The Cotswolds is an area of gentle hills with dry-stone walls criss-crossing the landscape, hidden river valleys, and distinctive market towns and villages built from the famous honey-coloured Cotswold stone. Towns like Winchcombe, Bibury, and Painswick have a timeless charm that draws visitors from all over the world — sometimes too many visitors, in summer especially. If you want the Cotswolds to yourself, avoid Bourton-on-the-Water on a weekend and instead take to the footpaths. The best way to experience the region is on foot, hiking from village to village through rolling farmland and woodland.
The area is rich in historic houses and gardens. Hidcote Manor Garden is one of England's finest Arts and Crafts gardens, Sudeley Castle was home to Henry VIII's last queen Katherine Parr, and Westonbirt Arboretum contains one of the largest collections of trees and shrubs in the country. Batsford Arboretum, just outside Moreton-in-Marsh, is another excellent tree collection spread across 55 acres.
