Places to visit in the Cotswolds

A quintessential part of the Cotswolds landscape are cottage gardens, showcasing an eclectic mix of willowy hollyhocks, daisies and geraniums. Wildflowers have their place here, too. Learn how to plan your garden, grow your own flowers, and make beautiful arrangements at Bloomery on the Farncombe estate near Broadway. Workshops are available whatever the season – learn how to create a hand-tied bouquet or a sophisticated vase arrangement.

More creativity fan be found at Honeybourne Pottery. Weekend workshops (90-minute sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday) cater for beginners and cover the whole process from centring your pot on the wheel to using specialist tools. You can have as many goes as you want as first attempts often produce hilarious results!  Your masterpiece can be collected a few weeks after your enjoyable day out. Extend your visit with lunch at The Potting Shed pub or stay over at Dormy House.

Sample craft ales at the family-run North Cotswold Brewery at Ditchford Farm on the Fosseway, just outside Moreton-in-Marsh and Shipston-on-Stour. Award-winning draft, cask and bottled ales include the malty Windrush and chocolatey Moreton Mild. Seasonal ales include autumnal Tumbling Jack and golden Summer Solstice. Something for everyone all year round then!

Visit a local vineyard and sample award-winning sparkling wine, white wine or Cotswold Gold brandy, starring siegerrebe and seyval grapes. Little Oak Vineyard is located on the outskirts of the attractive town of Chipping Campden. If you want to stay longer, an al fresco lunch can be added to the wine tour.  You can even lease a row of vines for a year, meaning you’ll receive several bottles of your own-label wine throughout the year to savour at home.

In picture-perfect Chipping Campden, the Cotswold House Hotel & Spa is a prime example of the region’s honey-coloured stone. Beamed rustic-chic rooms all have views worth seeing, including rolling hills and the landscaped gardens. To one end, the soothing spa has a hydrotherapy pool and uses sustainable products from Bath in massages and facials. There are two restaurants including the Fig, which serves local goodies such as twice-baked double Gloucester cheese souffle.

Explore the Cotswolds on a tour with Cotswolds Tours & Travel. Their classic Cotswold Tour will take you to well-known highlights such as Chipping Campden and Broadway, plus lesser-known villages such as Blockley and Stanton. This family-run company is based at its farm in Bourton-on-the-Hill and visitors are welcome to explore the ancient tithe barns and even to try their hand at dry stone walling.

Tuck into a local feast at Todenham Manor Farm near Moreton-in-Marsh. The breakfast and lunch menu at Moo’s Café ranges from full English breakfasts to steak sandwiches, fresh from the butcher’s shop. It’s not all about meat eaters though, with seasonal, local and flavoursome fare for everyone, from specialty cheeses to home-baked brownies and artisan bread!

Sign up for a workshop at Larkswold, in the delightful village of Adlestrop (famed for the poem by Edward Thomas and its connections to Jane Austen).

Workshops take place in a marquee overlooking a wildflower meadow – a perfect environment for inspiring creatives. Try knitting, lino printing or calligraphy, or opt for a seasonal workshop like an Easter Tree or Christmas Wreath atelier. Expect coffee and cake – they’re essential to the creative process, after all.

Prefer to explore at a slower pace? Book in for a guided tour on an electric bike with Cotswold Electric Bike Tours. Riding along through quiet country lanes will give you a different perspective of iconic villages such as Lower Slaughter and Broadway. Stop for tea and scones, or to photograph a sheep or two grazing peacefully. If you want to ‘go your own way’ on a self-guided tour, stay for a few days and explore the beautiful Windrush and Coln valleys.

Surrounded by ancient woodland, visible through floor-to-ceiling glass doors, sleep in a treehouse raised above the woodland floor. If you’re coming by electric car there’s an EV charging point. Agar’s eco credentials include recycled building materials, a welcome pack with 100 percent local produce, green energy, plus organic and ethically sourced toiletries.

Channel your inner Bear Grylls and learn how to build a shelter in the woods, chop wood and light a fire from scratch, courtesy of Fat Squirrel Outdoor. Family-friendly activities include soft archery (for little ones aged 4 and above) and, for the more adventurous, axe throwing and rifle shooting. Campfire evenings are a natural extension of the day but can be booked separately. What could be nicer than toasting marshmallows and eating hot dogs around a crackling fire?

Experience a humbler way of life at Cogges Manor Farm, a medieval farmhouse complete with a walled garden. Don’t be surprised if Cogges looks familiar – it was Yew Tree Farm in Downton Abbey. Children will love the pygmy goats and miniature Shetland ponies; they can also dress up in historical costumes or take a Welly walk along the Windrush.

Book a workshop with the Cotswolds National Landscape and discover the importance of woods through the ages. Learn a rural skill such as hedge-laying or coppicing and see how the management of the landscape has helped wildlife too. Quarried here for centuries, Cotswold stone is one of the region’s natural resources. Learn how to choose and shape a stone that will be used to build or repair a dry-stone wall on a Fossils and Fun or Call of the Wild course.

Check into De Vere Cotswold Water Park, a contemporary take on Cotswolds living, whose glass and stone architecture is sitting pretty in a watery wonderland of more than 150 lakes, rivers, and unspoilt countryside. Tuck into seasonal and local ingredients at the lakeside Brasserie and Old Boathouse, such as pea and mint tortellini or juicy steaks. Take a dip in the pool before enjoying an indulgent hot stone back massage at Spa6, one of the best Cotswolds spas. And relax….

The history of the Cotswolds goes right back to Roman times and beyond. To see how the region has evolved over time, a visit to the Corinium Museum is a must. From the Stone Age right through to modern times, the story of the Cotswolds unfolds through its collections of prehistoric tools, Roman mosaics and Anglo-Saxon grave goods. The museum runs workshops for children and talks for adults.

Join an exhilarating mountain bike tour of some of the best wild trails in the area. Cotswold Mountain Biking is based near Dursley and offers guided half-day or bespoke tours off the beaten track. The owner, Tim Porter, has a passion for off-road cycling that he loves to share with visitors. Groups are limited to a maximum of five cyclists – bring your own bike or hire one of Tim’s. Electric bikes are available too.

Follow in the footsteps of many of England’s monarchs and pay a visit to Berkeley Castle. Don’t end up like Edward II, who is rumoured to have been murdered here! Built in 1153, the castle has remained in the Berkeley family for 27 generations and has many a tale to tell – including starring in films like Wolf Hall and The Other Boleyn Girl.

Set in 2,000 acres of wonderful countryside, Chavenage is an Elizabethan Grade I-listed manor house that's pretty much stayed the same for 400 years. It’s been the setting for many TV period dramas including Lark Rise to Candleford and Poldark – and, more recently, Declan’s Tetbury pile in Rivals. What's fascinating is that it's very much a family home. Tours must be booked with the friendly owner.