Cotswolds

The largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Britain, the Cotswolds represent many people's idea of traditional England at its finest, where picturesque villages nestle in rolling countryside dotted with sheep. These defining characteristics are largely a result of the wool trade, important here from as early as the Roman times. Wealthy wool merchants built the well-preserved villages visitors see today, with many fine manor houses and churches being built between the 14th and 16th centuries using the local limestone. This was ideal for the ornate Norman carvings found on many of the churches owing to its softness when first quarried. The stone changes in colour throughout the region, resulting in a variety of villages ranging from the honey-coloured such as Chipping Campden, to the greyer tones of Painswick, often called the 'Queen of the Cotswolds'.

The elegant towns of Regency Cheltenham and Roman Cirencester offer many different attractions, while Gloucester is worth a visit for its renovated Historic Docks and magnificent Cathedral. Antique shops, art galleries, museums, tea-houses and traditional inns abound throughout the towns and villages. Other interesting sights in and around the Cotswolds include the well-preserved Roman villa at Chedworth, the fine gardens at Hidcote Manor, William's Morris' summer home at Kelmscott, and prehistoric Belas Knapp.

Walkers can enjoy leisurely strolls in the gentle valleys or along the Cotswold Way. This long-distance trail stretches for 100 miles along a ridge bordering the Severn Valley, from Chipping Campden to Bath.