Cotswolds Information & Tourism Guide

There is so much to see and do on a Cotswolds Holiday that it can be a rather tiring holiday to go on! Countless villages and rolling countryside make it the ideal base for a stunning and active holiday.

Of course you will need somewhere to stay while you are here, and there is no better place to pick than one of our Cotswolds Cottages. But have you got your eyes on the right one?

It’s natural enough to pick the cottage that has the exact number of beds you want. But you should also think about all the other facilities you will need while you are your holiday. It’s also a good idea to bear in mind the type of holiday you are intending to have. Some people are a lot more active than others and will be out and about every day. If that sounds like you, and miles and miles of walking are on your agenda, why not pick a larger cottage that has other features to enjoy?

After all, if you have spent all day roaming the countryside you will probably enjoy a nice relaxing evening resting your tired feet! And what better place to do just that than in a property which has an open fire to enjoy, such as the one in The Dower House in Uley, Stroud?

Most people are more focused on where to stay and which places they want to visit, rather than thinking about the property they are choosing to stay in. But why limit yourself to somewhere small when you can enjoy bigger surroundings? We have plenty of outstanding properties dotted all over the Cotswolds, so you are sure to find somewhere that will really suit you.

Think about the exterior of the properties you are considering staying in too. If you are visiting during the summer you will have the long warm evenings to look forward to. What better way to savour them than by staying in a property that has a beautiful garden to eat an al fresco meal in? You might even feel the need for a barbecue – the stunning Calcot Peak Barn in the gorgeously named Crickley Barrow has one that you can use during the summer months. Now that would mean an evening to look forward to after a long day out!

As you can see, it’s not just the bedrooms you will want to consider when booking your holiday property in the Cotswolds. Think about the location and the size of the property too, as this can affect what kind of facilities you can expect to have.

Some people find a beautiful cottage to stay in and opt to revisit the same one every year. This does mean you know exactly what to expect, but why not consider other ones too if you are coming back to stay with us again? If you pick a different area you’ll be able to explore even more of the Cotswolds than you did before.

When we think of the countryside we tend to think about all the sights and sounds that come with it; graceful and peaceful scenery, quaint village pubs, animals roaming the fields… and its fair share of barns dotted about the landscape.

But while some of these barns have seen better days, others have been dutifully rescued and refurbished. They now provide a great option for people who want a different kind of Holiday Cottages to stay in on their holiday to the Cotswolds. And luckily we have several that you can choose from if you want a real taste of the country to come home to for the time you’re here!

Take the Harvest Barn in the quiet area of Stonesfield in Woodstock, for example. This building might feel imposing from the outside, but we can guarantee you’ll love what you see as soon as you step through the door. The bedrooms are all large, calming and relaxing, and there is plenty of space to sit back and drink in the atmosphere of the Cotswolds at any point during the day or night too.

And you might be interested to know that Woodstock is a charming place to spend your Holiday in the Cotswolds too. It is home to Blenheim Palace among other places, and it was the location where Sir Winston Churchill was born.

Owl Barn in Bampton is another great option for a barn conversion property to stay in. Once again you will appreciate the size and sometimes unusual ceiling pitch of the upper bedrooms! This property is very popular among visitors to the area because it is situated virtually in the middle of nowhere. There are a few other places nearby, but you are guaranteed a quiet and calm time if you stay here.

Bampton also offers a unique look back into history, since it was home to the Romans several centuries ago. Many of the properties here date back to the 17^th and 18^th centuries, and provide a wonderful insight into the past as you wander around the streets before heading back to Owl Barn.

The great thing about renting a barn for your Cotswolds holiday is that you are guaranteed to get a rural location. After all, that’s where barns generally are! You will also get a nice large property that you can enjoy with the rest of the family, with plenty of space to spread out and take some time for yourselves as well.

Many barn conversions are also rather new, so you can also be sure that the quality is good. They can be quite unusual too, as King John’s Barn in Leafield shows. This property actually consists of two places to stay, so if you are going on holiday with a large group of friends you can split off into two groups and stay next door to each other. Yet you will still be able to take advantage of all the style and excitement of a traditional barn conversion.

So when you are planning on coming to the Cotswolds, why not stay in a barn while you’re here?

