WHERE TO STAY IN THE COTSWOLDS

The Cotswolds has many fine hotels, pubs and B&B’s. The choice is very extensive and the list is endless For secluded tranquillity and location, to include fine dining and5 star cuisine, comfort, and pampering, easy access. How do I choose? Please take a look at some of the recommendations from Best Cotswold Tours.

THE OLD BELL, MALMESBURY

The Old Bell Hotel enjoys a prime location next door to Malmesbury Abbey, Abbey House Manor, and quaint shops and restaurants. This market town is the oldest borough in England and our hotel is said to be the oldest hotel in England dating back to 1220.. We named our restaurant Saints & Sinners with a nod to Malmesbury Abbey next door to us and the Saints statues on display, collected by our owners on their travels to Vietnam. Food is our passion. Whatever the occasion, you can expect heavenly flavours. From our lunch menu full of classics and smaller plates to a decadent dinner full of truly wonderful dishes. Every plate is a celebration of Cotswold produce and our in-season menus incorporate local cheese makers, butchers and produce from the garden located at our cousin property, Abbey House Manor.

LYGON ARMS BROADWAY

The Lygon Arms This charming old coaching inn sits in the heart of Broadway village – often called ‘the jewel of the Cotswolds’ – and boasts a rich history. The Cotswolds bolthole offers a range of dining experiences, from Eggs Benedict brunches and late-night drinks in the Lygon Wine Bar to a seasonal British menu in the Lygon Bar & Grill. There’s a spa tucked away in a tranquil corner of the hotel, but to unwind in the fresh air, pull on your wellies and explore those beautiful rolling hills.

THE WHITE HART HOTEL

The White Hart Royal Hotel and Eatery is an AA rated 4 star Inn, with individually designed bedrooms including several feature rooms. This iconic building is a former 16th.C coaching Inn and is as comfortable and elegant today as it was in its heyday. It was so well loved historically that it’s where King Charles 1 chose to stay in 1645 before the famous Battle of Naseby. Whether you are looking for a welcoming place to spend the night or would like to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat, The White Hart Royal is perfectly placed, right in the centre of the historic market town of Moreton in Marsh

OLD STOCKS HOTEL

Nestled in the heart of Stow-on-the-Wold, The Old Stocks Inn is a recently refurbished 17th-century coaching inn that really stands out from the crowd, overlooking the old penal stocks in Stow-on-the-Wold’s historic market square. After a recent £2m refurbishment the wooden beams, crooked staircases, and unusually shaped rooms have remained intact. There is a very successful marriage between old and new – mixing ancient floorboards with modern black and white tiles.

SLAUGHTERS COUNTRY INN

Set in the heart of one of the most picturesque Cotswold villages, The Slaughters Country Inn offers the authentic charm of a traditional village inn; exceptional food made with the best local produce, a fine selection of local ales, roaring log fires to warm the winter months and a stunning terrace for when the sun shines. The Slaughters Country Inn is the perfect location for a country break where wellies, walks and unwinding are the order of the day. All 31 bedrooms at The Slaughters Country Inn are comfortably appointed. Each room is individual in design and seamlessly blends the traditional features of the oldest parts of the house with contemporary design. Naturally, all come with crisp white linen, plumped up pillows and luxurious beds to guarantee that perfect night’s slumber.

KINGS HEAD BLEDINGTON

Set on the village green, this traditional inn with upscale B&B lodging dates from the 16th century, and is 6.1 miles from Chastleton House and 7.7 miles from the historic village of Bourton-on-the-Water.
The elegant country-style rooms (in the main building and around a courtyard) feature private bathrooms, plus WiFi, flat-screen TVs, and tea and coffeemaking.

THE BROADWAY HOTEL

Located in the heart of Broadway, overlooking the quaint village green; The Broadway Hotel has 19 individually styled bedrooms, a lively bar, cosy lounge and award-winning Brasserie. The hotel is dog-friendly and ideally located for exploring not only Broadway, but surrounding Cotswold villages. This half timber-framed, half Cotswold-stone hotel dates back to the 16^th Century, when it was a country retreat for the Abbotts of Pershore. The Broadway Hotel is now a stylish retreat for all, boasting 19 individually designed bedrooms, a 3 Rosette awarded Brasserie and lively bar overlooking the village green.

