Tourist attractions Bourton-on-the-Water

Since ancient times, this region to the northwest of the Upper Thames Valley has been favoured by settlers for its climate and pastoral landscapes. Nowadays, the Cotswolds symbolise the essence of rural England, with airy open uplands, sheltered in p..

The Cotswolds stone façade has symmetrical gables and two towers housing the staircases. Inside, panelling, ceilings and period furniture show the architecture, decoration and atmosphere of 17C family life. Note the stables and the modest St Mary's ..

Dominating the market place, this is a fine example of a "wool church". The majestic two-storey southern porch is decorated with medieval sculptures. A remarkable collection of bronzes that belonged to the wool merchants is on display ins..

Slightly apart from the town, the large St John the Baptist Church , its tall spire rising gracefully above the water meadows is Norman in origin. The building has a wide variety of elements dating from different periods. The pinnacled three-storey ..

Protected by the steep slope, this is a fine example of a Cotswolds manor as built in around 1500. There is a great range of objects collected by the eccentric Charles Wade throughout his life. Wade also created the charming terraced garden .

Sudeley Castle stands on the spectacular slopes of the Cotswolds. Once a medieval fortress, then the home of Catherine Parr , widow of Henry VIII, the castle was besieged and destroyed during the Civil War. During the 19C, the building was restored;..

Fairford is famous for its church, that was rebuilt in the late 15C. Sculptures, some grotesque and amusing, decorate the exterior. Inside, the enclosures, stalls and misericords of the choir are of an exceptional quality. The church's masterpiece, h..

This typical building, one of the "wool churches" of the Cotswolds, is both beautiful and fascinating. The high tower dates back to 1400-1420 and is supported by solid flying buttresses. Standing above the town, it is visible from miles aro..

Little remains of pre-spa Cheltenham except for the secluded Church of St Mary and the line of the much rebuilt High Street. At right angles to this old thoroughfare is the Promenade , the city's main street, dominated by the majestic Queen's Hote..

This large and superb Roman villa stands at the entrance to the little valley near the source. It is undoubtedly one of the most grandiose Roman monuments in the Cotswolds.

The peaceful setting of this nature park (49 ha) and gardens is home to a wide variety of wild animals: rhinoceroses, zebras and ostriches, protected by discreet ditches, tigers and leopards in lawned enclosures, monkeys and otters in the old walled ..

Arlington Mill is a restored mill and folklore museum at the centre of the village, in this magnificent region, the Costwolds. The pretty River Coln, its stone bridges, the weavers' cottages and the gables of Bibury on a background of woodland all ..

Broadway Tower, a battlemented folly (1800), marks one of the highest points in the Cotswolds. The vast westward panorama is one of the most beautiful in England, extending over the fertile Vale of Evesham to the jagged line of the Malvern Hills an..

Among the houses on the High Street, several are very pretty. Nonetheless, it is the harmony of the buildings altogether rather than the individual houses that is impressive. At the heart of the town stands the covered market (1627). Further north,..

Almost entirely renovated in the 15C in the Perpendicular style, St James, one of the finest "wool churches" of the Cotswolds, gives an impression of unity and calm.