THE COTSWOLDS

Activities

Bourton on the Water makes an ideal base for a weekend break in the Cotswolds that can be explored via car, bicycle or on foot. The Cotswolds host an array of quaint unchanged market towns and villages, beautiful Hidcote and Kiftsgate gardens, NT houses, Sudeley Castle , Blenheim Palace , an excellent wildlife park at Burford, two farm parks and many famous old inns.

Slightly further afield in the riverside town of Stratford-upon-Avon there are historic houses, churches and the Memorial and Swan theatres dedicated to William Shakespeare. At the University City of Oxford there are famous museums and libraries and guided tours of the colleges. The centres of Cheltenham and Bath provide sophisticated shopping in regency surroundings.

Classic Cotswolds Towns & Villages:
Stow-on-the-Wold
Upper Slaughter
Lower Slaughter
Burford
Broadway
Chipping Campden

Antique Hunting:
Cotswold antique dealers www.cotswolds-antiques-art.com
South West Antiques  www.sw-antiques.co.uk

Houses & Gardens:
Snowshill  www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Hidcote  www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Kiftsgate  www.kiftsgate.co.uk
Batsford  www.batsarb.co.uk
Westonbirt  www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt
Studeley  www.sudeleycastle.co.uk
Warwick  www.warwick-castle.co.uk
Blenheim  www.blenheimpalace.com
Plus many open under the National Gardens Scheme www.ngs.org.uk

Events:
Cheltenham races (March & Nov)  www.cheltenham.co.uk
Cheltenham festivals (music, literature, etc)  www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk
International air tattoo at Fairford (July)  www.airtattoo.com
Longborough festival opera (June-July)  www.longboroughopera.com
Bourton Victorian evening (December)
Bourton Farmers market (4th Sunday in each month)

Local Activities:
Swimming Pool & Gym    www.cotswold.gov.uk
Paintballing and quad bikes     www.cotswoldquads.com
Great Escape classic car hire     www.greatescapecars.co.uk 
Horse riding at Bourton stables www.bourtonvaleequestrian.co.uk

Walking:
For walkers there is a network of footpaths locally.
Bourton is on the Oxfordshire, Monarch’s and Diamond Way footpaths.
Organised walks    www.cotswoldoutdooractivitytours.co.uk

Golf:
Local golf course    www.nauntondowns.co.uk
Cotswold golf courses    www.cotswold.gov.uk