Cotswolds Villages

When I think of the English countryside, my mind goes to the Cotswolds. This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is so deserving of its designation it’s sometimes hard to believe it’s real. But I’ve traveled here enough to know it is, and in doing so I’ve discovered some particularly lovely places. Today I want to share some of my favorites with you, so read on for A Lady in London’s 15 pretty Cotswolds villages.

It’s hard to make a list about the prettiest Cotswolds villages because there are so many to choose from. In fact, the entire area is gorgeous.

From rolling hills to towns and cities like Bath and Cirencester, this part of England is packed with beauty. But since I’ve set myself the challenge of choosing the best, here they are.

Whether you’re looking for the most beautiful villages near London or somewhere fun for a day trip (or an overnight one), my list has you covered.

1. Painswick

Painswick might just be the loveliest Cotswolds village. With its stone buildings, giant topiary trees, and my favorite hotels in the Cotstwolds, this little gem is packed with beauty.

I love walking through the streets to soak up the details and meander through the churchyard, not to mention venture further afield to explore the surrounding countryside. There are great walking paths from Painswick to places like Slad.

This village is also home to the Painswick Rococo Garden, an 18th-century garden in a secret valley with great views across the surrounding countryside. It’s the UK’s only complete surviving Rococo garden and it’s worth a trip.

2. Castle Combe

Nestled in Wiltshire in the southern Cotswolds, Castle Combe has a picture-perfect high street, adorable side streets, and shops with teapot signs overhead.

It contains everything I love about an English village, and being here feels like stepping into a fairy tale.

Castle Combe is a great Cotswolds village to explore for its chocolate box houses and pretty bridge over the By Brook river. It’s a quintessential English country village, and one that’s a must on any visit to the area.

3. Chipping Campden

I spent a weekend in the Cotswolds a couple years ago and stayed in Chipping Campden. I loved the historic high street with its Cotswold stone buildings and its atmospheric churchyard. Everything about this village is lovely.

Chipping Campden is also known for its connections to the Arts and Crafts Movement. The historic home of the Guild of Handicrafts is here, and the Court Barn museum showcases the work of designers and craftspeople from the movement.

Also in the village is the Market Hall, a National Trust property in the Cotswolds. Built in 1627 by the town’s benefactor, Sir Baptist Hicks, it originally sheltered traders of cheese, butter, poultry, and other goods.

Today people can walk across the historic stone floor to see how it was gradually worn by years of trading.

4. Upper Slaughter

I visited the Slaughters on my very first trip to the Cotswolds. These neighboring Cotswolds villages are some of the most picturesque in the area, and Upper Slaughter won me over with its beautiful stone cottages and abundance of flowers.

If there was ever an idyllic village in the English countryside, this is it.

Upper Slaughter lies on a slope above the stream that connects it to Lower Slaughter. The village is known for its Manor House, which dates back to the 15th century.

There are also attractive medieval almshouses and the historic St Peter’s Church to see.

5. Lower Slaughter

Next door, Lower Slaughter is equally lovely. With the bucolic River Eye running through the middle of the village and a historic mill turning in the water, visiting feels like being transported back in time.

As with Upper Slaughter, there are beautiful cottages here that always tempt me to move in.

Lower Slaughter has more to see than Upper Slaughter, and consequently gets more visitors.

In addition to the water mill and limestone cottages, there are two small bridges that make for great photo opportunities. The mill also has a shop and cafe as well as a museum.

6. Bibury

Home to what might be the most photographed street in the Cotswolds, Bibury sits on the banks of the River Coln and is straight out of a fantasy.

Picturesque Arlington Row is lined with 17th-century weavers’ cottages and attracts visitors from all over the world. William Morris called Bibury ‘the most beautiful village in England’, and he might just be right.

Bibury is also home to a water meadow known as Rack Isle. It’s an important wildlife habitat in the Cotswolds. Rack Isle is home to water voles, kingfishers, and dragonflies as well as plants like pink ragged robin and yellow flag iris.

This loveliest of Cotswolds villages is also home to a trout farm. It was established in the early 20th century by naturalist Arthur Severn to stock local rivers and streams with native brown trout.

To top it all off, there’s a historic village pub called The Catherine Wheel. This family-run place is a good spot for a drink or lunch during a day of sightseeing.

7. Kingham

Kingham is a dream for lovers of houses and gardens. From topiary hedges to Cotswold stone cottages, this prettiest of Cotswolds villages is picturesque in every direction.

When I visited I loved taking walks in the area to soak up the fields and flowers. I also took a stroll to the nearby Daylesford Organic Farm in Gloucestershire, a luxurious complex with shops, restaurants, and a garden center.