LAMB INN BURFORD

Located on Sheep Street, in the heart of Burford; The Lamb Inn boasts 17 classic Cotswold bedrooms, with history around every corner. This dog-friendly hotel is also home to a traditional bar and comfy lounges, a beautifully manicured garden and a 3 Rosette awarded Brasserie. this charming 15th century inn started life as a row of weaver’s cottages before gradually taking shape as a Cotswold retreat over the years. The Lamb Inn places great emphasis on offering superb service and fantastic food and drink.

MANOR HOUSE MORETON

This magnificent 16th-century manor house is now a stylish Cotswold retreat boasting 35 beautifully designed bedrooms, a double Rosette awarded restaurant and picture-perfect gardens – home to our Mulberry Tree that’s centuries old. Located in the heart of Moreton-in-Marsh, alongside the town’s many wonderful shops and traditional tearooms; The Manor House Hotel is an ideal place to stay with great proximity to surrounding Cotswold towns, villages and attractions including Batsford Arboretum and Sezincote House.

HORSE GROOM ODDINGTON

Established in 1584, The Horse and Groom Inn is an historic traditional Cotswolds Inn. Situated in the heart of the Cotswolds, providing the perfect base to explore this wonderful English landscape. We have 7 En-suite rooms, with a mix of Double and Twin Rooms. Two of our rooms are Dog Friendly.

CORSHAM FIELD FARMHOUSE

Corsham Field Farmhouse is a charming Four Star English Bed and Breakfast away from the busy streets but only a few minutes from a flourishing rural town. We are situated on the edge of Stow on the Wold within the heart of the beautiful Cotswolds countyside. Our B&B is part of the family’s arable farm. There is a garden for guests with wonderful views of the surrounding Gloucestershire Cotswold hills .Our vista garden attracts a great variety of birds including Woodpeckers and Goldfinches. Sometimes Deer can be spotted in our fields.

KINGS HEAD, CIRENCESTER

The Kings Head Hotel is an elegant boutique hotel with 46 stylish rooms and six one-bedroom apartments, a unique subterranean spa and relaxed British Dining. Located in the heart of the Cotswolds, it’s the perfect place to experience the historic market town of Cirencester and all the beauty that the area has to offer. When you step inside you are immediately surrounded by colourful art and vibrant beauty.

"Thank you once again for a memorable trip. My daughters will cherish that forever." H

Stephanie U

12 July 2024

A Tour of the Villages in Cotswold Such an amazing area with beautiful villages along the way. Mark was so knowledgable and customized the trip to meet our needs with what we wanted to see.

Kelly

10 July 2024

Beautiful Cotswolds with a great tour guide! Highly recommended! Looking for someone to bring you around Cotswolds and enjoy the beauty of it at your own pace? Mark is definitely the person you’re looking for! Highly recommended! We’re so glad that we found Mark to bring us around Cotswolds! He was very friendly, helpful and informative. Mark was also very accommodative to our requests and gave good suggestions, and the 2-day itinerary was very well planned! He brought us to many beautiful places but we didn’t feel rushed at all and took our time to enjoy the beauty of Cotswolds. Mark also brought us to places we’ve never thought we would visit in the Cotswolds - the visit to a farm to see the Hereford cows was a nice surprise! :) We absolutely loved and enjoyed our time in Cotswolds! It’s very beautiful indeed, and we had a really great time with Mark too! Thanks again for everything, Mark! We’ll definitely be back again! :)

Dale L

8 July 2024

Cotswold Circuit We spent the better part of a weather-sampler kind of day with Mark and had nothing short of a wonderful time. Our previous plan of a mid morning hike as part of the journey had to be scrubbed due to a sudden pounding rainstorm, but Mark's excellent knowledge of the area allowed him to move to a plan B and then plan C as the weather alternated from windy, cloudy, cold, warm, rainy, dry (and back again). But that didn't stop of from seeing a wide range of wonderful sites, and we finished the day with an understanding and appreciation of this beautiful historic area, and a desire to come back some time and stay a while longer.... Thanks so much Mark for being so flexible and giving us an excellent tour.

