AIBU to think the Cotswolds are over-rated?

[Shoezembagsforever]

We went for a lovely long lunch with friends yesterday near Little Tew in the Cotswolds and then walked/drove around Great Tew and Woodstock before going home. I live in a town in East Sussex and go regularly to the countryside there. I’d actually never been to the Cotswolds though and was really excited as it’s become so popular.

I was actually disappointed though - the countryside seemed bleaker and flatter than East Sussex, but what bothered me most is that almost all the old houses we passed had been cleaned up so much that they looked a bit like dull beige new builds. In contrast the lovely old villages in East Sussex like Firle, Ditchling and Alfriston still look old and have character - it makes a huge difference.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

You're going to see the Severn Bore.

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

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.

@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

You went to the wrong bit!

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).

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

Not like those big land owners and farmers

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.

@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

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.

Castle Cary is beautiful.

Correct

Forest of Dean is sorta next to Gloucester which is next to Brockworth which is on the (outside edge) of the Cotswolds.

It's a huge area and visiting towns is different than touristy villages which is different to visiting small villages which is different to walking the Cotswold Way....

It's a gentle area of England. No doubt its changed in character over the past few decades as the Jeremy Clarkson set have bought homes there.

No doubt its changed in character over the past few decades as the Jeremy Clarkson set have bought homes there.

Indeed.

@mimbleandlittlemy yes, lovely place, I like going there if I want my ‘country village/small town’ day out and want a change from Bradford on Avon as that’s only 5 miles up road from us.

I can’t say it particularly does it for me either. Yes, there are some pretty villages. But I live in a beautiful part of the countryside with amazing beaches and wild landscapes and lovely pubs and it doesn’t seem particularly special in the Cotswolds. More Range Rovers and high end shops, but that’s about it.

I live in Bristol so close to the Cotswolds. The villages are chocolate box pretty and there are some good scenic bits but I agree, the countryside generally doesn't blow me away. If I want jaw dropping beauty I head for the Wye Valley. Now you' re talking.

This also intrigued me 😆

It's really not bleak. Unless walking through rain in poor visibility in November when everywhere is bleak.