Stow or Broadway?

Brian, that confirms my suspicion! Thanks so much.

I would stay in Broadway it's so beautiful, Stow is great but not as beautiful. As the others have said Stow is better located, but if you have a car then you can get to some of the smaller quiant villages that you can not get to by bus.

Definitely prefer Stow-seems better located IMO. The walk between the Slaughters is a nice walk and it is near Stow.

Thank you, Susan! Stow is the direction I've been leaning, but there are a couple of events in Broadway that week that we'd like to experience. I suppose it's an easy drive to Broadway from Stow!

Another vote for Stow. As mentioned above- pleasant nearby walks, especially visit the Slaughters and the Swells. Although Stow is toward one side of the Cotswolds, you can easily drive to any village. I have stayed in Broadway (and enjoyed it), but it doesnt have the same "small village" feel to me. A little llike the rich cousin

You can check out Windsor Cottage in Winchcombe which is just down the road from Broadway, we stayed there last summer and it was a delight. The old Railway has a station there too and the market is a short walk down the street. There are also cottages for rent on the grounds of Sudeley Castle that are nice too.

Hotels in Stow are very popular - partly because the hotels on the square are very highly rated. I have read that parking can get tough on summer weekends (i havent had that problem)

Thank you everyone! I am so grateful that so many people took the time to respond to my query. In the end, I booked a self-catering cottage in Stow. I liked the nearby amenities and the proximity to walks (to the Slaughters and Bourton-on-the-Water) easy enough for my boys to manage. We certainly will visit Broadway (we're eager to experience Giffords Circus, an old-time circus-on-the-village-green that my friends in Oxfordshire recommend enthusiastically), but Stow felt better as a place to stay. Thanks again!
Lynn

Lynn,
We already have reservations for Stowe in September. I make my decision after reading Rick Steves's book. I was surprised to find out that inns and B&Bs were filling up in Stowe, so made plans early. We found Cross Keyes Cottage which is close to the town square. We will be driving, so we can easily visit all the other little towns. I would enjoy hearing about your stay there when you return! Have a great time!

We very much enjoy tea in Stow at the fairly new Huffkins . The tea room / bakery / shop has only been there a couple of years, having started in Burford and now spread to Whitney and Cheltenham. Enjoy your stay...

My mother and I stayed at the Olive Branch in Broadway several years ago because I booked late and all the places within our price range were reserved in Stow. As far as the beauty, Stow and Broadway are both beautiful. Stow feels a little more rustic in my opinion, like a quintescential Cotswold village. There is a little square with a church and you can easily walk the entire village. There is also a cheesemonger on market square that had the most amazing cheeses. My mom and I bought soem and then walked to the tree in the middle of town and sat on the bench eating it. it was her birthday so it was really special and I felt like I was having a true English experience. If you want to pick up soem food for the road, there is also a Tesco supermarket (it's a big one) on the north side of town. One thing I do recommend is to visit the Broadway Tower just outside Broadway. My mother and I happened upon it and it was the best view of the cotswolds I could have had. Of course it was a spectacularly sunny, clear day, but that was a real treat.

Thank you, Nigel and Lisa! I am always happy to hear about places to find tasty food! We're getting really excited about our trip as it draws ever closer. Now to sort out the car-hire details once and for all...

We also enjoyed lunch at Huffkins in Stow-great soups and sandwiches so tea would probably be nice as well. There is a large Tesco in Stow that will be handy for stocking your self catering place.