Mark B

27 June 2024

A trip down memory lane from early childhood in the last 1960s early 1970s Enjoyed reviving a few old memories. Mark was very knowledgeable and also adapted the tour to visit old home. Broadway recommended as a base as it is a bit quieter than some other locations in the area and also easily accessible via Evesham if travelling by train. Enjoyed Bourton on the Water again, a must visit village when in the area and not so crowded when first stop in the morning, Chedworth Roman Villa recommended

julie z

31 May 2024

Fabulous tour! Highly recommend! Our family of four (including our 22 and 15-year-old sons) very much enjoyed our half day tour of the Cotswolds! Mark is extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful and kind. He picked us up and dropped us off at our air bnb in Stow, and tailored the day to our preferences. We saw many different types of architecture, villages and scenery. The four hours flew by! He also graciously had bottles of water and umbrellas available during the tour. We saw so much more with Mark than we would have ever seen had we adventured out on our own. He also had wonderful recommendations for the rest of our stay, including beautiful walking paths. We highly recommend Mark! My husband inadvertently left his glasses in Mark’s vehicle, and Mark kindly drove them to our location in the evening—-above and beyond!

Robert W

8 May 2024

A journey thru the Cotswolds Wow. We had a marvelous visit thru the Cotswolds with Mark. He made the Cotswolds come alive with his engaging personality and knowledge of the area’s history. You can tell that Mark truly has a love of the Cotswolds and enjoys sharing the area with others. We were also blessed with a gorgeous spring day!!

Richard D

6 May 2024

Fantastic personalized tour of the north Cotswolds. If you want to see the Cotswolds, you must see them with Mark! We were staying in Oxford and wanted to visit the Cotswolds for a day. Our own research showed there was a lot to see, so instead of driving around ourselves, we decided to use Mark and take advantage of his local, insider knowledge. This proved to be an excellent decision on our part! Mark was able to tailor a full-day tour for us that highlighted our interests (history, gardens), checked off most of the 'must-see' north Cotswold spots and took us to some special places we never would have found on our own. He is a wealth of knowledge about the area and an entertaining conversationalist. The Cotswolds could not ask for a better 'ambassador'. We highly recommend that you park your own car, relax and let Mark take you on a wonderful tour of the Cotswolds.

Roy F

6 May 2024

Great tour of the Cotswolds Mark was a great tour guide who obviously knows the area. He provided a lovely overview of the Cotswolds. We had scheduled an all day tour. One of our party didn’t feel well. Mark graciously made adjustments to our tour so we could still do it. I would recommend Mark to anyone who wants a guide who will personalize the tour to meet your individual needs.

Susan M

5 May 2024

The Best Tour Guide! This being our first visit to England, we had no idea what to expect. Best Cotswolds Tours could not have been more perfect for us. Mark Ransom picked us up and had an itinerary in hand. We had decided to let Mark just do what he does. But as he learned more about us, he used our own interests to customize our tour for us. Of course we were overwhelmed by the beauty of the Cotswolds. Mark has lived his whole life in one of these tiny treasured villages, and really knows everything there is to know. We sat back in his very comfortable vehicle and took it all in! When he learned of my husband’s interest in architecture, he knew just what villages would be right for him. My husband and I are interested in visiting “off the beaten track” places, as we don’t enjoy crowded areas. Mark made sure to take us to see places of importance, as well as quiet little villages, which may have a tearoom as the only business. We were enraptured by it all. When he learned of my interest in textiles and weaving, he made sure there was time to visit the Cotswolds Woolen Weavers museum (and shop!). This review asked us to rate Best Cotswolds Tours using a 1 to 5 star scale, we give Mark Ransom 10 Stars! He couldn’t have been more perfect as a tour guide. I only wish it could’ve gone on for a longer period of time than we had! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!

Dana A

29 April 2024

Super fun, stress-free day with kids. Our day with Mark couldn't have been better. Five adults and three kids (ages six to four) ... he did a fabulous job scheduling the day for our group. We saw the best bakeries and playgrounds and had a (play) sword-fight on a hill-top with a view surrounded by sheep and ancient castles. But, for the grown-ups we also came away with a real appreciation for the sights and history of the Cotswolds. Not only was Mark a friendly and entertaining guide, he also make the logistics a breeze with pick ups and drop-offs at different train stations and hotels for different members of our group. And even though the weather was a bit grey and cold, thanks to Mark, this was a fanatics day.

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