What a wealth of things to see! Geography and history have combined to offer a wonderful array of attractions in the Cotswolds, from beautifully sited country houses and some of the country’s most glorious gardens to wonderful medieval churches and absorbing Roman remains. But the region is no time-warp; you’ll find that its chocolate-box prettiness doesn’t preclude contemporary enterprise and eccentric modern charm.
It would be a very tall order to explore all the venues the Cotswolds offers, so to provide a starting point, I’ve selected the following highlights.
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Best for sightseeing
Broadway Tower
Hike around Broadway Tower, a folly on the escarpment above picturesque Broadway, to get the best views in the Cotswolds. Then visit the monument for its sheer eccentricity. Designed by Capability Brown and completed in 1798, the tower became a holiday home of William Morris.
Insider tip: Intriguingly, one of the country’s Cold War nuclear bunkers, still equipped from the 1980s, can be visited here. You clamber down a ladder for 45-minute tours conducted by retired members of the Royal Observer Corps.
Website: broadwaytower.co.uk
Price: £
Blenheim Palace
Set on the fringes of Woodstock, near Oxford, Blenheim Palace is utterly magnificent. The 18th-century Baroque mansion was built for General John Churchill after his decisive victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Today it’s home to his descendant, the 12th Duke of Marlborough. There’s a huge amount to see: the majestic state rooms; an exhibition on Winston Churchill, who was born here; an animated, interactive first-floor exhibition about Blenheim’s scandals and family stories; the kitchens (which can be seen on a Downstairs tour); a butterfly house. But best of all are the grounds, largely designed by Capability Brown.
Insider tip: Blenheim Palace has a fabulous collection of trees, particularly oaks. You’ll see the best of these on a 45-minute walk around the lake and Grand Cascade.
Website: blenheimpalace.com
Price: ££
The Cotswolds Distillery
Founded in 2014, The Cotswolds Distillery has become one of the Cotswolds’ most popular attractions. Tours of the stills and warehouses (adults-only) finish with generous tastings; you’ll learn about the botanicals from which the craft gin is made, and about the single malt whisky first released in 2017.
Insider tip: Down the road is Whichford Pottery, a studio making flowerpots by hand and offering a relaxing café and gallery (open daily about the same hours as the distillery).
Website: cotswoldsdistillery.com
Price: ££
Dyrham Park
Eight miles north of Bath, Dyrham Park is a beautiful Baroque country mansion set in 270 acres of parkland complete with ancient trees. Much of the joy of a visit here is to wander the grounds and the formal gardens. Make time to visit the house, too; it contains some of the National Trust’s finest tapestries and furniture.
Insider tip: Dyrham Park’s greenhouse is not only striking – when it was built in the 17th-century it used the latest technology – but it was a political statement at the time, too: as it was used for growing oranges, it was said to be showing support for the controversial king, William of Orange.
Website: nationaltrust.org.uk
Price: ££
Best for families
The Model Village
The Model Village is the most enchanting of the many family-friendly attractions in picturesque Bourton-on-the-Water. It’s a one-ninth scale replica of the village, so most properties are just over knee-high to an adult. Complete with wonky guttering and little windows you can peer through, all the mini buildings are clad in Cotswold stone.
Insider tip: While you’re here, call in at Birdland, close to the centre of the village. Set across woodland and gardens beside the River Windrush, this magical nine-acre park is home to about 500 birds, from flamingos to pelicans, penguins and owls.
Website: theoldnewinn.co.uk/model-village
Price: £
Cotswold Wildlife Park
Cotswold Wildlife Park, a private zoo and park, makes for an enchanting family day out. Rhinos graze in front of the Heyworth’s Neo-Gothic stately home, meerkats play in close-knit groups, penguins gather for elevenses. There’s an eye-to-eye giraffe walkway, a children’s farmyard with goats (among other animals) to stroke, an adventure playground and much more. The vibe is utterly charming – and eccentric.
Insider tip: Make sure you’re here at noon for the daily lemur feeding session and for the chance to talk with the keepers of the animals from Madagascar.
Website: cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk
Price: ££
Cotswold Farm Park
Feed goats and lambs, get up close to rabbits and guinea pigs, meet Suffolk Punch horses, rare-breed sheep and more. This is a wonderfully generous venue, established in the 1970s by Joe Henson to conserve native farm animals and today run by his son, TV presenter Adam Henson. Among other activities for children, there are sandpits to play in, pedal tractors to ride and woodlands to explore.
