Where shall we visit in the Cotswolds?

[Malteser71]

We are staying in May, two teenagers.

Would love any recommendations, especially for pretty pubs!

Motor museum. Bourton on water! See Brum and lots of old cars. Fascinating

Ooh haven’t heard of that

The Cotswolds is the most over rated part of the UK and incredibly dull for teenagers.

Bourton on the water is quite pleasant if the weather's nice. Broadway has a few nice posh shops but you'll have seen the all in a hour, tops. Cirencester is ok.

That's about it.

Well thanks for that, very helpful when I’ve booked to go away there 🙄

Where abouts are you staying OP? Oxford is reasonably close, or Woodstock. Lovely place, Blenheim Palace, and good pubs.

Where in the cotswolds are you staying?

Do you have any particular interests?

Hadn’t thought of Blenheim, great idea. We are staying in chipping campden, so quite far north

I’m interested in fat chips in riverside pubs 👍

The well known villages are pretty but really not much to see to be honest. We went last October and there was zero chance of getting into any of the pubs or little cafes, queues absolutely everywhere.
I’d probably recommend maybe one day looking around the villages, breakfast maybe at Daylesford and then spend the rest of your time doing Oxford, Blenheim, Cheltenham etc

Burford is lovely, Cotswold Wildlife park, Bourton, Woodstock, all lovely areas to explore. There's plenty to do, especially if you enjoy the outdoors, it's a beautiful area!

OP a pub up that way just got listed in the Top 50 gastropubs: www.top50gastropubs.com/pub-profile/the-wild-rabbit/

Not sure if they do fat chips!

Do your teenagers like the National Trust? Some good options there. Westonbirt Arboretum is a nice. What were you hoping to do? I’d go walking and pub lunching personally. Not sure what else there is to do in the Cotswolds really. There are lots of good food pubs. Some nice spa hotels, antique shops. I wouldn’t prioritise Bourton on the Water. It’s very busy and all you can do there is visit gift shops and eat cream teas.

I think after this year anywhere different is exciting. If your teens haven’t been to oxford then try to get there, it’s such a great city with so much to see. Hidcote gardens are lovely and I absolutely love Cirencester. A lot of the villages are really pretty. If you like wildlife the National trust estate by Newark park is a great place to walk. I think they filmed springwatch there one year. It may not be the most dramatic of landscapes but I love the Cotswolds.

Painswick is lovely and has a nice pub (I think; it was 12 years ago when we went!!) It was full of pensioners on a rambling trip and they were amazing. They all got absolutely trashed in the middle of the afternoon and started an impromptu Rolling Stones karaoke session using the tape player from the coach. They turned the volume right up and they were swaying about all over the pavement singing Jumping Jack Flash. My husband and I promised we'd all stay in touch and then they all got driven back to Cheltenham on their coach. Honestly, I was hungover for about 3 days.

There are also Upper and Lower Slaughter - two gorgeous villages blessed with hideous names. I think they did it on purpose to hide from the tourists. I went there as a teenager and had a lovely time, it wasn't dull at all! Hope you have a lovely time too.

The Cotswold Country Park and Beach is meant to be great for teenagers. You can rent a patch for a bbq and do some open water swimming, and there’s lots of water sports activities to try out. Plus mini golf.

www.cotswoldcountryparkandbeach.com/

It’s very pretty but to me fairly dull place. There are lots of lovely walks and good pubs. Westonbirt Arboretum is lovely. Lots of twee shops and overpriced delis. It’s never seemed like real life to me but fine for a laid back holiday. Snowshill Manor is worth a visit. Broadway Tower. The Rococo garden outside Nailsworth. Nice bookshops in Tetbury and Nailsworth. Just drive around and look at places .

Chipping Campden is lovely. Lovely coffee shop at Campden Coffee and good food at The Noels Arms and Eight Bells Inn. Stratford Upon Avon isn't far where you can visit Shakespeare's birthplace. Lots of bracing walks in the area with stunning views.

Bourbon on the water has been ruined by dozens of coach tours (though this year I guess the usual hundreds of foreign tourists won’t be there.

For most teenagers, they’ll be bored quite quickly of the twee villages, tea rooms etc, so I’d focus more on Oxford and Cheltenham. The Ivy in Cheltenham is a beautiful place. If you’re into walking there are some beautiful hikes straight from Chipping Campden.
Have a look at the Oxford Times for What’s On.
As a pp said, they’ll probably be so glad not to be in their house that they won’t get too bored.

Agree Cotswold Country Park good d, I think you can hire boats.
Also hire punts in Oxford (at Magdalen Bridge)

@Malteser71

Well thanks for that, very helpful when I’ve booked to go away there 🙄

Well I suppose nowhere is great for teenagers at the moment. Hopefully you’ll have done nice weather and get to enjoy a change of scenery

Honestly - the teenagers next door to us were excited at getting driven along the local ring road today. I think they'd have exploded at the prospect of a trip round the Cotswolds!

All the hate for the Cotswolds I live here so perhaps slightly biased, but I think it's wonderful. So much to see and do.
Cotswold Wildlife Park is fab if you want a "day trip", it's really lovely to walk around. Burford nearby is great for a spot of lunch and very pretty.
Cirencester has some nice spots for lunch.
If it's open try The Butchers Arms in Stow on the Wold for dinner. Actually a fish specialist, but do good meat too.
Westonbirt is great but you'll be closer to Morton in Marsh which has Batsford Arboretum, much smaller but still lovely and in May should be showing beautifully.
As a pp says, visit the Slaughters, absolutely beautiful. I think Bourton on the Water is worth a visit but it is more touristy - same for Bibury (although I love the Trout Farm there).
Of course in Chipping Norton you aren't that far from Stratford upon Avon, which although not Cotswolds, is a great day trip.

Oh and if you're around on a Saturday, visit Stroud (althogh a good drive from where you are staying) in the morning. Just voted #1 town to live in the UK and their farmers market is just brilliant!

Chedworth roman villa is a lovely spot

AngelicaElizaAndPeggy

That's brilliant! 😆