AIBU to think the Cotswolds are over-rated?

Castle Cary is beautiful.

I grew up in Stroud which is in the Cotswold. Go there and you’ll see Cotswold stone cottages and can walk the extremely hilly hills.

@mimbleandlittlemy ha ha- we’ve got Bruton not too far from us that’s similar- it’s a perfectly pretty place but attracts loads of very well heeled weekenders who all want to be seen in places with other well heeled weekenders- whereas those in the know pop to castle Cary - 3 miles down the road which is just as lovely and better value

Never been to the Cotswolds but you are being hugely unreasonable, deliberately antagonistic and a bit narrow-minded to go to one tiny corner of a place and then proceed to write it all off.

Not like those big land owners and farmers

I live in Birdlip Glos. One hell of a dump.

Soho Farmhouse is like the Daylesford Farm Shop - full of weekenders, David Beckham, and total fools very easily parted with their money (who want to go where David Beckham goes).

You went to the wrong bit!

@Serpentstooth the boar certainly do thrive in the FoD - I was once walking at the sculpture trail and had to do a very steathly reverse when the dogs and I met a big extended family including cute stripy babies just hanging out on the trail. I believe they are becoming a big nuisance locally as there are no predators.
The Severn Bore otoh was spectacular today.

I live just off the top edge of the AONB and it takes me over an hour to drive to Woodstock, I think it would be well over 2 to the southern edge if I kept inside the AONB. Its a very varied landscape, but the drive from Chipping Norton to Broadway via Moreton in Marsh is a particular favourite of mine, esp with a little loop round Snowshill and Stanway

Easy trip for us as we live in Bath but tend to go to Stroud, Cheltenham or Cirencester etc as I prefer an actual place with shops and a big choice of places to eat etc rather than a picture perfect but small place with hordes of visitors converging on same 2 places etc - different of course if you are going hiking/walking - I do think the combination of green and leafy and honeyed stone isa hard one to beat- lots of North Yorkshire or the Dales too are nice for similar reasons. Have to admit I hate the Lake District and certain parts of wales as they give me the creeps.

I hope theyre off to see the Bore and not to seek out the tusky kind which apparently thrive in the Forest of Dean🐗

You're going to see the Severn Bore.

As PP have said, the Tews are on the very very edge of the Cotswolds, if at all to be honest. Except the SoHo Farmhouse wankers like to live it at the ‘country home’ in the Cotswolds, pretending like they’re proper country folk…when they’re really really not

The Cotswolds is quite big. The very pretty towns in the north Cotswolds and near Cirencester are in a fairly flat bit, and the edgier, less chocolate-box towns to the south have more interesting countryside (IMO). The north Cotswolds gets quite full of tourists and buses.

On come on, the farm house is a rich cosplay for Londoners. You can hardly go to soho and then rant about the Cotswolds as a whole.

I live in Cheltenham and so we're often out and about it in the Cotswolds at the weekend.

I really like it. Lots of very pleasant villages and towns. Walking up to Haresfield or Painswick Beacon are also really lovely.

As others have said, the places you visited aren't in the Cotswolds

We are in our touring caravan in Cirencester at the moment, I like Cirencester, some of the villages are nice, Bibury was full of Japanese tourists so busy, I'm also a tourist so not moaning but hard to park, Burford was nice, big free carpark and nice coffee shops, Weather is lovely, we chose a good week😀 Going to see Severn Boar today so up early

The more people who think it's overrated the better, if they stay away. 🤣

Woodstock isn't in the Cotswolds.

We love it. Hiking, medieval and romantic history, country fetes, nice pubs, lovely shopping, loads to do that's not expensive.

Like anywhere, you need to do some research, see where you'd like to visit. What you're interested in. Look at a map. Plan. Take control of your time and enjoyment factor.

I’ve been to the Cotswolds and thought some of it was stunning, and I live an easy drive to the Yorkshire Dales where my heart firmly lives.

The Cotswolds is such a beautiful area. It’s certainly not overrated. Some towns better than others and some postcard perfect . England has the most beautiful little villages you will ever see .

I like it there. We've stayed in Woodstock with friends and then driven properly into the Cotswolds AONB on day trips with them. Always found it beautiful and we have had good times.

I've preferred them to anywhere I've ever visited in East or West Sussex.

I’ve spent extended time in the Chipping Norton area (had an ex who lived there). I think it’s the quaint architecture not so much the landscape that is considered really outstanding. But I think both are beautiful. If you go on a sunny day the gentle, rolling hills and the golden stone can be breathtaking.

I agree. I’ve been once and it seemed very meh. Just sort of flattish fields. I do live in Yorkshire which is very hilly but was expecting something more dramatic. The villages were very pretty though.