A weekend in the Cotswolds, UK: The best hotels, restaurants and things to do

Stretching across five counties in southern England, the Cotswolds is one of the UK’s best loved natural landscapes, with endless rolling greenery and dark skies. In many ways it’s hard to believe that its single-track lanes and quiet villages are just a two-hour drive from the bustle of London, but the Cotswolds’ close proximity to the British capital is part of its appeal to burnt-out urbanites seeking a countryside recharge.

Once famous for its wool trade – which saw affluent merchants set up stately homes and churches during the 18th century – the Cotswolds today is in a UK staycation staple, known for its boutique hotels, pubs with rooms, chic farm shops and slick fine dining spots imagined by forward-thinking hoteliers and restaurateurs. Instantly recognisable are its farmhouses, villages and towns built of local sandstone, whose idiosyncratic honey tones can be seen from Bath, on the southern edge of the Cotswolds, up to Chipping Campden in the north.

At its heart, the town of Cirencester draws crowds for its weekly farmers’ market and handsome high street, while quintessential villages such as Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Witney and Broadway are studded with stylish pubs and cosy lodgings. Almost wherever you go, you’re guaranteed a picturesque village centre, rolling farmland or quaint farm outpost (some fitted out with “honesty” iPads for contactless payment).

Here, we highlight the best places to have on your radar for a break in the Cotswolds, from must-visit villages to splendid walking trails.

Where to stay in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds accommodation scene is diverse, from storied boozers with good-looking rooms to quirky boutique hotels and sublime manor houses. In the rural village of Eynsham in Oxfordshire, Estelle Manor has turned heads since its 2023 launch, putting a contemporary twist on a traditional country club concept. Set within 3,000 acres of parkland, this Jacobean mansion offsets original features – including regal fireplaces, ornate ceilings and vintage furnishings – with contemporary art, while there’s a greenhouse restaurant serving food from the onsite allotment and a Roman-inspired thermal spa.

A ten-minute drive south of Eynsham, the boho-chic farmhouse at Artist Residence in South Leigh is a lesson in eccentric design, with rooms defined by bespoke four-poster beds and antique furniture.

In Cheltenham, Cowley Manor Experimental contrasts bold, modern decor with original 17th-century features. The estate is said to have inspired Lewis Caroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), which informed its renovation by French designer Dorothée Meilichzon, visible in its chequerboard carpets and rabbit door knockers. Its destination restaurant is overseen by London-based chef Jackson Boxer, and is renowned among local circles for its seasonal plates and brilliant Sunday roast.

If you’re after a quieter alternative, chefs Tom Noest and Peter Creed (of The Bell in Langford and The Little Bell at Soho Farmhouse) offer ten cosy rooms at their neighbourhood pub The Lamb Inn in Shipton-under-Wychwood. Room ten is the best of the bunch with its patterned headboard, freestanding bath and exposed brick walls. For something a little more unusual, The Fish Hotel in Broadway offers a stylish scattering of treehouses and shepherds huts equipped with log burners and retractable stargazing roofs perfectly positioned above the bed.

Where to eat and drink in the Cotswolds

The region’s farmland supplies ample produce to a host of innovative fine dining restaurants and vibrant gastropubs. Caryn Hibbert’s Ox Barn restaurant, at her sprawling countryside estate Thyme in Southrop, beats the drum for the Cotswolds’ natural larder. Botanical cocktails include a rosehip martini, which is essential if you’re visiting in winter, and menus are steered by seasonal produce. Its open kitchen reveals chefs preparing and plating food, while minimal interiors such as concrete floors and original wooden beams are made cosy with an open fire and candlelit tables.

The Bull in Charlbury reopened under the reigns of local restaurateurs James Gummer and Phil Winser (of The Pelican in Notting Hill) in 2023. The duo nail delicious seasonal plates at a reasonable price, using produce grown at their plot at nearby Bruern Farm, or supplied by local farmers and growers. There’s a selection of pilsners and a solid wine list. Drop in for the tasty bar snacks – pork pie, crab on toast and picked farm veg – or make it your dinner destination, where star dishes include salt cod, beef fillet, pork chops and barrels of oysters.

In Witney, The Harcourt Arms serves modern British produce in the form of rabbit chops with herb butter, and lamb belly with seasonal vegetables, alongside comforting pub classics like haddock and chips with minty peas and curry tartare, and a smoked chicken club with fries.

Sometimes, a pillowy, cheesy pizza piled high with toppings is the only thing that will hit the spot, and if that’s the case, make tracks for Baz & Fred’s wood-fired hotspots at The Stump or The New Inn in Cirencester. For early risers, The Double Red Duke in Bampton dishes up a stellar breakfast, with fresh pastries, porridge and berries, eggs however you fancy, and a mighty full English.

What to do in the Cotswolds

William Morris, the founder of the 19th-century arts and crafts movement, kept his country home at Kelmscott Manor in west Oxfordshire. Now a museum, it’s been carefully preserved with original furnishings including Morris’ handmade wallpapers, chairs and paintings, as well as intricate needlework by his wife and daughter.

There’s a thriving antiques scene in the Cotswolds. In Broadway, Saintbury Antiques & Architectural Salvage offers various upcycled furnishings and vintage signs, while The Malthouse Collective in Stroud brings together a collection of antiques from 80 independent dealers. Neighbouring Antiques Emporium Griffin Hall is a mix of traditional homewares and is the sort of place you’ll want to spend an entire afternoon. Lily’s Antiques & Interiors in Cirencester is the place to note for handmade ceramics and country-chic kitchenware.

Carole Bamford’s farm shop Daylesford Organic has become a Cotswolds landmark for its jam-packed dairy, hand-tied bunches of vegetables and wonderful deli (the sausage rolls are mouth-wateringly good). To swerve its sometimes sizeable queues, the lesser-known Upton Smokery farm shop in Burford still delivers the organic goods – plus there’s an onsite distillery alongside the fresh pastas and condiments. If you’re visiting on a weekend, most major towns such as Bourton-on-the-Water and Woodstock have farmers’ markets that are worth packing a spare tote bag for.

Where to walk in the Cotswolds

Expect lovely hiking routes wherever you base yourself. The scenic Cleeve Hill loop in Cheltenham is a six-mile hilltop route that marks the highest point in Gloucestershire, with trails cutting through wildflower grassland. Dover’s Hill in Chipping Campden and Cooper’s Hill (famous for its annual cheese rolling race) in Gloucester pass through beautiful woodland and can be linked together for a challenging hike.

National Trust standouts including Snowshill Manor and Garden, Newark Park, Hidcote and Woodchester Park are great for a gentle stroll, while Winston Churchill’s ancestral home and Unesco-protected landmark Blenheim Palace has 2,000 acres of immaculate parkland and gardens to explore.