Towns and Villages

A Handpicked Guide to the Cotswolds' most loved towns and villages

Villages & Towns of the Cotswolds

By James Long

Local Cotswolds tour guide and editor of Cotswold Insider

Published: 28 December 2025

The Cotswolds is made up of hundreds of villages and market towns — many of them beautiful, many of them similar, and only a handful genuinely suited to each individual trip.

The mistake most visitors make is treating villages as interchangeable stops on a checklist. In reality, each place has a slightly different character, pace, and setting. This guide helps you understand how to choose villages and towns that fit your style of travel, rather than chasing the most famous names.

This guide is part of our wider Attractions in the Cotswolds coverage, which also includes Things to Do, Gardens, Castles and Historic places, Food and Drink, and Nearby Cities and Day Trips.

Villages and Towns Are Not the Same Thing

One of the most useful distinctions to understand early is the difference between villages and market towns.

Villages

Small, often walkable in 15 - 30 minutes
Best experienced slowly
Quieter in the evenings
Designed historically for local life, not visitors

Villages are usually best visited during the day, not used as bases unless chosen deliberately.

Come of the classic Cotswolds villages are:

Market towns

Larger, more spread out
Better evening atmosphere
More food choice and practical amenities

Towns often make better bases, especially for first-time visitors.

The most iconic Cotswold towns are:

Broadway
Bourton-on-the-Water (technically a village but has a town feel)
Stow-on-the-Wold
Moreton-in-Marsh
Chipping Campden
Burford
Winchcombe
Cirencester
Painswick

Classic First-Time Villages (and Why They’re Popular)

Some villages are famous for good reason — but they require timing and expectations.

What they do well

Strong visual impact
Easy to explore on foot
Instantly recognisable “Cotswolds look”

What catches people out

Midday crowds
Limited parking
Short visit windows

These places work best early in the day, late afternoon, or when paired with quieter nearby villages.

Quieter Villages That Reward Slower Travel

Many of the most enjoyable villages in the Cotswolds are those without a single headline attraction.

Why quieter villages often feel better

Less pressure to “do” anything
Easier parking
More natural pacing

These villages work particularly well if:

You’re returning to the Cotswolds
Walking is a priority
You value atmosphere over recognition

Market Towns: Character, Not Just Convenience

Market towns are often treated as practical bases rather than destinations in their own right. That’s a mistake.

What towns offer

More space to wander
Food and pub choice
A sense of everyday Cotswolds life

They also tend to cope better with visitors, which makes them more relaxing for longer stays.

How to Choose Villages Based on Your Priorities

Choosing villages becomes much easier once you anchor decisions to what you care about most.

If you love wandering and photography

Look for compact villages with footpaths and historic cores rather than places designed around single attractions.

If walking is a priority

Villages connected to footpath networks or set within open countryside tend to deliver more satisfying days.

If food and pubs matter most

Places with more than one pub or restaurant reduce pressure and improve evenings.

How Villages Fit Into Itineraries

Villages should shape itineraries — not the other way around.

Good village-based days usually involve:

One or two villages
Time to walk between them or nearby
A relaxed meal or pub stop

Trying to visit four or five villages in a day rarely improves the experience.

Read more:
→ Cotswolds Itineraries & Day Trips

bourton-on-the-water-stone-bridge-and-river

Seasonal Differences Between Villages

Villages don’t feel the same year-round.

Summer brings colour and crowds
Spring and autumn often offer the best balance
Winter strips villages back to their essentials

Smaller villages often feel more authentic outside peak season, while famous ones benefit most from careful timing.

Common Village-Planning Mistakes

These assumptions lead to disappointment:

Treating villages as quick stops
Prioritising names over experience
Ignoring time of day
Overpacking itineraries
Choosing villages before choosing a base

Correcting these usually improves trips more than adding new places.

What to Read Next

Planning & structure

→ How to Plan a Trip to the Cotswolds
→ Where to Base Yourself in the Cotswolds
→ Structuring Your Time in the Cotswolds