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Favorite Cotswold Villages

Which villages would be on your must see list?

Posted by
10344 posts

Cirencester
Chipping Camden
Bibury
Stow-on-the-Wold
Snowshill Manor
Bourton-on-the-Water
Broadway

Posted by
1912 posts

Thank you so much Kent. I'll look those up and see how close by we will be. I have the ones that RS recommends but it is nice to find some that are maybe less popular and touristed, if possible.

Posted by
10344 posts

Keith mentioned Stanton. I've stayed in Stanton. You really do see lots of horses there, and a few people, too. It's featured in Rick's videos and books, which probably hasn't helped maintain it's status as an undiscovered gem. But I thought it was a special place.

I still remember the pub on the hill in Stanton. Some years ago the proprietor of that pub had a dog who had the run of the pub, and the dog knew how to open the door to get out. When I complimented the proprietor on his dog's prowess, he said something in typical under-stated humor, like, "Right, but I've never been able to teach him to get back in." I guess you had to be there to appreciate the humor (the door opened outward so the dog could push down the levered door handle and then push outward to open the door to go out, but didn't know how to pull the door towards him to get back in."

Posted by
1912 posts

I guess I'm just happy to have ideas that are not all RS guidebook ideas. So, thanks for the info!

Posted by
32431 posts

The village you are staying in is quite a good find - Great Rissington, along with all the other Rissingtons.

Lower and Upper Swell.
The tiny village of beauty - Great Tew - shouldn't be missed. Sounds big. Isn't.

Long Compton was always my mother's favourite.

Great Rollright - the Cotswolds' answer to Stonehenge.

Technically off the Cotswolds - right and I mean right on the edge - is Hook Norton, and not far from there is Edgehill.

Dovers Hill where the cheese is rolled.

Posted by
3707 posts

Upper Slaughter
Lower Slaughter
Plus all those on Kent's list.
I haven't been to the ones on Nigel's list yet.

Posted by
2771 posts

A not to miss village is Painswick it is fantastic!!!! We stayed there in September and loved it. The other villages I love are Bourton-on-the-Water, Broadway, Stanton, Chipping Campden and Cirencester. We stayed in a quaint little village before we started walking the Cotswold Way which was so beautiful, Ebrington.

Posted by
228 posts

These villages are great, but it's the manors and gardens which we remember the best. Outside of Chipping Campden is Hidcote gardens... it's literally like heaven/paradise. Outside of Woodstock/Oxford is Chastleton manor... very very very neat.