Where shall we visit in the Cotswolds?

[Malteser71]

We are staying in May, two teenagers.

Would love any recommendations, especially for pretty pubs!

Laurie Lee pub

Laurie Lee walk

Yes! The roman villa is great .its NT if you are members

Oh and Chedworth Roman Villa is good, as is the Corinium Museum in Cirencester.

You're not very far from this crocodile and alligator place in Oxfordshire which is bloody brilliant. They feed them and they jump out of the water
www.crocodilesoftheworld.co.uk

South Cerney water park is good if your children like water sports and the wildlife park is close by as well. Bourton on the water is lovely as pp have said and also Broadway is nice for a mooch around. There's an amazing tea shop called Huffkins which does the best afternoon tea ever which I think is in Burford.

Thank you all so much, really helpful stuff!

DS loved the Cotswold Falconry Centre in Batsford. I think he was about 13 when we were there.

There's a sculpture trail on in May in the area of large Kingfishers each by a different localish artist. It's just called the Kingfisher trail I think & could be something to fill in any gaps.

If Stanway park is open the gravity-fed fountain is v impressive - it's the largest in the world.

Possible teenage stuff that may be open: dry ski slope in Gloucester for tubing, two indoor climbing centres in the area, a grass sledging place, various "adventure" golfs (incl an indoor one in Cheltenham with bar) and there's usually maize mazes around.

If any of you are Harry Potter fans some of it was filmed at Gloucester Cathedral (on v edge of Cotswolds though).

Bibury is the quintessential scenic Cotswold village (it's pictured in the British passport) but it's also home to a trout fishery you can visit & catch your own - might be something different!

@Malteser71

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

My teenagers love it there.

Cleeve hill in Cheltenham is good for walks and views.

More ideas here www.cotswolds.com/

For teens
Cotswold Water Park
Cycle path Nailsworth to Stonehouse
Canals
Gloucester Ski Centre
Gloucester Docks outlet shopping
Warehouse Climbing Centre
Far Peak climbing centre
Woodchester Park

There is a heritage railway at Winchcombe that might be running by then.

Cotswold Water Park - see if there’s any activities going on there. Lots you can do. There’s also a rally school best there if your teenagers are into that sort of thing.

The wildlife park. Cotswold farm park (Adam henson’s farm from country file).

The place they filmed downton abbey is somewhere in the cotswolds but I can’t remember the name.

Trout fishing in bibury?

Mulligans indoor mini golf in Cheltenham great fun for a rainy day (if open!?). Think there might even be a bowling alley. Just suggestions in case weather is bad!
RSC in Stratford do theatre tours

Love the Cotswolds but it does get busy in the well known villages.
What we like to do is follow a map ( old fashioned one, not a Sat Nav) and try to work out a route between two places avoiding ‘A’ roads.
We’ve found some lovely villages this way, and had some hair raising drives down single track roads, crossing fords.
The teenagers may enjoy being navigator.
Upper and Lower Slaughters are lovely and a bit quieter.

I’d swerve Bourton unless you’re keen to do the car museum.

If you do a day trip to Stratford you could do the tourist sites then go rock climbing at the leisure centre, lunch at a pub on the river (or there are loads of nice restaurants in the town), boat ride on the river with the teenagers rowing their parents, the big wheel over waterside, butterfly farm...
My kids are only a bit younger and we love living here. I've got a few tips on places to check out from your thread.

Giffords Circus tours the Cotswolds over summer and is wonderful.

If any of them are open by then (rainy day suggestions)
Cheltenham:
Mulligans Adventure Golf (&bar)
Bowling
The Ivy - it's a converted bank, toilets are the vaults
Gloucester:
Warehouse climbing centre (it's huge and they also offer caving)
Cathedral - spot the HP filming locations
Oxford:
Loads of stuff to explore here! We love taking a day to explore at the weekend to have a visit when things are open. Def use the P&R though, Oxford traffic is a nightmare.

I'm another one who is also suggesting you avoid Bourton, it gets massively overcrowded - other villages are prettier

Thank you !

Brampton, Oxfordshire is where Downton was filmed

We love the Cotswolds but haven't stayed up in a long time. We've stayed in Stow on the Wold which is lovely. One of our favourite days out from there was a drive up to Warwick, did the castle etc. Really interesting.

Pitt rivers museum Oxford