Historic Towns and Villages in Gloucestershire

Famous as the subject of a poem by Edward Thomas, Adlestrop is an idyllic village - the sort of place that tourist brochures wax rhapsodic about, and visitors from abroad fondly imagine all English villages to be like.  There's not a lot to the village itself beyond a few winding country lanes, a village store (thatched, of course), and an old Rectory and manor house flanking a medieval parish church. But Adlestrop has charm, a quiet countryside beauty that makes it a delight to visit.
Adlestrop, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England

Heritage Rating:   ?


Nearest Self Catering Cottages

A small village - no more than a hamlet, really - near the attractive town of Wootton-under-Edge, in the heart of the Gloucestershire Cotswolds. The long-distance Cotswold Way runs directly through the village, passing a number of historic buildings built in the honey-coloured local Cotswold stone that makes this area such a joy to visit.
Alderley, Gloucestershire, England

Heritage Rating:   ?


Nearest Self Catering Cottages

Alderton is a pretty village on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire border. The parish church of St Margaret dates to the Saxon period. Alderton boasts a wealth of attractive 17th and 18th-century thatched and timber-framed cottages.
Alderton, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England

Heritage Rating:   ?

Heritage Highlight: A wealth of timber-framed, thatched cottages

Nearest Self Catering Cottages

A prosperous village a few miles west of Cirencester, Ampney Crucis has a lovely village green with a war memorial, and a 12th-century church with very good medieval wall paintings.
Ampney Crucis, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England

Heritage Rating:   ?


Nearest Self Catering Cottages

Ampney St Mary is a lovely Cotswold hamlet near Cirencester. The church, which is located a mile away from the village, features some wonderful medieval wall paintings.
Ampney St Mary, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England

Heritage Rating:   ?


Nearest Self Catering Cottages

A small village with a lot of historical interest to offer visitors. There is a 14th-century preaching cross on the village green, a 15th-century tithe barn (National Trust) and a church which has Saxon stonework. In the church is one of the earliest known examples of a royal coat of arms, dating to the reign of Edward VI.
Ashleworth, Gloucestershire, England

Heritage Rating:   ?


Nearest Self Catering Cottages

The village of Berkeley stands on the eastern bank of the Severn estuary. There's a lot of history in this small Gloucestershire town - most of it centred on the formidable fortress of Berkeley Castle. The castle is famous as the place where the imprisoned King Edward II met his grisly death.
Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England

Heritage Rating:   ?

Heritage Highlight: 12th century Berkeley Castle

Nearest Self Catering Cottages

The village of Bibury is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the Cotswolds. The village sits astride the peaceful River Coln, with a medieval bridge joining attractive cottages on both banks. On one side of the bridge is the ivy-clad Swan Inn, while nearby is a popular fish hatchery. A short stroll from the bridge is probably the most photographed view in the Cotswolds; a row of medieval almshouses made of golden-toned stone, known as Arlington Row. Arts and Crafts pioneer William Morris called Bibury "the most beautiful village in England", and many visitors will agree.
Bibury, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England

Heritage Rating:   ?


Nearest Self Catering Cottages

Bledington is a delightful Cotswold village near the River Evenlode, on the border of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. The village dates to before the Domesday Book and is blessed with an abundance of 17th and 18th-century cottages built of the local golden-coloured Cotswold limestone.
Bledington, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England

Heritage Rating:   ?

Heritage Highlight: 12th-century parish church of St Leonard

Nearest Self Catering Cottages

Blockley is a picture postcard Cotswold village set in amid tall trees near Moreton-in-Marsh. At the centre of the village, overlooking a wide bowling green, and dominating the landscape for miles around, is the medieval church of St Peter and St Paul.
Blockley, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England

Heritage Rating:   ?


Nearest Self Catering Cottages