Hotels in Cotswolds

Cotswolds: Limestone Villages Across the English Midlands

The Cotswolds stretch roughly 90 miles from Chipping Campden in the north to Bath in the south, crossing parts of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. The region's signature honey-coloured limestone, quarried since the Roman period, gives villages like Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, and Castle Combe a visual coherence rare in England. Designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (aonb) in 1966, the Cotswolds cover approximately 787 square miles — the largest such designation in England and Wales.

Where to Stay

Hotels concentrate around market towns: Cheltenham offers Georgian terraces and a direct rail link to London Paddington (just over 2 hours), while Cirencester, built on the Roman road Ermin Street, provides central access to the southern villages. Chipping Norton and Stow-on-the-Wold suit visitors focused on the northern arc. Country house hotels occupy converted manor estates between villages; B&Bs and coaching inns line the high streets of most settlements.

Practical Tips

• Getting around: A car is almost essential — bus services between villages are infrequent outside summer.
• Peak season: July–August and the Christmas market period (November–December) see highest rates; book accommodation 6–8 weeks ahead.
• Rail access: Moreton-in-Marsh station sits on the Cotswold Line linking Oxford and Worcester.
• Walking: The Cotswold Way national trail runs 102 miles from Chipping Campden to Bath.