Where is the bloody Cotswolds

[Bottomplasters]

I always struggle to get my head around the Cotswolds. Everyone goes on about it.

Is it like the lakes? Is it really nice and where actually is it!

I’m north west and am always confused by this.

Anyone else get confused about stuff like this?!

People just go on and on about it and I don’t understand why

How strange, I have never heard anyone go on and on about it! Maybe a passing mention.
Maybe go for a visit and then you’ll understand it a bit more . It’s basically a lot of pretty villages with houses made from Cotswold stone, nice countryside, lots of expensive but pretty shops and tea shops... if that sounds like your sort of thing then go, if it doesn’t then don’t!

It's pretty. Everyone is pretty. They're all Jonty and Chardonnay, drive a white blacked out range rover, wear hunters and have two black labs, an aga, and an eight ring hob. They summer in Juan Les Pins, and winter in Val d' Isere. Find a location map of English McDonald's. That black hole where there aren't any, that's the Cotswolds! Taking the Mick folks, not really jealous!

If you went for a weekend the sorts of things you could do;
Go for walks on the Cotswold way.
Visit cute villages and their old pubs.
Visit a National Trust property.
Take a drive to see beautiful scenery.
Climb some hills for great views.
Visit Cheltenham for a variety of posh shops / restaurants / the horse racing.

The Cotswolds arw pretty but you have to look hard for fun stuff to do and I can imagine it's a bit rubbish for older kids area teens. It's not that near urban centre and traffic links aren't the best. You're fine if you want a posh pub or designer jumped but a bit stuffed If you need a hardware store

It is no more boring that the Lake District

I prefer the Cotswolds to the Lakes. They're completely different but both beautiful.

Yeah I’d say on a par with the lakes in terms of how interesting it is. Just different scenery.

I grew up in Cheltenham and now live in between Cheltenham and Gloucester, work in Gloucester. Laughing so much at these descriptions not far wrong about Gloucester being a dive! If you're from Cheltenham, people from Gloucester turn their noses up at you and claim you are a snob but I can't say I've ever owned a black lab or an item of joules clothing and I've never been within 10 feet of a horse Cheltenham races is made out to be this posh event but actually it's a load of pissed, barfing wankers in tweed suits, pissing everyone off for a whole week every year.

We do luckily have these beautiful Cotswold villages on our doorstep though but judging by the amount of tourists in the summer months (including myself!), I wouldn't fancy living in any of them! Stroud is nice but not a lot to do!! A lot of people from the surrounding villages come to cheltenham and Gloucester for work.

I'm from the area but live in london.

1. Gloucester city is much worse than when i was a kid and defo more scary than london! There were criminals stealing people's shopping from the city centre on xmas eve. (Obvs not cotswolds but following on to pp)
2. It's v picturesque but imo not more so than other places in the UK. It's very oldy worldy and pretty pubs etc.
3. Walking on the hills can be so windy, Stow especially.
4. With kids there's a big farm and wildlife park with lions etc and "water park " (filled in quarry ) which is fun.
5. People in london go on about their visits to the Cotswolds allllllll the time ime. I think to try and look fancy!!

We have the misfortune of living close to Gloucester. You only go there if you like £ shops or are a homeless drug addict. If someone took pity and dropped a bomb from a great height, we'd all cheer. Loudly.

The Cotswolds are a metaphorical million miles away.

Twee AF and full of Tories.

Still like visiting though

The Slaughters are pretty. Stow on the wold is nice for pubs and little shops, and I do like Broadway. There are some lovely posh hotels round there. Bourton is picturesque but overrun by tourists on nice days. I'm always fascinated by how many Chinese tourists make a beeline (or coach line!) for Cotswold villages!

Have you seen This Country op? It is an accurate depiction of village life in the Cotswolds, apparently. It's hilarious

The heart of the Cotswolds are towns and villages like Stow on the Wold, Bourton on Water and Chipping Norton.

Its about half an hour above Bristol and to the right.

On the edge of the Cotswolds are larger towns you will have heard of like Cheltenham and Oxford. Its the area in between!

Cotswold stone is a thing and many houses are built in it, giving the area a common "feel".

Its quite expensive to live there and people like Jeremy Clarkson, Beckhams, David Cameron etc have homes there.

In many ways the villages are quite like the Lakes villages but the Cotswolds only has little rivers and the water park, nothing luke your lakes

Can anyone recommend any pretty villages (in terms of buildings) in the north? I've not found any yet that match up but they must exist!

For the people who dont get the fuss, its a pretty area and with relatively OK access to London and, being above Bristol, the rest of England. Its a part of "little England" (as much as anywhere is now) and attracts foreign visitors who like to see England like that. Compared to its size, it has an abundance of large manor houses for those with money.

Huggybear many of the villages in the Yorkshire Dales are very pretty and the scenery is far more stunning that the Cotswolds.

Kettlewell, Buckdon and Starbotton are lovely.

I’ll probably get shot down for this but I think of it as centre parcs writ large.

Are we saying its all covered by a dome? You can never get out and will be forced to buy some hunter wellies and fit in with the locals. Obviously Jeremy Clarkson and the celebs have some kind of secret access tunnel so if you get friendly with them they may smuggle you out.

Thanks Dela, not been to any of those so on the list! The Dales has much more dramatic scenery, that's true, but they are both beautiful. I think there's beauty pretty much everywhere in the UK... Apart from Gloucester it seems!!!

Personally my favourite is North Norfolk, the Cotswolds, Brecon Beacons and North York Moors - all pretty different.

Ah yes huggbear so many stunning areas in the UK and everyone has their own preferences. I’m a Yorkshire girl so may be biased. North York Moors are stunning too but The Dales are my favourite.

I agree the chocolate box towns in the Cotswolds are pretty but I can’t get excited about the countryside there.

I guess if you're a Yorkshire girl it might not seem very exciting... I'm from the flat lands though so it's positively mountainous to me! Where would you recommend staying in the Dales? I've only passed through, not stayed yet.

They’re all Jonny & Chardonnay...

Chardonnay? Is that your idea of a ‘posh’ woman’s name?

Huggybear My favourites are the villages I mentioned then there is also
Grassington which is a bit bigger and Burnsall is also lovely. Malham Cove and Asgarth Falls are worth a visit or to stay near.

I think there's quite a lot to do in Stroud but then I grew up in a tiny village in the North East (2 buses a day!) so maybe I'm biased.

Lots of events throughout the year, mainly artsy/musical, museum in the park, the indoor skate park, cinema, bowling alley (though that is royally shit), restaurants and nice pubs, lots of walking on the lovely commons, and the least snobby place I've lived. Also not too far from Cheltenham and Bristol.

Can you tell I love it here

That's great, thank you. I've wanted to go to Malham Cove for ages, looks really lovely.

“It is no more boring that the Lake District”

Whaaaat? The Lake District has huge dramatic fells, waterfalls and tumbling necks, huge lakes, small tarns, the chocolate box as well as craggy and harsh. Same access to cosy old stone pubs.
And the Lake District is not famous for colonies of Tory Cronies.

No comparison!