Cotswolds first time
May 4th, 2014, 07:50 PM
#1
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Cotswolds first time
We are visiting the UK for the first time and wish to stay in the Cotswolds for 3-4 nights. Will have a car and we enjoy walking. Any advice where we should stay would be appreciated.
May 5th, 2014, 01:48 AM
#4
I'd much rather know the following:
Do you know anything about the area?
Have you already decided on a particular location and if so, why?
How do you plan on spending your days and have you decided there are any particular places you want to see?
Do you know anything about the area?
Have you already decided on a particular location and if so, why?
How do you plan on spending your days and have you decided there are any particular places you want to see?
May 5th, 2014, 03:02 AM
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I've no idea where you should stay, but a couple of pieces of advice:
- As a general principle, it really doesn't matter. There are no "must sees" (there are of course no "must sees" anywhere, but there are even fewer here than anywhere else on earth), everywhere inside the Cotswold AONB (and the adjacent Oxford Green Belt) boundary is subject to the same planning restrictions that makes horrible building impossible (sadly, they didn't apply when the Churchills put up Blenheim, their awful monument to ghastly taste) and just about everywhere is within 200 yds of a footpath connecting with the other 130,000 miles of footpath in England.
- But there are two basic questions about accommodation. Hotel/B&B (not to be confused with those pretentious bijou hotels calling themselves B&Bs in America) or self-catering? Rural isolation or microtown?
Cotswold microtowns have no suburbia and mostly consist of Early Modern (1500-1800) buildings, with a medieval church and possibly a slightly earlier pub, to add a touch of history. A clutch (Burford, Winchcombe, Northleach, Tetbury, Chipping Campden and Woodstock, though that's not strictly in the Cotswolds) combine charm and a decent mix of pubs, restaurants and hotels. Most other microtowns (places others call "villages", but with a charter to elect a self-governing town council dating from somewhere between 1200 and 1600) lack one or other of these, though by most foreign standards they're pretty and quiet enough.
Accommodation outside microtowns means either eating there, or driving or walking into town for supper. Driving creates problems with drinking: walking back after dusk can be unpleasant and dangerous. Even on Midsummer Day, you'll be walking back in gathering gloom. The problem's no different in villages: you're still limited to one eating place.
£85 a night is OK if you mean per person. Per room in any decent pub or hotel, it's now significantly below the going rate for the period between Easter and late September or over Xmas/New Year. You'll have to slum it, stay in a chain place outside the area, depend on self-catering or surf in the off chance of finding some offers.
- As a general principle, it really doesn't matter. There are no "must sees" (there are of course no "must sees" anywhere, but there are even fewer here than anywhere else on earth), everywhere inside the Cotswold AONB (and the adjacent Oxford Green Belt) boundary is subject to the same planning restrictions that makes horrible building impossible (sadly, they didn't apply when the Churchills put up Blenheim, their awful monument to ghastly taste) and just about everywhere is within 200 yds of a footpath connecting with the other 130,000 miles of footpath in England.
- But there are two basic questions about accommodation. Hotel/B&B (not to be confused with those pretentious bijou hotels calling themselves B&Bs in America) or self-catering? Rural isolation or microtown?
Cotswold microtowns have no suburbia and mostly consist of Early Modern (1500-1800) buildings, with a medieval church and possibly a slightly earlier pub, to add a touch of history. A clutch (Burford, Winchcombe, Northleach, Tetbury, Chipping Campden and Woodstock, though that's not strictly in the Cotswolds) combine charm and a decent mix of pubs, restaurants and hotels. Most other microtowns (places others call "villages", but with a charter to elect a self-governing town council dating from somewhere between 1200 and 1600) lack one or other of these, though by most foreign standards they're pretty and quiet enough.
Accommodation outside microtowns means either eating there, or driving or walking into town for supper. Driving creates problems with drinking: walking back after dusk can be unpleasant and dangerous. Even on Midsummer Day, you'll be walking back in gathering gloom. The problem's no different in villages: you're still limited to one eating place.
