickwick Papers, and create the character Moses Pickwick. Corsham has many houses built from the local Cotswold stone and is famous for its fine architecture.
Heavenly Retreat
Heavenly Retreat – Beautiful homestay
Click here for reviews and prices
The Methuen Arms
The Methuen Arms – Boutique Style B&B
Click here for reviews and prices
Where To Visit In The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) protects this region of 2038 km2 which is the largest area designated in this way in England. The Cotswolds reaches in the East deep into Oxfordshire, to the north into both Warwickshire and Worcestershire, in the south, Wiltshire and northeast into Somerset. However, the major part of the Cotswolds falls in Gloucestershire.
Cotswolds Map
Landscape
Approaching the Cotswolds from the northeast, the scenery begins to change. The half-timber and thatch begin to give way to a honey-colored stone that defines the borders of the region. This is the Oolite-Limestone that tilts down from west to east. In the east, the gradually rising profile leads to open, arable farming country, accentuated by dark stands of trees and rivers flanked by water-meadows, the source of the mighty Thames.
Cotswolds’ Landscape
Scenery
At its most western edge, the Cotswold escarpment holds for wide views. From Dover’s Hill down to Uley Bury, you’ll see faraway Wales, the Forest of Dean and the Malvern Hills, as well as some fine panoramas of the Cotswolds themselves rising up from the Severn Plain and Vale of Evesham. The Cotswold Way National Trail follows this edge for much of its 163 km route.
Broadway Cotswolds
History
Laurie Lee, author of the childhood memories in Cider with Rosie grew up in the Cotswolds. Much of the Cotswolds’ history is tied to the fortunes of wool. At one time this was the wool capital of Europe. The Industrial Revolution transformed the local woolen industry, bringing great mills to the Stroud Valley and poverty to the old weaving villages. Today only a few sheep are left and agricultural changes over the last century brought the local ‘Cotswold Lion’ breed almost to extinction.
Cotswold lions at Stroud Country Fair
Did you make your mind up where to visit the Cotswolds?
Don’t forget to visit the UNESCO world heritage site and beautiful town of Bath on your tour in the Cotswolds and take a dip in a thermal spa!
Some Useful Travel Guides
This Save
