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The Most Enchanting Villages in the Cotswolds You Should Visit – OUR CROSSINGS
Last Updated on the 27th of August, 2025
There’s a good reason why the picturesque Cotswolds are one of the top picks for a rural getaway in the UK and one of England’s 34 designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Within its vast 800 square miles of unspoilt countryside, you’ll find rolling green hills, stone bridges leaping over sparkling streams, air filled with scents of jasmine and thyme, a quintessential English charm and some of the most beautiful towns.
It is also where you can visit Historic Houses & museums and wander around some of the finest gardens in England, like Broughton Grange Gardens, Cerney House Gardens and Highgrove House.
If you want to walk down the back lanes of Cotswold Stone Villages and feel like you’ve stepped back in time, then these are some of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds you should visit.
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Stow-on-the-Wold
Found on the historic Fosse Way, Stow-on-the-Wold is a beautiful village, full of character typical of the area, with great eating establishments and quirky shops to explore.
Here, you are bound to savour the clean air, the peace and quiet, and the stillness as you wander around.
One of the must-see locations in the village is the north entrance of St Edward’s Church, which dates back to the Middle Ages and looks like it’s straight out of a fairytale with its human-sized door framed by evergreen foliage.
As one of the larger villages in the area, Stow-on-the-Wold would make a great base for visiting the Cotswolds.
Best things to do in the village
- Explore the historic buildings surrounding the old Market Square
- Pop into Cotswold Sweet Company for some locally produced treats
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Castle Combe
Can you say you have been to the Cotswolds without visiting Castle Combe, known as “England’s prettiest village”?
Castle Combe is a picture-perfect village that embodies what this region is all about, as it has history, architecture, natural beauty, and loads of charm.
The village takes its name from a castle, now only ruins, once sited on a hill above it. Its history is tied to its former cloth and wool industry, which began in the 15th century.
The village was used as a location in several movies, some of them being Stardust, The Wolfman, the Downton Abbey television series and War Horse.
*Pro Tip – Don’t leave without stopping by the wonderful, ivy-covered Manor House Hotel, which is surrounded by elegant Italian gardens
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Lower Slaughter
The idyllic village of Lower Slaughter is a must-see when visiting the Cotswolds, as it has remained completely unchanged for over a century.
It’s a great place to stop along your travels to savour the peace and quiet, the clean air and the stillness as you wander around.
With its red bricks and tall chimney, which created additional steam power for the flour mill before it closed its doors in 1958, The Old Mill is the most distinctive building in the village.
Today, the Old Mill houses the Lower Slaughter Museum, where visitors can learn about the fascinating history of bread making.
Other places of interest in the village include the pretty village church of St Mary, the old Town Well, the Slaughters Village Hall and a Grade-II listed 17th-century Lower Slaughter Manor.
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Upper Slaughter
Nestled on the banks of the River Eye, Upper Slaughter is a wonderful village featuring a picturesque watermill, stone footbridges and flower-draped houses.
Located a 20-minute walk from Lower Slaughter, it is much smaller and thus less touristy than Lower Slaughter.
Taking a leisurely stroll along the flowery footpaths as you enjoy the slower country life and take in these stunning surroundings is one of the best things to do in the village.
After the stroll, make sure to visit the Old School House, see the lovely cottages around The Square, visit St Peter’s Church and have afternoon tea at Lords of the Manor, which dates from 1649 and has been a hotel since the 1960s.
*Did you know: The village gets its less-than-appealing name from an old English word ‘slothre’ meaning muddy place.
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Bibury
Hidden between Cirencester and Burford is a hugely popular Cotswolds tourism honeypot called Bibury.
The main focus of every visitor’s attention is the picturesque Arlington Row and its cottages, one of the most photographed locations in the Cotswolds!
It is said that Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, was so taken by the beauty of Arlington Row that he tried to purchase the entire row of cottages so he could dismantle them brick by brick and ship them back to America.
Originally, the cottages were built in 1380 as a monastic wool store, only to be converted into a row of weavers’ houses in the 17th century.
Today, the famous cottages are owned by the National Trust and let to private tenants, with one of the cottages available as a holiday let.
As people live in the cottages, respect their privacy and don’t peek in the windows.
*Fun Fact -British passports, issued between 2010 and 2015, had an image of Arlington Row printed inside.
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Bourton-on-the-Water
With its overhanging willow trees, historic stone cottages and its long winding river running through the town, it’s no wonder Bourton-on-the-Water is regularly voted as one of the prettiest villages in the UK.
Nicknamed “The Venice of the Cotswolds” due to five arched stone bridges crossing the River Windrush, the village is located just 5 minutes from Upper and Lower Slaughters, making it easy to incorporate into your Cotwolds travel itinerary.
Some of the best things to do in the village:
- Get lost in The Dragonfly Maze to experience a classic garden maze with a twist
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Now, over to you!
Have you been to the Cotswolds? Let us know in the comments!
Let us know if you are planning a visit to the UK and have travel-related questions!
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