Cotswolds

Cotswold Hills

The Cotswolds are limestone hills in southwest England. The scenery here is beautiful, tourists can see many picturesque villages, all houses in which are built of limestone quarried in the same places, the color of which varies from honey to silver. The gardens and parks in the Cotswolds area look best in late spring and early summer.

General Information

The prettiest of the Cotswolds villages is probably Bourton-on-the-Water, with its many low stone bridges crossing the small River Windrush.

Further south is Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest-ranked village in the area, with a large square surrounded by impressive honey-colored houses. The narrow lanes leading off the square were originally used to drive sheep to market. Charleston House nearby is one of the finest mansions in England.

Another village, Cirencester was a bustling market town in the Middle Ages, but today remains a bustling settlement and is effectively the capital of the southern part of the district. A magnificent 15th century church dominates the rooftops of Cirenster.

.

Chipping Camden is another lovely village with its famous High Street main street and island-topped market pavilion. In 1902, figures from the Arts and Crafts movement, led by William Morris, founded the guild in the premises of a silk factory – now home to an exhibition and craft workshops.