Cotswolds by train, where to stay?

hey janelle
happy easter
couple posters here have mentioned:
cotswoldtourismtours.co.uk with the secret cottage tour. they list a couple places for accomodations
cotswoldmysterytours.co.uk tour information lists accomodations along with pubs
i think you are associated with each other. hope this helps you out with some information. have a great time. enjoy
aloha

It’s the first I have heard about Moreton not being picturesque. Moreton is charming and there’s nothing wrong with staying there. It’s a bigger place than some villages, with more shops and facilities, but that helps those who don’t have a car. Small and rural needs a car.

Jennifer is right, Moreton is a bit larger, but still a nice city in the Cotswolds. We used Chipping Campden as a base (Volunteer Inn) and it was great, but we had a rental car.

Rick Steves guide (Great Britain) gives an excellent recommend day tour of the Cotswolds. It is hard to cover all the Cotswolds in one day, you need at least another half a day.
Don't leave out Cirencester, it is loaded with history (its an ancient Roman town).

Bus feedback may be "mixed" any day of the week but schedules are decidedly sparse on Sundays, especially outside high season. For instance, this route 801 runs 3x/day on summer Sundays.

Car rental options are also slim, so Rick suggests picking up a rental car in a larger city like Oxford. There's also an Enterprise car rental near Banbury train station (on Saturdays, it's open only 9:00 to noon).

In 2016 I did the Secret Cottage tour which picks you up at and returns you to the Moreton-in-Marsh train station.

I spent 2 nights there, with the tour taking up most of the day between. I stayed at the Bell Inn, a very short walk from the station. Good food and good music. I can highly recommend it.

From the website: "Considered by many to be JRR Tolkien’s inspiration for the ‘Prancing Pony’, Middle Earth’s most famous pub in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, The Bell Inn is a fine example of a traditional coaching inn providing quality food, drink and accommodation in welcoming surroundings."

And: "Moreton-in-Marsh is one of the principle market towns in the northern Cotswolds.... It marks the meeting point of Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire. There is still a busy weekly Tuesday market located right outside The Bell Inn on the High Street – the largest open-air street market in the Cotswolds."

I linked to the tour because we absolutely went to places most people don't see even with a car.

Both the tour and Moreton-in-Marsh were plenty picturesque for me.

This is all super helpful information! Glad you know Moreton is not quite as non-picturesque as I had heard.

We've got reservations at the Bell Inn, so I'm glad to hear the recommendation!

Is there an easy bus schedule for the summer?

I appreciate everyone's help!

Janelle,
I will add my recommendation for Becky's Secret Cottage tour, it was a highlight of my trip in Sept. 2017.

Lo,
I'm glad to hear of the background behind the Bell Inn you are recommending. I certainly would go back to Moreton-in-Marsh and would love to stay in a quaint inn.

Enjoy your time in the Cotswolds!

We stayed in Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds for five nights, at Badgers Hall, a historic, lovely B&B on the main square, with afternoon tea included (and what a tea!) The breakfasts were made by the husband of the duo, and they were the best of our three week England trip. We decided to switch rooms after our second night's stay, as our initial room faced the town square, and found the back second floor room was quieter. The proprietors have respected the historic quality of the rooms, with idiosyncratic corners, huge hewed beams, and lovely furniture, while providing up to date facilities. The second room even had handmade ceramic tiles with pictures of sheep.
As for getting around, yes, rent a car in this area. We arrived by train from London, and had to take a car to town, and buses-- we waited and waited, and then sometimes they did not come. It was frustrating and slowed down our capabilities.
Chipping Campden was a good central base for this area.
Badgers Hall:
https://badgershall.com
Here is the tea, and continue if you wish for more pictures of our stay here:
https://cleob.smugmug.com/Travel/England-2010/i-Rf5vvgH