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?!

None of it is a patch on Scotland imo.

And I disagree that it's like Center Parks, because I've visited several times and was never offered bumsex.

Clarkson was probably off filming when you visited christine

Lol. At Christinebaskets

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

Eh? There's a hardware store in my small Cotswolds market town. The older kids and teen seem fairly normal.

Cheltenham has an M5 junction and Oxford M40. There's a railway station near Stow on the Wold with a massive car park and fast trains to London. Transport links are excellent, people commute.

What isn't great is tourists actually in my garden, literally on the front doorstep, taking close up photos of my wisteria.

Well, I happen to live in Gloucester....born and bred. I'll add my two penneth and vouch for the beauty if the Cotswolds.. I'm proud to have it on my doorstep. While I'm here I'm also proud of my hometown. Yes, you see the rough side of inner city life on an evening out....surely no worse than many UK cities? I don't think Gloucester is the only city to fall foul of the scourge of drugs and alcohol and homelessness ....am i the only one whose seen those eye opening fly on the wall programmes documenting people lying comatosed in gutters after a night out....dont think theyve ever been filmed in Hlis!! We have the rough with the smooth like everyone else! We have a buzzing Docks area and the most beautiful Cathedral. Yay for Glos😍

Hlis = Glos!!!

My parents live in Cheltenham, it's the most boring, least diverse and uninspiring place ever, and is overwhelmingly Tory.

The Cotswolds are meh, pretty enough but nothing on the Lakes or Yorkshire Dales.

Personally I don't like Stroud and it's my nearest town. It is grubby and often full of drunks and drug addicts, so probably just like anywhere else really. It could never be called attractive and the parking and traffic is terrible.
Gloucester is vastly improved in recent years. The quays are lovely. I always go there to shop in preference to Stroud. Drink/drugs are a problem in every town and city, surely?

The Cotswolds are naice... pretty villages, some lovely pubs, pleasant countryside- though largely farmland, nothing like National Park stuff. The point is it's a naice, quintessentially English area which is a short drive away from London.

I used to live in the Cotswolds. The villages and towns around where I lived are very pretty, especially Broadway, Burford, Bourton-on-the-water, Bibury, Guiting Power, Snowshill, Upper and Lower Slaughter. They are quintessentially English chocolate-box villages. They are very popular with foreign tourists.

I have a similar thing with places up North. I know the Lakes but never been entirely sure what “ The Dales” encompasses. I mean I think it’s Yorkshire but can’t visualise it or work out how far people would call “The Dales”.

@Tony2 I think that 'Chardonnay' is more likely to live in a council estate than a posh village in the Cotswolds

There’s loads to do in the Cotswolds but most of involves being outside in all weathers and having a dog.

There are some really beautiful spots. One of my favourites is Sudley Castle just outside if Winchcombe.

And Gifford Circus is a Cotswold summer treat.

If you're looking for things to do with children, here are a few ideas.
Bibury Trout Farm
The Cotswold Wildlife Park
The Cotswold Farm Park
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway

Don’t forget Birdland, 80sMum!

The Farm Park is ace. My DD is obsessed with the animal handling barn.

I’m going to Moreton in Marsh this weekend for three nights !

And seeing Brum.at the motor museum in Bourton!

I won't hear a word against Stroud unless I say it myself.

If you have no appreciation of beautiful countryside and pretty towns and villages, and need more to entertain you than (hopefully) good company, good walks, good pubs and restaurants and nice scenery, then maybe give the Cotswolds, the Lakes and other beautiful areas of the UK a miss. What is it that you actually want to do when you visit places?

@sheworebluevelvet

The Yorkshire Dales is a national park. It's boundaries are marked on google maps.

Roughly, it covers the large section of the pennines which is just to the east and south east of the Lake District.

Anyone know about exploring the Cotswolds without driving a car? For travelling inside the Cotswolds, once you get there.

I visited from Ireland. Soooo pretty.
I'd love to go back.
Blenheim was amazing and I will return to see Oxford. Went on a school trip years ago to Oxford and Stratford upon Avon.

Somewhat confusingly, the Yorkshire Dales National park now extends partly into Cumbria (abutting the Lake District NP and Lancashire (meeting the Forest of Bowland AONB).

Wauden you really do need a car in the Cotswolds, most if it is too rural to get around without one. You could have a break in one of the nice villages or small towns where you just explored that particular area, but you would need to be able to get there in the first place.