£85 a night is OK if you mean per person. Per room in any decent pub or hotel, it's now significantly below the going rate for the period between Easter and late September or over Xmas/New Year. You'll have to slum it, stay in a chain place outside the area, depend on self-catering or surf in the off chance of finding some offers.
May 5th, 2014, 08:48 AM
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We had a delightful stay in Broadway at the Olive Branch Guesthouse.
http://www.theolivebranch-broadway.com/index.html
We also did some nice walks in the area. Broadway has some nice restaurants and pubs within walking distance of the guesthouse.
Further south, we had a nice lunch in Tetbury and thought the town would make a good base for that area.
http://www.theolivebranch-broadway.com/index.html
We also did some nice walks in the area. Broadway has some nice restaurants and pubs within walking distance of the guesthouse.
Further south, we had a nice lunch in Tetbury and thought the town would make a good base for that area.
May 5th, 2014, 11:47 AM
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A couple of years ago, we followed flanner's advice and stayed in Chipping Campden, which is a typical, picturesque Cotswolds town but which is just large enough to have a life of its own. We enjoyed finding there a selection of restaurants, pubs, grocery stores and enough opportunities for strolls in the evenings. And, its location is good.
We stayed at the Lygon Arms and found it very agreeable.
But you may look for hotel deals in the area and if you get a good deal, do it. After all, it does not matter too much in which of the beautiful towns and villages you find accomodation.
We stayed at the Lygon Arms and found it very agreeable.
But you may look for hotel deals in the area and if you get a good deal, do it. After all, it does not matter too much in which of the beautiful towns and villages you find accomodation.
May 5th, 2014, 12:20 PM
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We stayed at the Travelodge in Stroud in May 2007 for 19 pounds per night when they were having a special deal. www.travelodge.co.uk
It's worth taking a look.
Lee Ann
It's worth taking a look.
Lee Ann
Aug 10th, 2014, 10:56 PM
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We stayed at Stow-on-wold in a little cottage that we found charming (not so much for my English cousins who visited us there), and enjoyed our little garden space too. That was our base for exploring the bits around. We also drove to Stroud and the Malverns from there, picking villages/towns on their market days.
Aug 24th, 2014, 03:07 PM
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we love the following towns and return over and over: Burford (staying at bay tree hotel in December---2 for one special just now), bourton on the water, broadway, stow in the wold, lower slaughter, upper slaughter, upper and lower swell and many more... prince Charles lives in tetbury.
easy to drive around and lovely cross county walks---there are maps of them.
easy to drive around and lovely cross county walks---there are maps of them.
Aug 28th, 2014, 07:09 AM
#14
flip a coin.
I really like Burford and it would be my choice -- just a neat little town w/ the river Windrush and wonderful church and Minster Lovell nearby.
But Chipping Campden is a good base too.
Both are very nice towns. I'd go with whichever one you can find accommodations for your dates/budget.
I really like Burford and it would be my choice -- just a neat little town w/ the river Windrush and wonderful church and Minster Lovell nearby.
But Chipping Campden is a good base too.
Both are very nice towns. I'd go with whichever one you can find accommodations for your dates/budget.
Aug 28th, 2014, 07:31 AM
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Of the key criteria:
Transport: with a car: 50/50. Burford has a far poorer bus service to the nearest railhead, and an infrequent service to Oxford, so without a car Ch C wins
Church: Ch C's is practically the dullest medieval church in southern England: Burford's is among England's 10 finest, from the point of view of recording a town's history.
History: Ch C has none worth speaking of - until a group of Arts and Crafts artisans moved in the late 19th century to start a new life (they went back to London because they couldn't believe how much more primitive Ch C was than the East End), resulting in a small museum of their work.
Burford has - or rather saw the end of - the Levellers (key part of English radical history), the oldest depiction of an American in the English-speaking world and - beat this - its very own word in medieval Italian (Boriforda), it was such an international trading hub. Chicago or Liverpool were never important enough to get their own word.
Pubs. Burford wins narrowly, but its hinterland wins hands down
Eating. Ch C wins
Atmosphere. On a busy tourist day, Burford gets more choked (it's almost got only one road), and its retail is much more tourist-oriented. Ch C feels more like an ordinary small town
Thatched cottage count. about Ch C 100 Burford 2
Walks. There is no doubt whatsoever that the finest short, painless, rural walk in England (so, by definition, the known universe) is the 5 mile circular Burford-Fulbrook-Swinbrook-Widford-Burford one. The nearby 3 mile Minster Lovell-Crawley walk comes second. Which said, driving to it from - say - Ch C only take 30 mins or so.
Hotels. No idea.
Transport: with a car: 50/50. Burford has a far poorer bus service to the nearest railhead, and an infrequent service to Oxford, so without a car Ch C wins
Church: Ch C's is practically the dullest medieval church in southern England: Burford's is among England's 10 finest, from the point of view of recording a town's history.
History: Ch C has none worth speaking of - until a group of Arts and Crafts artisans moved in the late 19th century to start a new life (they went back to London because they couldn't believe how much more primitive Ch C was than the East End), resulting in a small museum of their work.
Burford has - or rather saw the end of - the Levellers (key part of English radical history), the oldest depiction of an American in the English-speaking world and - beat this - its very own word in medieval Italian (Boriforda), it was such an international trading hub. Chicago or Liverpool were never important enough to get their own word.
Pubs. Burford wins narrowly, but its hinterland wins hands down
Eating. Ch C wins
Atmosphere. On a busy tourist day, Burford gets more choked (it's almost got only one road), and its retail is much more tourist-oriented. Ch C feels more like an ordinary small town
Thatched cottage count. about Ch C 100 Burford 2
Walks. There is no doubt whatsoever that the finest short, painless, rural walk in England (so, by definition, the known universe) is the 5 mile circular Burford-Fulbrook-Swinbrook-Widford-Burford one. The nearby 3 mile Minster Lovell-Crawley walk comes second. Which said, driving to it from - say - Ch C only take 30 mins or so.
Hotels. No idea.
Aug 28th, 2014, 10:09 AM
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We've been on walking trips in the Cotswolds twice with HF Holidays, an English ramblers group. Their house in Bourton is a charming, mostly 18th century manor, you get to meet English walkers, and you are able to walk the traditional footpaths that I would find hard to navigate on my own. They have both week and half week arrangements. We've been to other HF sites, and the Cotswolds is a favorite.
Aug 28th, 2014, 10:15 AM
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If on a budget you may want to stay in Cheltenham - a spa and regular town - a thriving regional town with cheaper B&Bs than the Cotswolds has (per flanneruk - who lives in those hills says - we stayed in Cheltenham for 35 quid a person in an ordinary B&B - Cheltenham is on the edge of the Cotswolds so can make a great base - better to stay in a dreamy Wool Town for atmosphere but they could cost much more.
Aug 28th, 2014, 10:58 AM
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We had no problem hitting the highlights of the Cotswolds from Cheltenham - no problem a'tal so do disagree based on experience - the Cotswolds are not that big - just mention if budget precludes any Cotswold digs like flanneruk says.
http://www.cotswolds.info/places/cheltenham.shtml
And as this site says Cheltenham is IN the Cotswolds and it also says Cheltenham is 'the most complete regency town in the U.K.
If doing Cotswold in depth check out Cheltenham or if looking for a proper city to stay in for folks who love larger towns and not tourist-inundated cute villages Cheltenham is it - and it is IME convenient for hitting all of what one is wont to see in the Cotswold Hills.
http://www.cotswolds.info/places/cheltenham.shtml
And as this site says Cheltenham is IN the Cotswolds and it also says Cheltenham is 'the most complete regency town in the U.K.
If doing Cotswold in depth check out Cheltenham or if looking for a proper city to stay in for folks who love larger towns and not tourist-inundated cute villages Cheltenham is it - and it is IME convenient for hitting all of what one is wont to see in the Cotswold Hills.
