The Cotswolds region epitomises English country
quaintness. With names like Chipping Campden, Moreton-in-Marsh, and
Stow-on-the-Wold, the Cotswold towns and villages have a fairytale
like air. It's hard to ignore the rural tranquillity, with small
bridges crossing shallow rivers, colourful gardens leading up to
pretty stone cottages, and rolling fields broken up by manicured
hedges and drystone walls. As one of England's most picturesque
areas, visitors may well feel as though they've stepped into one of
Constable's paintings.
Historically the Cotswolds region was famous for its
wool production and the many beautiful churches, manor houses, and
villages built on the back of this trade are testament to this
period of wealth. The industrial revolution appears to have passed
by the Cotswolds as life here does not seem to have changed much
over the centuries.
The charming town of Cirencester is the self-styled
capital of the Cotswolds and is a good base from which to explore
the region. In Roman times, Cirencester was the second most
important city in England, though little evidence of this period
remains.
Other popular market towns include Bibury, Burford,
and Tetbury, which is the nearest town to Highgrove, the Prince of
Wales's country retreat, and Gatcombe, home to his sister the
Princess Royal. There are many other quaint villages where a room
can be taken in the local pub or bed-and-breakfast. The larger
towns of Bath, Cheltenham, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and Oxford are on
the edge of the Cotswolds, making the region a very popular choice
with tourists.