Cotswolds Holiday Cottages

Why book a Cotswolds holiday cottage through Simply Owners

What you see is the price you'll pay because with Simply Owners there are no booking fees or service charges. All of our owners are verified, and our Payment Protection plan secures your funds while the reservation is confirmed.

But what makes us different is the direct line to the owner. Pick up the phone and ask if the lane outside gets icy in January, or whether the garden is secure enough for a dog who fancies himself a mountaineer. You'll get a straight answer. Owners know more about their properties than any call centre ever could, where the sun hits all afternoon, where the best cream teas are, whether the pub at the bottom of the hill serves a decent Sunday roast. That sort of thing doesn't belong in a dropdown filter.

We have cottages in every shape and size across the Cotswolds. Converted stone barns on the edge of farmland, waterside lodges on the border of the Cotswold Water Park, classic Cotswold stone terraces in Bourton or Broadway. Walking holidays, a big family birthday, a quiet week in front of the fire with a pile of books, whatever you require, we have the property for you.

Where to stay in the Cotswolds

The region spans six counties and the character shifts as you move through it:

Bourton-on-the-Water earns the Venice of the Cotswolds title because of its low stone bridges that cross the River Windrush right through the village centre. The area gets busy from about 11am in peak summer, but stay nearby and you'll have the riverbanks to yourself before the coaches arrive.

Stow-on-the-Wold perches at one of the highest points in the Cotswolds. It was a wool-trade market town and still has that open, windswept square ringed with antique shops. The Porch House claims to be England's oldest inn.

Chipping Campden is quieter and elegant with a high street of listed buildings that haven't fundamentally changed in four centuries. It marks the northern start of the Cotswold Way, so walkers pass through constantly.

Broadway has the wide high street, the galleries, the tea rooms, and Broadway Tower on the hilltop above it all. On a clear day the tower gives you views across sixteen counties, which feels impossible until you're standing up there squinting towards the Malverns.

Burford drops steeply towards the Windrush. The high street is packed with bookshops, cheese shops and wool merchants and is the sort of place you nip in for a loaf and come out with a wheel of Cotswold Brie and a first edition.

Cirencester anchors the southern Cotswolds. Largest town in the region, with a Roman past (it was the second-largest town in Roman Britain), a weekly market, and a proper independent food scene.

Things to do on a Cotswolds holiday

Half the point of a Cotswold cottage break is not doing much at all. But when you do venture out, you won't struggle.

Walking is what brings most people here. The Cotswold Way runs 102 miles from Chipping Campden over to Bath, but there are hundreds of shorter circular routes winding through the landscape too: along dry stone walls, through bluebell woods in April, across frost-hardened fields in December. And most of them conveniently pass a pub at the halfway mark. That, we're told, is purely coincidental.

Gardens are a Cotswolds thing. Westonbirt National Arboretum is properly stunning in October. Hidcote Manor Garden is Arts and Crafts done just right. The Rococo Garden at Painswick is one of the only remaining examples of its kind in England, with geometric paths, snowdrops in February and hardly any other visitors.

Historic houses are everywhere. Blenheim Palace near Woodstock (Churchill was born there, the grounds were laid out by Capability Brown) is the headline act. Sudeley Castle near Winchcombe was where Catherine Parr spent her last days. Broadway Tower, built as a folly in 1798, now contains a small museum and the best panorama in the region.

Families head for the Cotswold Water Park (150-odd lakes, watersports, cycling, wildlife), the Cotswold Farm Park (Adam Henson's rare-breed farm, bring wellies), and the Cotswold Wildlife Park near Burford, which is genuinely good.

Food is in the Cotswolds' bones. Farm shops selling local cheeses and bread. Country pubs with slow-roasted lamb and cask ales on tap. A handful of Michelin-starred restaurants for that special meal. The Cotswolds loves its food.

Holiday cottages in the Cotswolds by type

Dog-friendly cottages: Miles of open countryside, footpaths in every direction, pubs that put a water bowl out without being asked. Many of our Cotswolds cottages welcome dogs. Use the dog-friendly filter when you search.

Cottages with hot tubs: A private hot tub after a long day on the Cotswold Way. Several of our properties have them, from rustic lodges to barn conversions. They book up fast, so search early.

Luxury cottages: Period farmhouses with underfloor heating, converted mills with roll-top baths, stone manor houses with walled gardens. This part of England does luxury self-catering extraordinarily well.

Large group cottages: Family gathering, milestone birthday, catching up with old friends once everyone's diaries have finally matched. We have Cotswold properties sleeping eight, ten, twelve or more, with large kitchens and living rooms for those who really do want to be together.

Cottages for couples: One-bedroom places with inglenook fireplaces, flagstone floors and nothing outside the window but sheep. The Cotswolds was more or less built for romantic breaks.

Accessible cottages: We're working with our owners to improve accessibility information across the site. If you need step-free access, a wet room or specific adaptations, get in touch with the owner directly. They'll tell you exactly what the property can and can't do.

When to visit the Cotswolds

Spring (March–May) is arguably when the Cotswolds looks its finest with wildflowers, lambs, mild days around 12–16°C, and far fewer people than summer. Book a cottage near a bluebell wood and you'll wonder why you ever holidayed anywhere else.

Summer (June–August) brings school-holiday crowds and temperatures around 18–22°C. Village fetes, long evenings, pub gardens. The popular cottages fill months ahead for July and August, so plan early.

Autumn (September–November) belongs to Westonbirt Arboretum and the colours that turn up there. Harvest festivals, cider pressing, mist in the valleys. Fewer visitors, lower prices, same beautiful countryside.

Winter (December–February) might sound unlikely, but it is actually one of the busiest times of year for bookings. Christmas markets in Cirencester and Stow-on-the-Wold, frost on the escarpment, log fires burning in every pub. People plan their year over the Christmas break, and Cotswold cottages are part of that tradition.

Getting here is straightforward. The Cotswolds sits 80–100 miles from London which is about 90 minutes by car down the M40 or A40. Great Western Railway connects Moreton-in-Marsh and Kingham to Paddington in under two hours, so a long weekend without the car is entirely doable.

Frequently asked questions about Cotswolds holiday cottages

Where exactly is the Cotswolds?

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in central England, covering roughly 800 square miles across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire and Somerset. It runs from Chipping Campden in the north down to Bath in the south.

What is the Cotswolds famous for?

Honey-coloured limestone cottages, dry stone walls, green hills, and villages so photogenic they've appeared in everything from Downton Abbey to Bridget Jones. Also: very good cheese.

Are there dog-friendly holiday cottages in the Cotswolds?

Plenty. The Cotswolds is ideal for dogs: open countryside, public footpaths, pubs that genuinely welcome muddy paws. Filter by "dog-friendly" when you search on Simply Owners.

Can I find a Cotswolds cottage with a hot tub?

You can. We have properties with private hot tubs across a range of sizes and budgets. They're popular, so searching sooner rather than later is wise.

How far is the Cotswolds from London?

About 80–100 miles depending on where you're heading. By car, around 90 minutes on the M40. By train, Moreton-in-Marsh and Kingham are both under two hours from Paddington.

When is the best time to visit the Cotswolds?

Every season has its pull. Spring and early autumn are quietest. Summer brings the longest days and the most people. Winter is for cosy cottage breaks, log fires and planning next year's holiday.

Browse our holiday cottages in the Cotswolds and speak to the owner directly. No booking fees, no service charges. Explore more holiday cottages in England or across the UK.