Cotswalds Extended Stay Sept. 2025

Cotswolds.

Morten in Marsh, Gloucester, Cheltenham or Winchcombe. All enjoyble, all reachable by train from London

Winchcombe station is not on a rail line from Paddington.

That is on a preserved steam railway, isolated from the National system.

Train to Cheltenham, then a 2 bus transfer.

Or train to Moreton in Marsh then a much prettier two bus transfer across the Cotswolds on an hourly frequency.

Always wondered why a lot of people mainly Americans call it the "Cotswalds"?

Probably because of the pronunciation with the emphasis on the first syllable. The vowel sound in the second syllable becomes unclear.

Hmmm...... When I worked in the states I had to remember to say waader (water) and vaadker (vodka) otherwise nobody had a clue what I was talking about. O always seemed to be pronounced as an A.

“England and America are two nations divided by a common language.”
—George Bernard Shaw

Later re-quoted by Winston Churchill

It is challenging to get around to the different villages, we learned this by missing our train out of Paddington to connect w our tour in Moreton in Marsh... there are not Ubers and no real Taxi stands, we had to try calling about 10 different recommended numbers from the tour company to get a lift to Chipping Campden..hard to get someone and eventually it cost us 35 Pounds... we were told that yo really cant easily get far by buses, they take a very long time to get to the nearer towns...so I would recommend staying where you'll have the best chance of branching out. I do follow someone on TikTok who is walking through the Cotswolds...interesting to see which towns have the most amenities as it is pretty deserted outside the main village (but stunning of course). Bourton on the Water was lively as was Stow on the Wold.

Many thanks to all! This gives me further avenues to explore. What do you think of the weather in the Cotswolds in September?

I just got back from a week doing much or what you are suggesting. We stayed in Blockley but we had a car. There are busses - but they seems few and far between and only the one rail link - but it only links to other big towns. Some of the places recommended are big towns or small cities to me, however, I think Winchcombe might be your best bet. There are a number of walks you can take from Winchcombe itself, walks where you could take a bus from Winchcombe and then walk back. You could also try using the steam train (which we didn't get on but looked really fun) and take it in either direction and do a walk from any of the train stations. Winchcombe is still a small town but it does have shops and restaurants - it is also less touristy than many of the other options.

Could you consider a car for half of the month so you could explore father a field? On another note - I found All Trails (and the pro subscription) and excellent investment but I do wish I had of bought ordnance survey maps too.

You will have a wonderful time!

There are buses that go to smaller villages, but you need to check on the day of the week and times. You usually have to change buses in Moreton in Marsh at bus stops B and C.

What do you think of the weather in the Cotswolds in September?

Not trying to be too smart-alecky, but ask me in October. :-)

It could be very nice. It won’t be cold. You could get loads of mild sunshine. Or it could be wet and windy. Or a combination. But nothing extreme to worry about, weather-wise, I’d say.

September is an extremely popular month to travel for those without kids (just after the school holidays) so it’s quite a busy month for the Cotswolds.

A few years ago I stayed in Chipping Campden without a car for 5 nights and hiked every day — it was lovely and easy to do. One day I hiked to the Broadway Tower and into Broadway, then taxied back. Another day walked to and from Hidcote Gardens. Took buses to Bourton on Water and hiked to Upper and Lower Slaughter; Stow on Wold …
Was there in late June and loved it. Was easy to get around without a car.