Home to Royals, celebrities and community folk alike, there’s a reason the Cotswolds is so popular.

From the rolling hills offering exceptional views, to the warm welcome held within its many villages and towns, the Cotswolds has something to offer everyone.

The area surrounding our three offices in Painswick, Minchinhampton and Stroud, expertly showcases some of the best the region has to offer. We cover a host of scenic villages and towns, including Cranham, Pitchcombe, Bisley, Woodchester, Amberley, Rodborough, Chalford and Nailsworth, to name but a few.

Join us in a whirlwind tour of what we believe to be some of the Cotswold’s highlights.

The landscape

Known for its rolling hills and lush landscape, there is pretty much a breath-taking view around every turn. Painswick Beacon, Amberley and Minchinhampton Common and the Slad Valley, all offer spectacular scenery with picturesque routes for walking, cycling and riding.

The Cotswold Way attracts many walkers and hikers and spans a 102 mile route from Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire all the way to Bath in Somerset. The route encompasses many of the villages and towns on our ‘patch’ including Painswick, Cranham, Birdlip, Randwick, Stroud and Uley.

Local markets

Numerous markets operate across the region selling a wide variety of locally sourced dairy, meat and fresh produce.

Stroud Farmers Market is a mecca for foodies and everyone’s top spot to visit in Stroud. Offering a full array of local produce, the market takes place every Saturday between 9am and 2pm at the Cornhill Market Place in the centre of Stroud. Locally baked bread, dairy produce sourced from across the Stroud Valleys and fresh organic vegetables and meat are all on offer. The market has a fantastic buzz and is teaming every Saturday…one not to miss!

Many of the villages surrounding Stroud also host weekly markets with a market in Painswick every Thursday at The Painswick Centre and similar markets in many of the other villages, including Minchinhampton Market Place on a Wednesday and a lively Artisan Market in Mortimer Gardens, Nailsworth on the second Saturday of the month.

Dining out

If high dining in a stylish restaurant is your thing, or more rustic, relaxed dining in a country pub, once again the Cotswolds has it all.

The Painswick Hotel offers exceptional fine dining along with magnificent views. Located in the heart of the village, the hotel is owned by the Calcot Collection, a small hotel group with its flagship Cotswold hotel, Calcot Manor & Spa, near Nailsworth and a third hotel in the North Pennines.

Similarly, Juliet Restaurant in Stroud offers bistro-style dining with dishes designed for sharing. Located in the heart of Stroud, the restaurant is owned by artist and sculptor, Dan Chadwick and focuses on seasonal produce, taking inspiration from France and Italy and working with farmers and butchers in the locality.

If you’ve visiting the market town of Nailsworth, a visit to Williams Foodhall with its award-winning seafood restaurant is a must, along with Wilder, a unique restaurant offering an 8-course tasting menu inspired by local producers and often including locally foraged ingredients.

If a long walk in the country followed by kicking off your boots in a cosy country pub is more your vibe,  then again, you’ll be spoilt for choice. The Crown pub on Minchinhampton High Street offers excellent pub food and a spacious garden to the rear and the Royal Oak in Painswick offers hearty pub food and a roaring fire in the colder months. Other pubs of note include the Black Horse in Amberley, The Woolpack in Slad and The Royal Oak in Woodchester.

Coffee shops

If coffee and cake is your thing, the Cotswolds will prove just your cup of tea. Offering a host of independent coffee shops serving homemade cake and artisan pastries, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Henry’s in Minchinhampton Market Square, Junipers and the Arts Café in Painswick and the Jolly Nice Farmshop and Café in Frampton Mansell are just a few of the superb pit stops we recommend. The village of Amberley with its community run café and shop located in the village church, is also well worth a visit.

For sporting enthusiasts

For all you sporty spices the Cotswolds once again scores highly. Kingsholm Stadium is home to Gloucester Rugby Club where the ‘Cherry & Whites’ have established themselves as one of England’s most successful Clubs.

A highlight of the summer and an unmissable opportunity for any cricket fan is a visit to Cheltenham Cricket Festival hosted in the stunning grounds of Cheltenham College. The festival has been running for over 150 years making it the longest running cricket festival in the world.

Cheltenham also hosts a renowned national hunt racecourse with the Gold Cup at the heart of its four day racing festival.

For riding enthusiasts, Badminton Horse Trials is also within easy reach.

Awash with independent retailers, boutique hotels, award-winning farmers markets, local vineyards and sought-after schools, it is no wonder the Cotswolds is growing in popularity

Education

One of the key draws to the area is the extensive choice of sought-after schools in both the state and private sector. Stroud, Gloucester and Cheltenham all have popular selective grammar schools and there is a good choice of comprehensive schools. In the private sector Cheltenham College and Cheltenham Ladies, Westonbirt, Wycliffe and Beaudesert are just a few of the top private schools in the locality.

Arts & Culture

For those in search of a cultural vibe the Cotswolds offers a host of stimulating events, from Cheltenham Literature, Jazz, Science and Music Festivals to Summer Evening Art Walks in Painswick.

Stroud has a unique Bohemian vibe and frequently hosts music and art festivals in The Subscription Rooms.

Theatrical productions are a plenty, with the Cotswold Playhouse in Stroud putting on numerous productions every year and open-air performances at the Rococo Gardens in Painswick.

A trip to the unfinished Grade I Listed Woodchester Mansion is also highly recommended.

The Victorian Gothic house is an intriguing unfinished masterpiece and offers the unique opportunity to see the secrets of the construction of the Mansion as it was left in the 19th Century.

No tour of our corner of the Cotswolds would be complete without a nod to poet and writer, Laurie Lee. Growing up in Slad, the beauty of the landscape was inspiration to much of his writing; you can seek your own artistic inspiration by following the Laurie Lee trail which runs for 5 miles across the Slad Valley.

Places to visit

You’ll never be short of a day trip, whether it’s an open-air swim at Stratford Park Leisure Centre in Stroud, a day at the races in Cheltenham or a gentle stroll around one of the many open gardens; the Rococo Gardens in Painswick, Miserden Park, Westonbirt Arboretum and Highgrove Gardens are all worth a visit.

The stunning villages and towns surrounding our 3 offices are undeniably bursting with natural beauty, Bohemian chic and an earthy naturalness unique to our corner of the Cotswolds; Laurie Lee neatly summed this up when he described the village of Slad where he grew up saying, “It never was a show village.”

We’d sum it up as well worth a visit and absolutely the perfect place to live!