The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds is an area of gentle hills lying between the enticing cities of Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, and Oxford. It’s quintessential England, with pretty villages of honey-coloured stone, manor houses, charming churches, dry-stone walls and country pubs. These days it’s also rather chic with great places to eat, celebrity residents, fashionable places to be seen and lively cultural events.
Much of The Cotswold's success is owed to the superior quality of their medieval sheep. Wealth from wool established the great “wool” churches and created the landscape with its dry-stone walls to enclose the animals. The area includes a variety of other notable architecture, including black and white medieval buildings at Tewkesbury and elegant Regency houses in Cheltenham.
From traditional antique shops at Stow-on-the-Wold and Tetbury to contemporary crafts in Cirencester, you’ll find a whole range of great local shops. There is also fashionable clothes and gift shopping in Regency Cheltenham, high quality items at Prince Charles’s Highgrove shop in Tetbury, and food shopping, including delicious local fare at Daylesford Organic Farmshop.
Boasting one of the most enchanting natural settings in Britain, you can visit leafy gardens, both large and small, two arboretums, National Trust properties, and some small but lovely museums. Of national importance are the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge, Gloucester Cathedral, the National Arboretum at Westonbirt and Hidcote Manor Garden.
The Cotswolds is horseriding heaven, with the National Hunt Festival (including the Gold Cup) taking over for a week in March, plus more horse-related events at Gatcombe and Badminton. There are also well regarded cricket festivals at Gloucester and Cheltenham, and, of course, the “cherry and whites” – Rugby at Gloucester.
At a glance
- Quintessentially English
- Culture and heritage
- National Trust properties
Nearby hotels
showing 7 hotels
Barceló Billesley Manor Hotel, Nr. Stratford-Upon-Avon
A luxury country house hotel near Stratford-upon-Avon, 4 star Premium Barceló Billesley Manor Hotel is perfect for holidays and short breaks in Warwickshire. Surrounded by 11 acres of Warwickshire countryside, the hotel is just three miles from Stratford-upon-Avon and 12 miles from Warwick. A 16th Century Elizabethan manor, Barceló Billesley Manor Hotel is a beautiful country retreat with a 100 year old listed Topiary Garden.
Barceló Cheltenham Park Hotel, Cheltenham
An elegant country house hotel in Cheltenham, 4 star Barceló Cheltenham Park Hotel is ideally located for holidays and short breaks to Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds. The hotel is less than 2 miles from Cheltenham town centre, and sits in beautiful landscaped grounds on the edge of the picturesque Cotswolds. For a relaxing break, this Georgian manor house is ideally located for exploring the spa town of Cheltenham and the surrounding area.
Barceló Combe Grove Manor Hotel, Bath
A stunning country house hotel in Bath, 4 star Premium Barceló Combe Grove Manor Hotel is perfectly located for holidays and short breaks in Bath and Somerset. The hotel is just three miles from Bath city centre, and sits nestled in 69 acres of private gardens and woodland with breathtaking views of the Limpley Stoke Valley. For a relaxing luxury break this hotel offers a superb location for exploring Bath and the surrounding area.
Barceló Oxford Hotel, Oxford
One of the leading 4 star hotels in Oxford, Barceló Oxford Hotel is perfectly located for holidays and short breaks in Oxford and Oxfordshire. The hotel is near Oxford city centre (just 2 miles), and sits just off the A34 and A40, and minutes from the M40. With great transport links into Oxford, Barceló Oxford Hotel is the ideal hotel to stay at when exploring Oxford and the surrounding area.
Barceló The Lygon Arms, Broadway
One of the most famous hotels in the Cotswolds, 4 star Premium Barceló The Lygon Arms hotel in Broadway, Cotswolds is perfect for holidays and short breaks in Worcestershire. This Barceló Premium hotel is one of the most celebrated in England, and has been welcoming travellers to the Cotswolds since the 16th Century. For a relaxing break this hotel is ideally located for exploring the Cotswolds, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
Barceló Walton Hall, Warwickshire
One of the most stunning luxury hotels in Warwickshire, 4 star Premium Barceló Walton Hall is the perfect hotel for holidays and short breaks near Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon. Sitting in 65 acres of beautiful countryside, this country house hotel is just seven miles from the historic towns of Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick, and 10 minutes from the M40.
Barceló Walton Hotel, Warwickshire
A contemporary hotel in Warwickshire, Barceló Walton Hotel is an impressive self-contained 4 star hotel and venue, perfect for holidays and short breaks near Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick. The hotel sits in 65 acres of countryside alongside the beautiful Barceló Walton Hall, just 10 minutes from the M40 and seven miles from Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick.
