Cotswolds with school-age kids: which town ?

[shwang]

We are first-timers to Cotswolds, have 4 girls ages 6, 8, 11 and 17, and want to be within close walking distance to a charming quintessentially English village that is not too sleepy but not too tourist-packed. Our first choice was Chipping Campden but we cannot find a B&B with rooms for us that weekend. What about Cheltenham or Circencester--or is there another village that fits our bill ? If you have specific B&Bs that you love, please let me know as well ! Thanks so much mums.

Cheltenham is lovely but quite large and more of a Regency town but with gorgeous shops.

Broadway I think is really nice. It's only one High Street though but you can do that in an afternoon, walk up to the Broadway Tower and also visit Snowshill Manor (National Trust) for another afternoon/morning.

DH always says how 'Bridget Jones' Broadway is. You have to go to the Lygon Arms for lunch but obviously stick to the bar with your DCs unless you are seriously loaded!

Bourton on the water is twee paradise - The motor Museum houses Brum, there is a bird sanctuary plus other things, have a google (also has a fabulous jewellery shop dahlink) look hotels here

Can't recommend any as have never stayed there.

HTH

You could do worse than Painswick - does get the odd coach load in summer but much smaller than Broadway which is more of a small town really
Has the oldest post office in the UK, a churchyard with 99 yews, an arts exhibition centre, the lovely Rococo Gardens, plenty of pubs, a Thai restaurant and a chic boutique hotel, loads of B & Bs.
Need I go on?

Oh, and Moreton in Marsh, near Bourton, has a model village of itself (or am Igetting the two mixed up?)
Also a Wildlife Park around there if you like that sort of thing.

Extremely helpful--thank you !

Stow on the Wold

You won't be within walking distance of a village in Cheltenham or Cirencester! Painswick or Tetbury are lovely

Bourton on the Water has a model village, Moreton-in-Marsh does not.

Thanks for all the great input...I thought Cheletnham and Circenster were smaller than apparently they are! I'll check out these other ones and hope they are not too sleepy, as we love good restaurants and a selection of quality shops for the girls.

You could always check out Winchcombe - it's close to Cheltenham but is quite Cotswold-y. Then you could have a trip in to town.

Another vote for Bourton on the Water.

Bourton-on-the-Water again

Painswick is lovely, and the hotel gorgeous, but driving in Painswick is a right pain as teeny tiny roads to the hotel, and nothing to do in the village.

Bourton is good out of season, but a real tourist trap in the summer.

Stow is good as very Cotswolds, but enough to see to not be boring

Stow is lovely but you have to watch out for coach loads of grannies it is the home of Scotts of Stow (ie where you can buy endless faux mahogany remote control holders etc etc).

Burford - nice shops, quite small, lovely pubs and restaurants, interesting church (green man, something to do with the Levellers), close to Cheltenham, Bibury, etc etc. Would have a look at that.

Also, a really great walk to Fulbrook from Swinford, along banks of Evenlode. Great pub at Swinbrook. All walking distance from Burford.

Yes, I have good thoughbfaded memories of Burford from long ago. And William Morris called Bibury ' the prettiest village in England.'