Cotswolds vs. Cornwall/Southwest for a 1-week England trip?

I love the Cotswolds with all the beautiful villages, some villages are what they call "chocolate box villages" very quaint. But Cornwall is beautiful for other reasons, lots of beautiful fishing villages. For time purposes the I would suggest going to the Cotswolds, you could rent a in Bath and get to the Cotswolds within an hour. By going to the Cotswolds you would have more time and see a lot. You would have to follow a lot more driving to get to Cornwall and different areas. Driving from Bath to the fishing villages Mevagissey would be 3 hrs 20 minutes, I used Mevagissey as an example,
it could be a longer drive depending where you want to go.

Why not try somewhere different and go somehere you'll only find locals and British tourists? From Bath you could go to the Wye valley and the border counties of Herefordshire and Monmouth, a little further into Wales for the Brecons, south-west to Exmoor and Somerset or south to Dorset. All have beautiful countryside and what you're looking for in spades.

How many days do you have for the non London element?

When in May are you travelling? We have a Bank Holiday at the start and another at the end of May, which will cause additional traffic. Mode of transport?

Another vote for the Wye Valley or Dorset. I would also highly recommend Rutland, but this doesn't sit well with Bath. Ditto the New Forest, which isn't new! The Cotswolds, whilst pretty have been ruined by too many tourists and there are many nicer places to visit IMO!

"We will of course be spending a lot of our time in London"

Have you been to London before? I ask because there's no requirement to see London on a trip to England - any more than there's a requirement to see New York on a trip to the US. Even a first trip.

Of course, there's plenty to see and do in London. And if that's what you want to do on this trip (most of the time in London and only a short bit away from it), that's fine. But London is also easy to get back to, so if you're more drawn to rural destinations now, don't hesitate to just spend a short amount of time there on this trip, and focus on other places. You'll want to be near London the night before your flight out, but that's about the only required time there.

The question of whether or not you'll have a car is very important, as it will affect what you can see in a short time.

If driving, the roads in Cornwall are windy and narrow so it takes longer get to get from point A to B. The roads in the Cotswolds are wider and less windy, but you'll run into more tourists in the towns. Both are nice and worth visiting. If you get to Cornwall, the town of Port Isaac is where the British TV show Doc Martin is filmed.

Cornwall and Devon really require a full week on their own. I would stick to sights easily accessible from Cotswolds/Bath - Oxford, Stratford on Avon, Wye Valley, Wells, Cheddar Gorge, Glastonbury, Stonehenge, Bristol, Cardiff, Gloucester.

I think Cornwall is wonderful but it's much farther out of your way than the Cotswolds -- or Wye Valley or Dorset or other places recommended above. If it's Cotswolds vs. Cornwall, then Cotswolds. If you're open to more possibilities, then you have some from our friends the British posters.

Cotswolds.

Stay in Winchcombe. Not over run with tourists.

Easy access to Cotswolds way. Sudely Castle and gardens walking distance from the cottage I stayed in. Nice pubs and shops. Good food at the White Hart Inn. Visit St Peter's and hope that Arthur, a volunteer, is there to tell you the churches history. Scones at the North Street bakery. Shopping at the Emporium.

PM for the AirBnB cottage info.

The Plough Inn at Ford is about a 20 minute ride. Wonderful food and atmosphere.

Both Bourton on the Water and Chipping Camden 30 minute drives. Broadway and the Broadway Tower 25 minutes.

I'd also check the web to see if Hailes Abbey will be open during you travel dates.