This little collection of picturesque villages make a perfect Cotswolds day trip as they are close enough together that they can easily be visited all in one day!
1. Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water is perhaps the most popular of the Cotswolds destinations on this list, or at least it was certainly the busiest on the day we visited on a sunny day in July. The village centres around the River Windrush with lots of low stone bridges criss-crossing over it. Some have even called in the Venice of the Cotswolds! The village is home to a plethora of quaint tea rooms and ice cream shops as well as a motor museum and a model village.
2. Lower Slaughter
Despite a name that sounds like its from a horror film, Upper and Lower Slaughter are arguably the prettiest villages on the list! The name actually has nothing to do with murder, it comes from ‘slough’ which means wet land, referring to the River Eye flowing through both.
The focal point of the Lower Slaughter is the Old Mill which now houses a museum and cafe.
3. Upper Slaughter
The two slaughters are within walking distance from one another, just 20-25 minutes apart. However if you don’t want to have to walk back to collect your car then it’s just a 5 minute drive.
Upper Slaughter is home to many traditional Cotswolds stone cottages as well as a spectacular old manor house which is now a hotel.
The village is known for being one of only a handful of ‘doubly thankful’ villages in the England. This title means that the village lost none of its residents during World War I or World War II.
4. Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold is an old market town, again with a peculiar name! The town was originally established as a fort (stow) positioned on a hill (wold) with a great view of the surrounding area. Hence, Stow-on-the-Wold. Over the centuries it evolved into a bustling market town.
Unfortunately the old market square now houses a car park. However, there are still plenty of tea rooms and medieval buildings to see. St. Edwards’ Church is also worth visiting to see the magnificent Yew trees that frame its doorway.
5. Broadway
Broadway is a large village with several shops, cafes and pubs to explore. Just outside the village, you can find Broadway tower. It’s worth a visit for the tower itself and also the stunning views over the Cotswolds countryside. The tower is around a 30-40 minute up-hill walk from the car park in the village. We foolishly made the trek on the hottest day of the year with no water with us – only to discover there is a car park at the top of the hill, by the tower too! In better conditions it would be a very pleasant walk though! We saw a mixture of people passing us, some in hiking gear with walking sticks and boots, some in summer dresses and sandals, it really wasn’t too strenuous!
6. Stanton
The perfect way to finish off a day roaming around the Cotswolds is to have a lovely pub dinner at the Mount Inn. The pub offers spectacular views over the village of Stanton and across the Cotswolds!