Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds is a range of limestone hills and a designated National Landscape across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties, with villages such as Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford and Chipping Campden.
Best things to do in The Cotswolds
The one thing not to miss
Bath is the most-read place on our Cotswolds list: a UNESCO World Heritage city named after its Roman-built baths, with Georgian streets, about 10 miles from Castle Combe.
Bath1. Bath
A UNESCO World Heritage city, named after its Roman-built baths and listed as one of the Great Spa Towns of Europe. Georgian architecture includes the Royal Crescent, the Circus and the Grand Pump Room, and Bath Abbey dates from the 7th century.
Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.
47,389 readers a month
Sources
2. Blenheim Palace
One of England's largest houses, built between 1705 and 1722 near Woodstock in Oxfordshire. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.
35,057 readers a month
Sources
Unknown author, Public domain 3. Cheltenham
A Regency spa town beside the Cotswolds that grew as a resort after mineral springs were found in 1716. It hosts literature, jazz, science and music festivals, and the Cheltenham Festival with the Gold Cup is held every March.
14,428 readers a month
Sources
4. Cirencester
The largest town within the Cotswolds, on the River Churn, known to the Romans as Corinium. Its Corinium Museum holds an extensive Roman collection, and the Royal Agricultural University, founded in 1840, is based here.
Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.
11,134 readers a month
Sources
5. Castle Combe
A Wiltshire village of Cotswold stone cottages, inside the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. No new houses have been built in the historic centre since about 1600, and it has been called the prettiest village in England.
9,522 readers a month
Sources
6. Sudeley Castle
A Grade I listed castle near Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, begun in 1443. It has ten gardens and is the burial place of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII.
Our sources do not say whether you need to book ahead; check the official site before you go.
5,549 readers a month
Sources
7. Bourton-on-the-Water
A village in Gloucestershire on a wide, flat vale in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Much of the village centre is a designated Conservation Area.
5,266 readers a month
8. Burford
A town on the River Windrush in the Cotswold hills in Oxfordshire, often called the gateway to the Cotswolds. It is 18 miles west of Oxford and 22 miles south-east of Cheltenham.
4,956 readers a month
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9. Bibury
A Gloucestershire village on the River Coln, six miles north-east of Cirencester. Arlington Row, a protected row of old cottages, appears on the inside cover of some British passports.
4,785 readers a month
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10. Stow-on-the-Wold
A market town on an 800-foot hill where main roads meet, including the Roman Fosse Way. Fairs have been held here by royal charter since 1330, and a horse fair still runs in May and October.
4,338 readers a month
Sources
Just missed the list: Tetbury (11th by readers; a Cotswolds market town); Lacock (12th by readers; a historic village in Wiltshire)
How we ranked these
By how many people read about each place on English Wikipedia in a typical month, measured October 2026. It is a popularity measure, not our opinion. Bath leads with about 47,389 readers a month. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are on each photo.
Research required. Area notes for this destination are not written yet. The top 10 above is sourced; the rest of this page is an outline.
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