Our family will have 4-5 nights to stay in one place from which to explore the surrounding area in or near the cotswolds. would enjoy self-catering. two of us love to walk and would enjoy various self-guided day-long walking or riding (horsback) tours. 3rd person enjoys sightseeing. not planning to have a car so would use public transportation. any suggestions about a good location to settle in for these activities? Many thanks, Carol
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1451 posts
Look up the National Trust UK site. They have self catering cottages. There are some riding schools in the Cotswolds listed on line. For the benefit of the siteseerer I would stay near Woodstock, walk to Blenhiem Palace; 20 minute bus to Oxford; less than an hour to London by train. Other towns such as Broadway are located more in the center for the walkers. If the Cotswolds prove too expensive or too booked; look to the Midlands or Wales for other equally attractive areas.
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
The practical answer is to plan on having a car in the Cotswolds. Very few railway accessible areas. Stow on the Wold and Chipping Camden are the largest "villages" with more choices of places to stay and eat. Both are also worth walking around in and near. Hiking (strolling) in Cotswolds is verty common and easy. Quite strange being able to walk across farmers fields and through their farm yards (in some places). Google something like "Cotswold Villages" and you should find all manner of places to stay from hotels to tents.
Posted by
Troy, Oh, USA
2776 posts
Here are some self-catering places in the Cotwolds~~Bourton-on-the-Water..Acorn Cottage..oakescottages.co.ukBourton-on-the-Water...Farncombe Cottage..farncombecotswolds.com~Bourton-on-the-Water..Magnolia Cottage Apt..magnoliacottageholidays.comBroadway..Broadway Manor..broadwaymanor-cottages.co.uk~~~ You will have to use the public bus which do not go to all of the small quaint villages~~they do go to (to mention a few)Stow-on-the-Wold, Broadway, Bourton-on-the-Water, Chipping Campden and a lot of times a bus you drop you off by a small village such as Upper Slaughter. There is only two train stations in the Cotswolds District..Moreton-in-the-Marsh and Kemble..and there isn't any train service to the small villages.