The Cotswolds, the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England and Wales covers a huge area, around 25 miles wide and 90 miles long.
It is known for its quintessentially English market towns and villages built from honey-coloured stone. The Cotswolds is home to numerous parks, gardens, lakes, streams and stately homes. House prices rising in the last few years shows how this affluent area has become a desirable destination for homebuyers relocating from all around the country.
We’ve taken a look at some of the most beautiful towns and villages - and characterful new build homes - in the Cotswolds for those considering a move to the area…
Broadway
Known as the ‘Jewel of the Cotswolds’, Broadway is located in the county of Worcestershire. It lies on “The Cotswold Way” walking trail which runs from Chipping Campden to Bath. There are some impressive attractions in the village, including The Broadway Museum and Art Gallery and Broadway Tower Country Park. Frequent trains from London Paddington run to Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh, from where you can then get a bus to Broadway.
For those looking for a new build home in the village, Spitfire Bespoke Homes offers the Highworth development as part of their “Cotswold Collection”, which is a collection of 124 traditional-styled houses. They each feature Cotswold stone detailing and slate roofs, echoing the architectural style of Broadway.
Prices from £840,000
Find out more about Spitfire Bespoke Homes Highworth development
Kingham
Voted England’s Favourite Village in 2006, Kingham lies about four miles south-west of Chipping Norton. The village is unique because it is served by a mainline train station which provides regular direct trains to London Paddington, the fastest of which takes just 82 minutes. Residents can also reach Oxford, Slough and Reading on this route.
Kingham has one shop, an award-winning pub, two hotels and Kingham Hill School is located just outside the village.
Fairford
A small town in Gloucestershire, Fairford lies in the Cotswold Hills, near to the Cotswold Water Park. It is well known for its military air base nearby, where Concorde first flew. Each summer, the air base hosts the International Air Tattoo, the biggest military airshow in the world.
The main street in Fairford is lined with 17th- and 18th-century stone houses. There is a secondary school which Ofsted rates Outstanding, and a primary school and playgroup. There is a library, shops and health and leisure facilities. The A417 runs through Fairford, leading to the A419 route to Swindon, and junction 15 of the M4 for London, Bristol, the South West and Wales.
Keble Fields from Bovis Homes is located on the edge of Fairford, less than a mile from the town centre. The development is made up of three-, four- and five-bedroom homes.
Prices from £330,000
Find out more about Keble Fields from Bovis Homes
Bourton-on-the-Water
With a picturesque high street with the River Windrush running through it, the village of Bourton-on-the-Water is known as the “Venice of the Cotswolds”. The village has a number of tourist attractions, including a game of medieval football which is played in the river, the Cotswold Motoring Museum and Birdland Park and Gardens. 117 buildings within the village have Grade II or higher listed status.
Moreton-in-Marsh is the nearest station and Kingham Station and Cheltenham Spa are also nearby, and visitors can then catch a bus to reach the village. By road, it is located on the A429 between Cirencester and Stow on the Wold.
Mickleton
Mickleton is a village in Gloucestershire. Homes in the village are built in a variety of styles, including red brick, Cotswold stone and white timbered thatched-roof cottages. Hidcote Manor Garden, a popular National Trust destination is nearby, and the village has two pubs, a hotel, a local store, butchers and grocers. Honeybourne Station is a 10-minute drive away, offering services to London Paddington, Oxford, Reading and Worcester.
Oak Grange is a new build development from Miller Homes, located by Mickleton Primary and Nursery School, making it an ideal home from families. Residents will be able to enjoy all the local amenities, as well as having miles of open countryside on their doorsteps. Help to Buy is available.
Prices from £425,000
Find out more about Oak Grange from Miller Homes
Lacock
Lacock is probably the most preserved of all the villages in the Cotswolds, owned almost entirely by the National Trust, which makes it popular with visitors. It is a popular location for film and television, and was featured in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation and in a couple of the Harry Potter films.
Lacock hosts an annual scarecrow festival, and all funds raised from it go directly to Lacock Primary School. There are a few shops and pubs in the village, and many of the original buildings survive. Lacock Abbey has beautiful grounds for exploring, playing and relaxing, and the Fox Talbot Museum at Lacock explores the history of photography.
Cirencester
For those wanting to be based in some of the bigger towns in the Cotswolds, there are plenty of new homes currently available for sale. Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. The town does not have it's own rail station, but Kemble railway station is under four miles away, and offers direct trains to London Paddington, Swindon and Gloucester. The town has several primary schools and two secondary schools.
Surrounded by beautiful Cotswold countryside, Pembroke Park by David Wilson Homes is located around a mile from the town centre. Ofsted rated “Outstanding” Powell’s Church of England Primary School is just a 25 minute walk from the development, and Help to Buy and Part Exchange are available.
Prices from £545,000
Find out more about Pembroke Park from David Wilson Homes