9 Dreamy Cotswold Villages That Feel Straight Out of a Fairytale
In my previous blog post, A Complete Guide to Your First Trip to the Cotswolds, I talk about everything you need to know for a first time trip to the Cotswolds. If you’re short on time and can’t visit all the adorable, quaint villages in the area, I break them down in this post and provide my top recommendations for which ones you should visit. Keep reading to discover the 9 most dreamy Cotswold villages that you need to add to your England itinerary.
Lacock
Come for Harry Potter, stay for the rich history, picture-perfect village and to learn about the birth of photography. Lacock is a must-visit when in The Cotswolds.
For Harry Potter fans, exploring Lacock Abbey feels like a dream come true. It’s a place where you can wander the very corridors where Hogwarts was brought to life, and imagine yourself as a student within its walls. Other scenes that were filmed in Lacock Abbey include professor Snape’s potions classroom and the Mirror of Erised room (where Harry sees his parents in the mirror that shows you what you want most in the world).
Lacock Abbey is also home to the invention of photography. Willam Henry Fox Talbot took the first successful photographic negative of a window at Lacock Abbey in 1835.
I recommend walking through the entire village. It’s been wonderfully preserved and feels like you’re walking through a movie set or have stepped back in time. And speaking of movie sets, another Harry Potter filming location is set in the north easterly edge of the village – the Potter’s House.
Castle Combe
This was my favourite village in The Cotswolds. Maybe it was because it was the first one I saw, setting the standard against which I couldn’t help but compare all the others. Arriving here early is a must, as it quickly gets busy with tourists that will take away from the atmosphere.
Castle Combe is impossibly quaint, with its uniform honey coloured stone set against the timeworn, dark clay tile roofs. A gentle brook winds its way through the village, lending the entire scene a storybook charm that feels effortlessly picture-perfect. Because cars are not allowed to park on the side of the road here, it’s the perfect place for photographers to get a shot of the quintessential Cotswolds.
Bibury
Bibury is home to Arlington Row, the epitome of the Cotswolds. Originally built as a monastic wool store and later converted into weavers’ cottages, Arlington Row was part of the working heart of the medieval wool trade in the Cotswolds. Its location by the River Coln provided the water and infrastructure needed for wool processing, long before it became one of England’s most photographed streets.
Bibury is also home to the Bibury Trout Farm, where you can cook your own catch. A great place to spend some time if traveling with kids. Reservations are essential.
Bourton-on-the-Water
While some describe Bourton-on-the-Water as the “Venice of the Cotswolds”, I prefer to think of it as a postcard perfect village built around the river Windrush.
Bourton-on-the-Water is the ideal place to take things slow. Meander through the village, popping into shops and cafes and taking the day at a leisurely pace. You can even visit the Model Village; a detailed 1:9 scale replica of Bourton itself, giving you a fun way to see the village from an entirely different perspective.
Other highlights include the Cotswold Motoring Museum, which is filled with vintage cars and nostalgic exhibits, and Birdland Park & Gardens, home to penguins, flamingos, and other exotic birds.
The Slaughters
The Slaughters might conjure some gruesome imagery with thoughts to a violent past. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. The Slaughters, made up of Upper and Lower Slaughter, are two peaceful and picturesque villages in the Cotswolds, often described as some of the most unspoiled villages in England. The name actually comes from the Old English word “slough”, meaning a muddy place or wetland.
The best thing to do is to park your car down by Lower Slaughter and walk up to Upper Slaughter, making your way to Saint Peter’s Church and back. The roundtrip walk is approximately 3km in length, with plenty of opportunity to stop for photographs along the way.
Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold began as an important medieval market town, strategically positioned at one of the highest points in the Cotswolds where several trade routes converged. It became especially prosperous through the wool trade, with its large market square once hosting vast sheep fairs that helped shape the town’s historic character.
A must-see on the tour of the Cotswolds includes St Edward’s Church. Two ancient yew trees flank the old wooden medieval doors of the church, appearing as if to be growing out of the stone itself. It’s the kind of imagery that fantasy novels are made of.
Burford
Burford is one of the oldest towns in the Cotswolds, first growing in importance as a medieval market town and river crossing on the old London–Worcester trade route. While Burford is small, it’s packed with charm and is an excellent place for shopping. Take a stroll through High Street, a picturesque stretch of classic honey coloured stone buildings, filled with antique, art and souvenir shops.
Broadway
Sometimes referred to as the “Jewel of the Cotswolds”, Broadway is known as a retreat for artists and writers, giving it a long-standing reputation as one of the most elegant and historically rich villages in the Cotswolds.
My favourite thing to do in Broadway is to hike to Broadway Tower – a hike that takes you through the idyllic English countryside, passing flocks of sheep and landscapes of rolling hills along the way.
At first glance, Broadway Tower looks like a defensive castle perched high on a hill, designed to watch for approaching enemies. Surprisingly, it was built as a decorative folly rather than for military use—created purely to enjoy the view and showcase architectural grandeur.
There are many different trails and routes to take from Broadway village, so choose one based on your fitness level and availability. The hike up to Broadway Tower is uphill, so keep that in mind.
Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden grew wealthy in the Middle Ages as a centre of the Cotswold wool trade, with the word “Chepping” meaning market in Saxon.
At the heart of Chipping Campden is the historic Market Hall, built in 1627 to shelter traders selling goods such as eggs, dairy, and other local produce. Four centuries later, it still remains in use, now hosting weekly markets where artisans and local producers continue the town’s long trading tradition. See if for yourself on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 am – 4 pm.
