The Cotswolds are a range of hills in south western and west-central England covering an area approximately 25 miles (40 km) across and 90 miles (145 km) long.
The Cotswold area, which has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, lies mainly within the English counties of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, but extends into parts of Wiltshire, Somerset, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire.
The Cotswolds is home to countless "chocolate box" villages and vibrant towns, beautiful bucolic countryside, thousands of miles of walks and cycle routes, and many Cotswold attractions such as historic houses and country estates, country parks and watersports centres, archaeological sites and much more.
The location of the Cotswolds makes it within easy reach of London and the South East, the south coast, the south west, Wales and the Midlands.
No matter where you are in the Cotswolds, you're not far from beautiful countryside and miles of walking including The Cotswold Way, Macmillan Way, Oxfordshire Way and Shakespeare's Way.
How many people live in the Cotswolds? - The most recent figures measure the population of the Cotswolds at over 139,000 - though the figure today is likely to be higher.
The Cotswolds were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966, with an expansion on 21 December 1990 to 1,990 square kilometres (approx. 768 sq miles). In 1991, all AONBs were measured again using modern methods. The official area of the Cotswolds AONB was increased to 2,038 square kilometres (787 sq miles).
In 2000, the Government confirmed that AONBs had the same landscape quality and status as National Parks.
The Cotswolds AONB, which is the largest one in England and Wales, stretches from the border regions of South Warwickshire and Worcestershire, through West Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, and takes in parts of Wiltshire, Bath, and North East Somerset in the South. Gloucestershire County Council is responsible for sixty-three percent of the AONB. [source: Wikipedia]
Road links to the Cotswolds are good; The Cotswolds lie between the M5, M40, and M4 motorways.
The main non-motorway roads through the area are:
the A46: Bath – Stroud – Cheltenham
the A419: Swindon – Cirencester – Stroud
the A429: Cirencester – Stow-on-the-Wold – Moreton-in-Marsh
the A40: Oxford – Burford – Cheltenham.
These all roughly follow the routes of ancient roads, some laid down by the Romans, such as
Ermin Street and the Fosse Way.
For a fantastic way to see the Cotswolds, hire a classic car in the Cotswolds
Some towns such as Cirencester charge for parking in their car parks, while other locations including Burford offer free parking to visitors.
The "pay and display" car parks in the Cotswolds have offered card payments or smartphone app based payments, but there's a phased approach to remove 'pay by cash' option in Cotswolds car parks.
The Cotswolds is bounded by two major rail routes: in the south by the main Bristol–Bath–London High
Speed line (including the South Wales Main Line) and in the west by the Bristol–Birmingham main
line.
In addition, the Cotswold Line runs through the Cotswolds from Oxford to Worcester, and the
Golden Valley Line runs from Swindon via Stroud to Gloucester, carrying high speed and local
services.
Main-line, high-speed rail services to the big cities run from stations such a Bath, Swindon,
Oxford, Cheltenham, and Worcester. High-speed services to London Paddington also are available
from Kemble station near Cirencester, Kingham station near Stow-on-the-Wold, Charlbury station,
and Moreton-in-Marsh station.
Additionally, there is the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway serving the Cotswolds from
Cheltenham to Winchcombe.
Cheltenham, which is located just West of the Cotswolds, is a hub for National Express coach services. There are local bus services across the Cotswold area and a coach service runs directly from London Victoria to Cirencester.
There is no one definitive answer to the question of the best way to get around the Cotswolds. The options include car, bus, train, and bicycle - each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
For visitors who want to see as much of the Cotswolds as possible though, we'd say that a car is the best option. There are many scenic routes to explore, and drivers can easily stop to take photographs or wander through villages.
This is an impossible question to answer, but Sam Bella AKA The Travel Crush has produced a video called "Cotswolds prettiest villages: Best places to see". It's well worth a watch!
The Cotswolds area runs through six counties. Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire and north Somerset.
When you are planning a trip to the Cotwolds you may wish to arrange your accommodation before you arrive in the area. Whether you are looking for Cotswold hotels, self catering holiday cottages or bed & breakfast accommodation, you have lots to choose from!