The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds is the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England and Wales.

Covering nearly 800 square miles across five counties (Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire), the “wolds”, or rolling hills, is the biggest of the 38 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales.

Pretty villages abound in the Cotswolds, and while each one has its own flavour, most of them share a similar aesthetic thanks to the gorgeous Cotswold stone they are cut from.

My favourites are Stow on the Wold and Bourton on the Water.  We decided to spend 2 nights in Stow on the Wold.

From there we did some day trips.  We visited Bourton on the Water often called the Venice of the Cotswolds because of the very pretty low bridges over the river Windrush which runs through the centre of town.

There is lots to see and do there.  There is a motor museum, a model railway and Model English village which is fabulous are just some of the attractions.

We visited a National trust property Chastleton House which was built in the 1600's and remained in the same family for over 400 years right up until 1991 before passing on to the National Trust.  The gardens are beautiful.  There is a 400 year old tree, walled garden and large topiary garden.