We all look forward to that week or two during the year when we get to take a well earned break from our regular daily lives. But a week or two never seems enough, does it?

It can happen sometimes that you might be able to take a longer break for one reason or another. For example, if you have been poorly and you’d like to recuperate and get some much needed fresh air, what better way to do it than a Cotswolds Holiday?

Whatever the reason for your extended break might be, you’ll be glad to know that you won’t have any problems renting a cottage or holiday property for a longer period of time here in the Cotswolds. We have a number of Cotswolds Cottages that you can rent for a longer period of time over the winter, when things are generally even quieter than usual! It could be just what you are looking for.

Take the wonderfully named Bobble Cottage in Bourton on the Water, for example. This charming property is set in a peaceful and relaxing area – just the ticket if you need some time away to renew your energy levels!

And of course Bourton on the Water is one of the most popular and well known villages in the whole of the Cotswolds. It has picture postcard scenery and you can take a stroll along the banks of the River Windrush as well. And there are plenty of other activities to keep you amused during a longer stay in this area too. The Cotswold Pottery is in this village, and it has been going for over thirty years. It’s a great opportunity to buy something completely unique to take home with you when you leave.

Alternatively you could opt for Sycamore Cottage in Bisley. This quaint looking cottage is exceptionally well decorated and finished to an extremely high standard. Bisley itself is a wonderful little village that is quite high up in the Cotswolds, so you will be able to indulge in some nice walks that give you a great view over the valley. You won’t want to miss out on the fine fare offered by the Stirrup Cup either. This is a local pub in Bisley that is very popular and welcoming.

You may not have the advantage of the warm sun during a longer winter stay in the Cotswolds. But it does open the doors to a whole new experience. Imagine waking up and seeing the frost touching everything outside your cottage window. There’s nothing better than taking a bracing winter walk around the hills of the Cotswolds, before heading back for a hot bath and perhaps a hot toddy as well!

You don’t just have Sycamore Cottage and Bobble Cottage to choose from either. There are plenty of Cotswolds Cottages which are just the ticket for an extended winter stay if you are up for a change of scene. So why not think about doing just that this year?

What is the first thing you think of when you think about the various ways in which you can see the Cotswolds?

For many people the first thought will be walking.  There are lots of walking trails after all, and you could spend weeks wandering along them all.  Then there is cycling, which has the advantage of allowing you to see more in less time.

But have you ever considered the idea of hot air ballooning?

There is no better way to get a unique view of the beauty that is the Cotswolds than by using this particular method.  This way of seeing things is slightly unpredictable in that there is no telling just how high you will go.  But even if the conditions dictate that you only go a few metres higher than the trees, you will get an altogether different view of the countryside than you would be able to get any other way.

You’ll need a head for heights of course, but some people find that once they actually get up there and see what’s waiting for them, they forget about how far up they are.  And it can be as high as three thousand feet…

So where can you enjoy a balloon ride in the Cotswolds?  Well, you may already have heard of the Cotswolds Water Park.  The name doesn’t really do justice to the size of the place, but it is well worth a visit and is situated near Cirencester.  It actually takes up some forty square miles, so you will find plenty of land to explore once you arrive.

And of course you can stay nearby too, so you won’t have too much of a journey to be able to book your place on a hot air balloon.  Orchard Cottage is a classic property situated in South Cerney, and we also have several other properties inside the Cotswolds Water Park itself.  Take the Lake View lodge, for example.  You’ll get a terrific view across a lake, and you might even be able to look down on your holiday property from the hot air balloon too!

The best bet if you fancy giving hot air ballooning a go is to find some companies online before you go on your holiday.  You might find you have to book in advance so you won’t be disappointed and miss out.

But whenever you plan to go, you should be sure to take your camera with you.  There is no better picture of the Cotswolds than the one you can take from hundreds – perhaps even thousands – of feet in the air!  It’s a great way to preserve your memories of this stunning way to see more of the countryside than you could ever hope to do on foot or by bike or car.

What’s more, it’s extremely peaceful up there too.  You are at the mercy of the wind and so you will never quite be sure of what part of the Cotswolds you will look down on.  Are you ready to find out?