Guide to Cotswolds AONB for Cottage Holidays

The English Cotswolds are a popular area with holidaymakers.  Renting a holiday cottage in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty could be an ideal choice for those seeking a home from home environment on holiday in England.
 

Find Holiday Lets in the Cotswolds AONB

What the Cotswold AONB Offers for Cottage Holidays

Stretching from the beautiful spa city of Bath in the south, all the way up and east up past Cirencester and all the way up to Chipping Norton and Woodstock in the north east, the Cotswolds is an extensive Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which criss-crosses from Wiltshire across Gloucestershire and in to Oxfordshire and even covers small parts of Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

With abundant natural beauty, the Cotswolds AONB is a popular area for walking, hiking and sightseeing.  The area offers a quintessentially English feel where you can feel like you've stepped back in time and experience a taste of traditional English life.

Pretty Towns and Villages in the Cotswolds AONB

The Cotswolds is home to many pretty towns and villages where the buildings are made from warm toned honey coloured stone, giving the area much charm and appeal.  Often these villages and towns are home to lovely little cafes and boutique-style shops.  Towns obviously have more facilities than the quieter smaller villages.

•    Bath - this spa city within the Cotswolds is incredibly beautiful and home to impressive historical architecture as well as fascinating visitor attractions.

•    Bourton on the Water - possibly one of the prettiest towns within the Cotswold AONB with a river flowing through and small bridges crossing it.

•    Burford - pretty Cotswold village with a scattering of shops and country inns.

•    Chipping Campden - traditional Cotswold town with number of antique shops.

•    Chipping Norton - another pretty Cotswold town.

•    Cirencester - home to ample picturesque appeal along with a good selection of shops and eateries.

•    Stow on the Wold - elegant Cotswold town with number of shops and cafes.

•    Woodstock - home to Blenheim Palace, Woodstock is well worth a visit and it's a little known fact that you can visit the grave of Winston Churchill in the neighbouring village of Bladon.

If you love to discover picturesque villages on holiday, we recommend that you read more about some of the prettiest towns in the Cotswolds.

Places to Visit on Holiday in the Cotswold AONB

The Cotswolds is home to a number of fascinating Arboretums where you can enjoy walks amongst greenery and see a fascinating variety of trees.  These include:

•    Batsford Arboretum

•    Westonbirt, the National Arboretum

There are a number of historical houses and gardens to visit within the Cotswolds AONB these include:

•    Blenheim Palace with its extensive parklands, on the edge of Woodstock.

•    Highgrove Gardens.

•    Painswick Rococo Garden.

•    Sudeley Castle and Gardens.

There are a number of good walks in the Cotswolds, these include:

•    the Cotswold Way

•    the Cross Cotswolds Pathway

•    Parts of the Thames Path also criss-crosses across the Cotswolds.
 

For more information and inspiration on what the Cotswolds has to offer for cottage holidays, we recommend that you read our Cotswold Holiday Guide.