Insider tip: Download a map from the Cotswold Farm Park website and follow a two-mile circular walk through the farmland. It’s rich in wildlife and dotted with information posts.
Website: cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk
Price: ££
Best for history
Chastleton House
Chastleton House is a gem of a Jacobean country mansion – owing to lack of money for generations of owners, it’s little changed since the 17th century. You walk through great panelled rooms, admire portraits and tapestries, marvel at a magnificent vaulted long gallery and hear intriguing tales from the National Trust volunteers.
Insider tip: End your visit with a wander through the gardens. The topiary is terrific and there’s even a 400-year-old mulberry tree.
Website: nationaltrust.org.uk
Price: ££
Corinium Museum
Cirencester was once Corinium Dubunnorum, the second-largest town in Roman Britain. The amazing ancient remains in its Corinium Museum range from fabulous mosaics to carvings – this is one of the best collections of Roman antiquities in the country. There are other displays, too, from Neolithic to Victorian times.
Insider tip: For more Roman wonders head 10 miles north to the National Trust’s substantial Chedworth Roman Villa complete with bathhouse rooms.
Website: coriniummuseum.org
Price: £
St Mary’s Church at Swinbrook
Many of the famous Mitford sisters are buried at St Mary’s Church in Swinbrook, which might be reason enough to visit. Yet there are other compelling sights in this 12th-century church, especially the amazing tombs of the landowning Fettiplace family, whose effigies are stacked one above the other as if on shelves. From here you can also follow a path through fields to see 11th-century St Oswald’s Church.
Insider tip: Pop down the road to have a drink at Swinbrook’s Swan pub and take in Mitford memorabilia on display there.
Website: burfordchurch.org
Price: Free
Kelmscott Manor
This is a must-see for anyone who loves the fabrics, wallpapers, window dressings and more of William Morris, father of the Arts & Crafts movement. The artist, poet, printer, socialist and environmentalist first saw 17th-century Kelmscott Manor in 1871 and was enchanted. He quickly leased it with his artist friend Dante Gabriel Rossetti and it remained his favourite retreat until his death in 1896. Inside, see Morris’s furniture and furnishings along with works by Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones and exquisite needlework by Jane and May Morris.
Insider tip: Be sure to wander the grounds, too. Owing to the layout of the house, there is a series of small walled gardens; these include a topiary dragon shaped by Morris – it looks a bit like a whale with a long tail.
Website: kelmscottmanor.org.uk
Price: ££
Best for nature
Westonbirt Arboretum
From elegant acers to beautiful beeches, the 15,000 trees at The National Arboretum at Westonbirt are an inspiring collection that dates back to 1829. Walk some of the 17 miles of footpaths here and then head to higher heights; a 13 metre-high walkway runs some 300 metres (about the same length as London’s Millennium Bridge) and offers a wonderful outlook over the canopy.
Insider tip: Come in spring for outrageous colour from rhododendron blooms, in summer for fantastic walks with picnics under magnificent cedars, in autumn for terrific leaf colour from acers, and in winter for illuminated trails.
Website: forestryengland.uk
Price: ££
Rousham Gardens
Set above the River Cherwell, this privately owned, magical garden is an 18th-century masterpiece of landscape design. It is full of striking features, from a woodland rill to cascades, beautiful vistas and theatrical follies. In addition, there are three exquisitely planted walled gardens.
Insider tip: There’s no tearoom or gift shop (this is a proudly uncommercialised garden) but visitors are welcome to bring picnics to enjoy on the lawns.
Website: rousham.org
Price: ££
Kiftsgate Court Gardens
Kiftsgate Court Gardens is one of the most sublime of the Cotswolds’ many great gardens. It was started in the 1920s and subsequently beautifully expanded, so there’s an appealing mix of styles and planting. Come for the tulips, bluebells and especially the roses – in early to mid July the white Kiftsgate roses put on an amazing display.
Insider tip: Make a horticultural day of it and also visit the more formal gardens of the National Trust’s Hidcote Manor just across the way.
Website: kiftsgate.co.uk
Price: ££
How we choose
Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from world-class museums to family-friendly theme parks – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations.