21 Best things to see & do in The Cotswolds

Picturesque high streets, historic market squares, cosy pubs and traditional tea shops – the villages that dot the Cotswolds are some of England’s prettiest.

The rolling hills and country estates of the bucolic Cotswolds are home to some of the UK’s most beautiful gardens, including Highgrove, home of the Prince of Wales.

A history-rich, Grade I listed castle dating back to 1443, visited by King Henry VII. The big draw here, though, is the ten themed gardens covering 15 acres, including a reconstructed Elizabethan parterre garden.

Dotted with follies, quirky buildings, colourful borders and unusual shrubs and plants, Painswick dates back to 1799, and is the UK’s only complete surviving rococo garden.

Claiming to be England’s oldest inn, this stylish gastropub has been welcoming guests for over a thousand years, with a cosy, firelit dining room and boutique-chic bedrooms.

A former Benedictine monastery, Tewkesbury dates back to the 11th century and is most famous for the breathtakingly beautiful stained glass in the seven quire windows.

Heaven for cheese lovers, the CCC stocks over 120 types of cheese, with a strong focus on local producers. They also have shops in Moreton-in Marsh and Stow-on-the-World.

Take a lovely 1-hour countryside walk to this 18th-century folly, sitting on the highest point in the Cotswolds with views over 16 counties.

One of the most sustainable, organic farms in the UK, Daylesford has an award-winning farm shop, café, wellness spa and cookery school – the ultimate hub for foodies.

A beautiful, organic and sustainable garden, Highgrove is also the private home of King Charles III.