Cotswolds villages, towns and cities

Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire

0 minutes

Shipton-under-Wychwood is our very own village in the Evenlode valley, where The Wychwood Inn sits in the centre. We are about 4 miles from Burford town. You will find 18th century cottages and houses down small country lanes with very well kept gardens. Starting at the well known Wychwood Wild Gardens you can walk to the next village, Milton-under-Wychwood, via beautiful rolling fields. Shipton also boasts a train station.

Bruern (or Bruern Abbey), Oxfordshire

10 minutes

Bruern is a small village which is nice to walk around. You will find a Catholic Abbey here, recorded as early as 1147. There is a beautiful wooded nature reserve nearby called Foxholes. There is a lovely circular walk to Bruern from Shipton-under-Wychwood on which you can see the Abbey. Near to Asthall Pottery.

Taynton, Oxfordshire

10 minutes

Set on the babbling Coombe Brook there is an ancient church in Taynton. Visit the town of Burford (see below) whilst you are here as there is about a mile and a half between the two - walkable by a little lane. See thatched cottages that date back to the 18th century.

Bledington, Oxfordshire

10 minutes

On part of the Oxfordshire Way and walkable from Shipton-under-Wychwood through Cotswold countryside, if you are a keen walker. There is a lovely green in the centre, through which a small river runs crossed by an old bridge.

Asthall, Oxfordshire

15 minutes

Asthall is on the River Windrush which forks and rejoins north of the village. A Roman road passes through just south of the village.

Filkins & Broughton Poggs, Oxfordshire

15 minutes

Originally saxon village called Broughton-cum-Filkins these are now two villages offering two very different churches. In Filkins you will find the Cotswold Woollen Weavers and, in a 17th Century Cottage, Swinford Museum.

Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire

20 minutes

Bourton-on-the-Water is known as the Venice of the Cotswolds as it is set on the River Windrush with numerous bridges crossing from north to south. It is one of the larger villages and there is lots for children to do here - including Birdland, the Model Railway, the Motoring Museum, the Dragonfly Maze and the Model Village

Bibury, Oxfordshire

25 minutes

Bibury is a charming Cotswold village nestled alongside the River Coln. The village is just lovely for a wander around but does get busy in the summer. You can see traditional Cotswold buildings, weavers cottages (originally wool storage), the 17th Century Arlington Mill and visit Bibury Trout Farm and Shop. The fishery is very much aimed for beginners (not for serious fisher people) and there is a cafe on site too.

Guiting Power, Gloucestershire

30 minutes

A small Gloucestershire village near Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park. Beautiful Cotswold Stone buildings - many owned by Guiting Manor Amenity Trust which conserves the character and environment of the village.

The Slaughters, Gloucestershire

30 minutes

Upper and Lower Slaughter are two villages on the tiny River Eye, tributary to the nearby river Windrush. Considered to be some of the prettiest in the area. Visit the Old Mill at Lower Slaughter for refreshments. Walk between the villages on a path beside the River Eye called Warden's Way. It is possible to walk to Bourton-on-the-Water too but it takes between 2 and 4 hours.

Broadway, Worcestershire

35 minutes

A mixture of period houses and picturesque honey coloured Cotswold stone cottages adorns this large Cotswold village. The street through Broadway was an ancient 'ridgeway' and the main road from Worcester to London. Worth visiting Broadway Tower at the same time as there is 7 minutes between the two.

Chedworth, Gloucestershire

40 minutes

Chedworth is close to the Roman Fosse Way and is roughly 600 feet above sea level. Chedworth remains unspoilt and off the beaten track.

Approximately 10 minutes from Chedworth is Chedworth Roman Villa, the remains of one of the grandest Roman villas in Britain, which is well worth a visit for historians and children alike.

Ampney Crucis, Gloucestershire

40 minutes

This lovely village has a history dating back to Roman times. Mentioned in the Domesday Book when known as Omenie.

Stanton, Gloucestershire

40 minutes

With a history dating back to the Iron Age times, Stanton is a village of unspoilt beauty and charm that is still easily appreciated today.

South Cerney, Gloucestershire

45 minutes

South Cerney is a village near Cirencester where you can find traditional British fish and chips. In the centre of Cotswold Water Park - a large group of lakes where you can sail, paddle board, swim and fish.

Castle Combe, Wiltshire

1 hour 15 minutes

The small street leading from the Market Cross down to the By Brook is picturesque. Castle Combe was a British hill fort occupied by the Romans due to its closeness to The Fosse Way. The Normans developed the fort into a Castle, but today only earth marks its presence.

Badminton, Gloucestershire

1 hour 15 minutes

This village is famous for Badminton Horse Trials which take place in early May each year. Don't forget to visit Little Badminton which is a traditional settlement of cottages and farm houses. And also visit Badminton Estate.

Burford, Oxfordshire

10 minutes

Burford Town is an historical market town built on a hill which is the main road through. Beautiful cottages and ancient town houses are built on either side of the road in a staircase fashion. Burford is famously referred to as 'The Gateway to the Cotswolds'.

Four minute drive to the Cotswold Wildlife Park.

Woodstock, Oxfordshire

25 minutes

Woodstock is a historic town just to the north of Oxford. It grew up as a coach stop around the Royal Hunting Lodge, which later became the site of Blenheim Palace, the home of the Dukes of Marlborough since the early 1700s. See Blenheim Palace, or visit Winston Churchill's grave at nearby Bladon.

Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire

40 minutes

A typical Cotswold town with grand manors, quaint cottages, quiet backwaters surrounded in woodlands and rolling hills. Stow is a market situated town on top of a 250 metre hill, at the junction of the Fosse Way - one of the major Roman roads through the Cotswolds.

Straford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire

50 minutes

On the edge of the Cotswolds, Straford-upon-Avon is part of what is known as Shakespeare Country, an area in the midlands in which Shakespeare lived and worked. Straford-upon-Avon is where he was born, and is buried. It's not quite in the Costwolds, but is an important gateway town and easily accessible from The Wychwood Inn. Here are many wattle and daub buildings that have survived, and it makes for a quaint and historical visit.

Oxford, Oxfordshire

45 minutes

Known as the "City of Dreaming Spires", the spires can be seen from the Carfax Tower. With beautiful architecture, Oxford city has an abundance of universities and colleges situated in ancient buildings. It is the home of the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. During your visit, it is well worth a walk around the university parks and the Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum.

Tetbury

50 minutes

Tetbury is the second largest town in the Cotswolds, known for its Royal Connections. The centre has many wonderful stone buildings in different architectural styles of the last 400 years - many buildings have graded listing. Whilst you are here visit Highgrove Royal Gardens, part of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall’s private residence.

Bath, Somerset

1 hour 30 minutes

Bath is the furthest city from The Wychwood Inn, but still well within reach. Built around the ancient Roman-built Baths. The Thermae Bath Spa houses natural thermal hot springs which are the only ones in Britain that you can bathe in.

With honey-coloured Georgian architecture, museums, galleries and nearby historic sites such as The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens.