Quintessentially English, absurdly pretty and little changed since medieval times, Broadway is another stunning Cotswold village firmly on the tourist trail. The graceful golden-hued cottages set at the foot of a steep escarpment have inspired writers, artists and composers in times past, but today it’s tearooms, antique shops, boutiques, art galleries and coaches that line the village green.
Little changed since its glory days at the height of the wool trade, Burford is a stunningly picturesque place slithering down a steep hill to a medieval crossing point on the River Windrush. The main street and the quiet lanes off it are lined with higgledy-piggledy stone cottages, fine Cotswold town houses and the odd Elizabethan or Georgian gem. This incredible array of buildings attracts hoards of visitors, though, and the town can be frustratingly busy in midsummer. Add on a glut of specialist boutiques, tearooms and antique shops peddling flowery china and nostalgia and it can all feel a bit overwhelming.
The graceful curving main street of Chipping Campden is flanked by a wonderful array of wayward stone cottages, fine terraced houses, ancient inns and historic homes, making it a truly unspoiled gem in an area full of achingly pretty villages. Despite its obvious allure and the presence of chichi boutiques and upmarket shops, the town remains relatively unspoiled by tourist crowds and is a wonderful place to visit.
Affluent, elegant and steeped in history, the charming town of Cirencester is a refreshingly unpretentious place of narrow winding streets and graceful town houses. The lovely market square is surrounded by wonderful 18th-century and Victorian architecture, while the nearby streets showcase a harmonious medley of buildings from various eras.
Little visited and under-appreciated, Northleach is a lovely little market town of half-timbered Tudor houses, imposing merchants’ stores and late-medieval cottages. There’s a wonderful mix of architectural styles clustered around the gorgeous market square and the narrow laneways leading off it, but the highlight of a visit is the Church of St Peter and St Paul, a masterpiece of Cotswold perpendicular style. The large traceried stained-glass windows and collection of memorial brasses are unrivalled in the region.
Largely untouched, totally unassuming and gloriously uncommercialised, Painswick is a real gem. This gorgeous Cotswold village is a maze of narrow winding streets lined with picture-perfect cottages, handsome stone town houses and medieval inns. Despite its obvious charm, Painswick sees only a trickle of visitors and you can wander the backstreets here and feel genuinely lost in time.
Stow has long held a strategic place in Cotswold history, standing as it does on the Roman Fosse Way and at the junction of six roads. At its heart is a large market square surrounded by handsome buildings and steep-walled alleyways originally used to funnel the sheep into the fair. Today the sheep have been replaced with tourists and instead of farmers brokering deals the town is full of antique shops, pretentious boutiques, tearooms and delis. It’s great if you’re on a pit stop from a coach tour, but all a little artificial if you’re looking for true Cotswold charm.
From medieval cottages to Georgian Gothic gems, Tetbury is an unspoilt town of stunning buildings and numerous antique shops. Once a prosperous wool-trading centre, Tetbury has managed to preserve most of its architectural heritage and is well worth a wander. A row of gorgeous medieval weavers’ cottages lines the steep hill at Chipping Steps and lead up to the Chipping, which is surrounded by graceful 17th- and 18th-century town houses. From here, it’s a short stroll to Market Sq, where the 17th-century Market House stands as if on stilts. Close by, the Georgian Gothic Church of St Mary the Virgin has a towering spire and wonderful interior.
Capital of the Saxon kingdom of Mercia and one of the most important towns in the Cotswolds until the Middle Ages, Winchcombe is now a sleepy place with the timeless charm of a typical Cotswold town. Beautiful houses line the streets, and the picturesque cottages on Vineyard St and Dents Tce offer quintessential Cotswold views. Fine gargoyles adorn the lovely St Peter’s Church and just outside the town are the evocative ruins of Cistercian Hailes Abbey (EH; 01242-602398; adult/under 15yr £3.30/1.70; 10am-5pm Easter-Oct), once one of the country’s main pilgrimage centres.