The Cotswolds: England’s Largest National Landscape
The Cotswolds stretch across much of Gloucestershire, rolling hills dotted with villages where time stand still. Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Bibury—each a postcard scene. Castle Combe in Wiltshire is one of England’s prettiest villages.
When out walking, always follow the Countryside Code, to keep all creatures safe.
Covering 800 square miles, the name is a blend of Cot (sheep enclosure – ie. dry stone walls) and Wold (a hill). So the name literally means ‘sheep enclosure on a hill’.
England’s largest National Landscape also covers parts of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire – which has Broadway Tower, from where you can view for 60 miles across 16 counties!
The Cotswold Way National Trail stretches over 100 miles, giving stunning views of the countryside from Chipping Campden to Bath. Walkers love gentle strolls between villages, while those after a challenge can try the hillier parts above Broadway Tower.
If you love a proper English village, Castle Combe is about as good as it gets. Hidden in Wiltshire and hugged by the Cotswolds, walk along the main street to see honey-coloured cottages, all built from Cotswold stone. These houses date back centuries, with thick stone walls and steep roofs. Window boxes spill with flowers.
Cotswolds Issues with Over-Tourism
Although tourism is good to bring in local income and provide jobs, things are getting out of hand in many destinations (the Lake District, the city of Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon – due to the Shakespeare connection).
The Cotswolds village of Bourton-on-the-Water now has residents concerned over ‘TikTok visitors’ who descend to take selfies with beautiful backdrops. But leave litter behind, having no appreciation of local nature and heritage.
The same is happening abroad. Many popular tourist cities (Venice, Rome, Paris) are all taking action, fed up of tourists descending on their homes to buy junk. Then taking tours operated by outside companies, so not even supporting local jobs.
In Barcelona, locals have taken to the streets to ‘tell tourists to go home’. This beautiful coastal city now literally can have 35,000 people descend from cruise ships all at once onto one main street. To purchase tacky souvenirs, then off they go to their next destination.