Additionally, Kingham has a village shop to browse, the historic St Andrew’s Church to admire, and atmospheric pubs to enjoy.

Kingham is one of the most beautiful villages near London by train, so it’s a great place to go if you want to visit the Cotswolds without a car. You can see more about the village in my itinerary for 3 days in the Cotswolds.

8. Burford

I’ve been to Burford a number of times, and I always adore its high street.

With lots of boutiques, cafes, and historic pubs, it’s a great place to wander and window shop. There are lots of pretty houses in the area, too, and it’s always fun to wander down the lanes.

This is one of the best Cotswolds villages for its mix of attractions.

In addition to the high street, there’s the stunning Burford Church, the Tolsey Museum, which is in an attractive 16th-century building, and Reavley’s, England’s oldest pharmacy.

9. Bourton-on-the-Water

As the name suggests, Bourton-on-the-Water straddles a stream. This Cotswolds village has an abundance of footbridges and green spaces along the banks of the River Windrush, making it lovely from any angle.

Bourton-on-the-Water is also home to several small museums housing collections containing everything from birds to cars and model villages.

The Cotswold Motoring Museum pays homage to vintage 20th-century cars and has a unique toy collection. Birdland has all kinds of avian species, including flamingos, pelicans, penguins, and owls.

It also has a Jurassic Journey featuring life-size dinosaur models. The Model Village is a 1930s one-ninth scale replica of the heart of Bourton-on-the-Water.

10. Broadway

In Worcestershire, Broadway is another of the prettiest Cotswolds villages.

It has a lovely high street with shops and museums, an abundance of restaurants and cafes, and historic hotels from the 1300s that have hosted the likes of Oliver Cromwell.

The nearby folly, Broadway Tower, is an unmissable highlight of visiting.

The village itself is home to the Broadway Museum and Art Gallery, which is housed in a 17th-century coaching inn. In addition to the permanent collection of art and furniture, it hosts exhibitions, talks, children’s trails, and art classes.

Also in this Cotswolds village is the Gordon Russell Design Museum.

As the name implies, it focuses on the work of Gordon Russell, a British furniture designer, maker, calligrapher, entrepreneur, and educator. The museum houses a lot of his furniture and other work.

11. Bretforton

Not far from Broadway, Bretforton is another of the best Cotswolds villages. This place has thatched-roof cottages, historic churches, and half-timbered pubs dating back centuries.

I love walking around the narrow streets here and soaking up all their little details.

Bretforton is best known for The Fleece Inn, a 15th-century pub with historic interiors and loads of atmosphere.

Also in town is the Church of St Leonard, a historic church with a pretty churchyard surrounding it.

12. Slad

Another pint-size Cotswolds village that deserves a place on my list is Slad. I walked here from Painswick once and was rewarded with a lovely lunch at the Woolpack Inn.

Across the street is the churchyard where Laurie Lee—local literary legend and author of Cider with Rosie, a memoir of his childhood in the Cotswolds—is buried.

Despite its small size, Slad packs a lot in. It’s worth a visit not just to eat or drink at the pub, but to take a walk and absorb the surroundings.

13. Sapperton

A short drive from Slad, Sapperton is another of the best Cotswolds villages.

Full of pretty houses, a great local pub, and Arts and Crafts movement architecture—some of the most famous architect-designers of the movement lived here and are buried in the churchyard—Sapperton ticks all my boxes for a lovely country village.

Sapperton has two historic graveyards, one of which lies above St Kenelm’s Church. The church is worth popping into for its historic interiors. There’s also a village hall, which is across the street from The Bell at Sapperton pub.

14. Longborough

Over by Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold, Longborough is another of the best Cotswolds villages. This pretty place is packed with Cotswold stone cottages and has a historic church and a small green.

It’s also known for the annual Longborough Festival Opera, which takes place every summer.

Situated on a hillside above the Evenlode valley, Longborough’s position on the Heart of England Way makes it a great place for rambling.

This is particularly true because Longborough is home to a village pub with a beer garden. It’s a great place to have lunch while on a country walk in the Cotswolds. There’s a great Moreton-in-Marsh walk you can do that will take you here and beyond.

15. Bourton-on-the-Hill

Not far from Longborough, Bourton-on-the-Hill is another of the prettiest Cotswolds villages. This pint-size number has picturesque cottages, a red phone box, and lots of chocolate-box charm.

Bourton-on-the-Hill is known for the Grade I-listed Church of St Lawrence, which dates back to the 12th century. It’s also home to a good local pub, a 16th-century tithe barn, and the beautiful gardens of Bourton House.

The village’s location on the Heart of England Way near attractions like Batsford Arboretum and Sezincote House makes it a great base for exploring the local area in Gloucestershire, too.