Daydreamer

First time to Cotswolds. Only have 2 nights but am fine w/moving around
& staying in two different areas of the Cotswolds, if that makes sense.

Thought we'd see Blenheim & either stay that night in Woodstock,
Burford or perhaps the Falkland Arms. (Great Tew?)

Could drive further too, but think we'll be tired that day,
for will have travelled from quite early, overseas. (albeit *not* from far away)
Will be hiring a car & probably on our way from Stansted, around noon.

Might hit Blenheim around 2-3pm & perhaps do a tour
if worthwhile. So that was why I was thinking of staying somewhat
close-by. However, if 2 nights in one place makes the most sense,
it seems the whole area of the Cotswolds is fairly intimate,
so we could drive further like to Broadway, Bournton on the Water,
Stow on the Wold, OR to Chipping Campden! Winchcombe also
sounds interesting but seems to be a bit further afield? Anyway,
truly are open to any suggestions for a sweet place to stay
and/or any specific inns. Right now Burford House & the Falkland
Arms are esp. appealing. (as is Badger Inn in Chipping Campden,
but it's full unfortunately.) Thanks for any advice!

flanneruk

1. You seem not to be planning on seeing the Cotswolds, but the Northern section centred on the A44 road. There's absolutely no need to move hotels in that case: you'd be hard pressed to take more than 45 mins to drive from Woodstock (5 miles east - and therefore on ther wrong side of - the official Cotswold boundary) to Broadway. It MIGHT take an hour to Winchcombe if you dawdle.

2. Between Burford, Chipping Campden and Woodstock, there's little to choose. Woodstock is closest to London, Chipping Campden has thatched cottages, Burford's got the best church. They've all got lots of not very good restaurants (the Chinese in Woodstock almost cetainly serves the ghastliest parody of Chinese food anywhere in the world: the Greek in Ch C is only a wee bit better), though each has a couple of rather better places. All though are bustling towns, with a fair bit of non-tourist activity. Great Tew is an amazingly pretty group of cottages with a pub (the Falkland Arms), a decent if slightly decrepit church and nothing else. IMHO nice for a quick lunch: boring to stay in. All four have similarly good footpath networks leading out, though getting to them from Burford means more road walking than from the other three

3.I wouldn't stay in Bourton even if the alternative were Misk. All that's horridest in twee Cotswoldia.

janisj

just one comment - Stansted to Woodstock is approx 100 miles and could easily take two hours or more depending on "stuff". If you have any delays getting the car sorted out and hit traffic bottlenecks it might be late afternoon before you get to Blenheim. I personally would not go in if I arrived after 3 or 3:30 PM. The last admission is 4:45 but that just doesn't give one (except for flanneruk - who detests the place ) enough time. If you do go, you really should tour the interior.

There is absolutely no need whatsoever to move from one town/village to another. I might pick Burford myself (I just like the place and have stayed there for a full week 3 different times). Its a good base. Chipping Campden would be my 2nd choice - either would be perfectly fine.

I would not stay in Broadway - just me personally. I have taken scads of photos in Great Tew and have sold quite a few - it is a pretty village. But as a location to stay - probably not so much . . . . .

julia_t

There is much more to the Cotswolds than just the north-east part you are talking about.

It is a beautiful area and gets - deservedly - many 'visitors'.

Further south the hills get steeper, the valleys get deeper and narrower, the stone gets greyer. But it is still incredibly lovely. And there are \relatively few visitors, except on weekends when our fellow Englishmen come to see this glorious part of England.

The market towns of Cirencester and Tetbury probably get the most, followed by Regency Cheltenham - though that and Gloucester are just off the edge of the Escarpment.

There are many charming villages, Painswick, Minchinhampton, Bibury, to name a few, and many more small villages like Bisley, Chalford - both of which seem to tumble down the valley sides, fabulous views everywhere you look, "quaint" ancient pubs and some really good restaurants based in old pubs.

Could be worth a few hours of your trip to see the 'undiscovered Cotswolds'.

janisj

julia is definitely right -- but she needs to delete Bibury from the "undiscovered" list It is a beautiful, small place - that is unfortunately simply overrun most weekends and basically all summer.

The thing is - I use Burford as a base to tour ALL parts of the Cotswolds, and over into the Forest of Dean and down into Wiltshire. The western and southern bits are beautiful. But the entire region is not so large that one needs to pick up and move from one B&B to another.

flanneruk

Between Tetbury and the northern market towns there's really no difference (though the display of Duchy Originals in the Tetbury Tesco - Big Ears' local grocery - is a masterpiece of brown-nosing, and not at all what you'd expect from the Tesco CEO). Possibly slightly fewer tourists in Tetbury: but more weekending merchant bankers. janisj's bang on about Bibury: calling it undiscovered is deranged, and you could hardly move there last Sunday

But the countryside in the SW Cotswolds is a lot nicer than in the NE.

julia_t

I realised that about Bibury later after I'd posted! But I hadn't meant that Bibury was undiscovered; I was referring to those small villages clinging to the sides of almost-hidden valleys and tucked away down narrow lanes.

(Note to self - must be more careful about how I word things, and to proof-read before posting!)

Daydreamer

Thank you all so much!!
Truly appreciate your opinions, and for sharing
more about an area far less written about...
the SW or western Cotswold area.

Have to say ALL of the travel books seem to only
go as far west as Winchcombe for whatever reason.
I did find a few covering walks, which went into lesser known areas, but sadly, despite working for a library,
and having access to TONS of travel guides, I have to emphasize that it seems the region you all mentioned
as the north or northeast truly is the main one covered.

