What is it like living in the Cotswold?

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There is no doubt Cotswold is one of the most beautiful regions of England. The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a gem in the Cotswold area because of the beautiful landscape and the rolling hills.

The Cotswold walkway is one of the amazing features of the Cotswold area. It extends from the quintessentially English market town of Chipping Campden to the Roman city of Bath. The distance Cotswold walkway is 102 miles (164 km).

Cotswolds pretty villages, cities, and towns

Cotwolds major towns have a rich history

Technically Gloucester City and Cheltenham Town are not in Cotswold. However, they are both at the boundary line of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in the West. The City of Bath is also at the boundary of Cotswold AONB in the South. Oxford though not at the boundary of Cotswold AONB but not far off to the AONB in the Eastern part.

Traveling to these cities and towns gives you the opportunity to enjoy large urban areas within a short travel from the Cotswold interior. You can have easy access to the richness of the history of these amazing cities and towns.

Cotswold villages are a lot of quintessentially small English market towns and villages within the Cotswold area. I have a detailed article on the Cotswold villages. 

We regularly visit these towns and villages and it is a blessing to leave within a short distance to these villages and towns.

Cotswold places to visit and day out

You are spoilt for choice of places to visit in the Cotswold. Depending on your interest, there are interesting places to visit in Cotswold. As a dad of a son who loves animals, the Cotswold wildlife park is one of our favorite places to visit. We also love the Bibury Trout Farm in Bibury.

I have a list of places to visit in the Cotswold article which you can read. As well There is an article I wrote that is specifically for places to visit for wildlife.

There are various must-see places in the Cotswold. Depending on your area of interest, there are amazing spots and places where you can have a good family time.

If you are single and just want a place to visit alone, there is a place for you also. Basically, there is a place for everyone.

Click here to see my list of best places to visit in Cotswold.

Proximity to London

One of the amazing things about living in Cotswold is the proximity to London. There are people who work in London but live in Cotswold.

There is a direct train from London to Oxfordshire in the south of the Cotswold. I have a friend who work a couple of days a week in London and the rest of the days at home. He lives in Cheltenham and goes to work in London on the train and returns the same day.

Airport

International airports are not far away. From the center of the Cotswold in Cirencester, you can arrive in London Heathrow within one and half hours. Bristol airport is also close and has flights to various European destinations.

Cardiff airport in Wales is an option also. It’s about 1:30 min away.

Motorways

In the UK, having easy access to the motorway is essential for traveling out of your location. The M5 offers a great opportunity to easily get out of the Cotswold area if you want to travel. There are junctions 10 and 11 for Cheltenham, junction 11 and 11a for Gloucester.

Junctions 12, 1,3, and 14 will also take you easily into the Cotswold area.

Schools

Most families who have school-age children will like their children to attend a good local school.

The majority of the primary and high schools in the Cotswold area have good Ofsted ratings. We have school-age children in my household. We’ve never experienced any issues with them in school. You can look at the rating of schools in the Cotswold area on Locrating.

There are a few selective schools in the Cotswold area.

These schools have examinations they use to select children who go there. They are also called grammar schools.

For people who can afford independent schools, there are a number of them to choose from. For list of independent schools, you can see the Independent Schools Council website.

Historic Environment

Cotswold area has a lot of history. This fact always makes me count it as a privilege living here.

Cirencester is considered the capital of the Cotswold. There is a rich Roman history in Cirencester. 

One of these is the nationally recognized Arlington Row in Bibury.

Gloucester and Cheltenham to the north of the Cotswold can offer great opportunities to experience historic environments. Gloucester Cathedral is full of history. Gloucester is not a Cotswold city, however, the city is just at the border of Cotswold. Gloucester Dock and Cathedral have featured in blockbuster movies.

To the south are Bath and Oxford. Bath is one of the Regency cities with an incredible history of Regency Architecture. As a resident of Cotswold you are in close proximity to these places tourists come to the area to see.

Entertainment, Shopping and Dining

There are a variety of places to eat out and have a good social time with friends and family. Once in a while, we eat out at a variety of restaurants in Cheltenham.

We’ve been to the Nandos at the center of Cheltenham and some of the Indian restaurants. Depending on your pocket and the kind of experience you want there is a place for everyone. You can find the list of the best restaurants in Cotswold by clicking here.

The pubs are great also. We’ve been to a number of pubs across the Cotswold. You can see some of the best pubs in Cotswold here (TOP 50 PUBS IN THE COTSWOLDS)

Cheltenham provides a great opportunity to attend festivals which including the famous Cheltenham Race Festival. There are various events and festivals across the Cotswold. 

When it comes to shopping, Cheltenham might be the best in the northern part of the Cotswold and Bath in the southern part.

Final Thought

We enjoy living in the Cotswold area. The area is a good region of England to raise kids and have good family time. 

Whether you are single or you have a partner, you will enjoy living in the Cotswold area if you are considering moving to the area. 

There are a lot of articles on this website that are specifically related to the Cotswold. You can check out those articles and hope you will find them useful.

 

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