The Cotswolds

Published by jacko77 on Mon Aug 24th, 2009

The Cotswolds is gentle hilly countryside that covers an estimated area of 790 square miles between the cities of Gloucester, Bath, Oxford and Stratford in the south west area of England and as been officially classed as the country's largest 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'.

Throughout the area you will come across beautiful mansions, coloured villages, historic market towns and picturesque churches covered with the outstanding countryside of river valleys, water meadows, beech woods and green hills where time seems to have stood still for over 300 years..

Some of the most stunning villages you will come across are Stow-on-the-Wold, the Slaughters and Bourton-on-the-Water where it is so easy to escape the camera clicking crowd and head for some of the best sight seeing locations in the area and throw away the map and just follow the winding and narrow footpaths and go into the 'Off The Beaten Tracks', what guide books and visitor information centres don't tell you about.

As well as its natural beauty of quaint villages and historical importance, there is also plenty of outdoor pursuits to try out and explore, some of which include walking, cycling, golfing, motor sport, horse riding, camping and caravanning.

The more popular outdoor pursuits is walking the Cotswold Way which is over 100 miles and as gentle routes starting off in Chipping Campden to Bath.  Then cycling is also just as popular with plenty of routes to explore.