But even if it weren't...we won't be going to Bath
this time or Stonehenge. Instead, will be heading to North
Wales for a few days. (so exploring the Cotswold towns
more northerly wouldn't be totally crazy) As already,
I gather it's a decent-length drive in order to reach Snowdownia for our 3rd night in the U.K.

Appreciate your thoughts. I see one vote for Burford
out of those towns & areas, I mentioned. With Chipping C.
mentioned as # 2. May I ask what appeals to you more
re: Burford. I just want to be sure & avoid a town *too*
large, too, or busy/traffic-filled. Would Burford have
worse traffic than Chipping C? I gather from here that Bourton is just too 'fabricated'? And Broadway simply too busy? Great Tew...pretty, but almost *too* small despite its beauty?? If I focus in then more on staying in only one town...is Burford situated a bit too far south, if we'll ultimately be heading to North Wales? Then again, sounds like it's well-located for exploring the southwest, etc.
Thanks again for all of your terrific assistance, thus far!
Sorry I was so slow to reply, but have been away. It's helpful to know that you all recommend, staying put.
As it is, we only really have one full day to explore that
area. (with 2 nights) Unless we scrap the few hrs to see
Blenheim...or skip things like Warwick on our day out driving towards Wales. (which again, we're open to doing if it too
seems too fabricated) Have a great week, everyone!

Daydreamer

Btw, if the distances really aren't all that different
to Snowdownia...would be willing to stay in a town
in the more undiscoved area. But would need help too
figuring out which town, exactly? If staying there,
does Stonehenge or other stone circles become options?
No burning need to visit, but if in the area...
could be interesting.

Lastly, janis...could you share your fave places
to stay in Burford, since you have stayed there so often?
One I'm considering is Burford house. Thanks!

flanneruk

There's no "undiscovered" area of the Cotswolds (though the Rollright Stones, on the road from Burford or Woodstock to Chipping Campden, is an almost always deserted stone circle except on Midsummer's Day, costs somewhere between nothing and 50p to get into and unlike Stonehenge you can walk among the stones all the time)

If your library really does have books that claim to tell you about the area but don't mention Bibury, you ought to fire whoever selects your books.

Then go to www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk, and select the interactive map in the "Getting out and about" tab, which shows you what we're all on about. Woodstock, Burford, Winchcombe and Chipping Campden are virtually identical in size, all are devoid of suburbs, all have the same well-behaved stream of traffic along the main street by day and all are practically traffic-free at night.

Broadway's not particularly busy. Burford, Woodstock, Chipping Campden, Tetbury and Winchcombe are local mini (or rather nano)- metropolises with a bit of buzz coming from us all doing our shopping or whatever. Tourists get absorbed because they look no different from us patronising the Woodstock butcher, the Chipping Campden wine merchant or a North Cotswold Choral Society recital in Burford church. Broadway, Bibury and Bourton on the Water, though pretty, have practically no role in life except dealing with tourists - and they quickly feel tourist-ridden.

janisj

Flanner about nailed it - very little difference between the four (Woodstock, Burford, Winchcombe, Chipping Campden). Sorry - I really can't help much w/ accommodations in Burford because I have always rented cottages for a week at a time. I've eaten in just about every hotel (and every restaurant, pub) in Burford at one time or another - but have never stayed in one over night.

Which you choose is really up to you and you'll be happy w/ any of them. I like the mix of shops and restaurants in Burford, the church, the river/swans etc.

Chipping Campden or Woodstock would be absolutely fine too. I think Winchcombe would be my least favorite -- but that is my totally subjective personal opinion and might just be because I've spent less time there than the other three. You might love the place.

Daydreamer

Thank you both again! I won't stress then,
as it seems all are equal, essentially.

Also, those stones between Burford & Woodstock
sound worthwhile!
And I meant to ask...is Minster Lovell, as well? I thought I saw someone recommend that in the past here, perhaps?
Is it truly walkable from Burford, do you think?
(or *worth* the walk?) Perhaps better simply driven up to,
if the walk itself is dull, somehow.

Sounds like Broadway & Bourton on the Water are more scenic out of the bunch, but less 'real' or authentic than the others with everyday people living in them & carrying on their lives.
However, if one is hands over head more pretty than the more liveable towns...
I suppose that's appealing too, in some respects. (if it's truly peaceful in them, too, at night?)

But am not sure whether there are such degrees of 'loveliness' between these towns/villages, or not? Or, whether ALL truly are neck & neck in their visual appeal?
Both those that are a bit larger & more 'liveable'...
as well as those more overrun w/tourists. However, if overrun...one would think that means those particular ones
*must* be a bit more scenic?

Great Tew, on the other hand, it seems was just way too tiny for anyone here to feel much like recommending for an overnight.

Two books *did* however say the Falkland Arms really feels quite authentic, actually. And,
I noticed decent reviews on TripAdvisor too for it, and it's reasonably priced, as well.
Burford runs more expensive...
or at least, the Burford House does. (one that appeals,
but is running fairly high like 150-160 GBP) Of course,
its rooms are more upscale, too, however. (and baths)

I wonder since we're travelling midweek in late April, whether to simply chance NOT booking & hope for last minute discounts? I wonder if that's very common in such areas?

As far as books at the library...(flanneruk)
those that focus solely on the Cotswolds, which we don't have a great deal of, being located SO far away...but those that do, yes, include a bit on walks in *all* towns, etc. (but never info on lodging/restaurants) Such books are almost always more 'photo' table sort of books.

Otherwise, the practical info books from Rick Steves, to Fodors, Frommers, Lonely Planet, or Rough Guides obviously cover far *more* than one tiny region, so necessarily have to select just a handful of towns to discuss. And some just don't enter much discussion, it seems. :-\ So, that's why so many come on here, I believe, requesting assistance with selecting just which towns to center their stays around.
Thank you again!