The best places to stay in Gloucestershire

The country of Gloucestershire comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, meaning you will find numerous enchanting villages with honey-hued cottages lining the streets and trickling streams and rivers crisscrossing the luscious countryside.

There are prominent spa and market towns too, offering excellent shopping, events and opportunities to see Victorian and Regency architecture. So, whether you like to spend your time serenely walking the verdant landscapes or you’re more for lapping up historical monuments whilst sitting and sipping tea at stylish street cafes, you’ll find it all in Gloucestershire.

We’ve curated the ten best places to stay in Gloucestershire so keep reading and plan which one you want to visit first.

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Gloucester – the best place to stay for historic buildings

Gloucester has so much to offer around every turn: it’s a great place to visit in Gloucestershire if you want to be a stone’s throw from the pretty villages of the Cotswolds, but it also presents a city break full of charm and interesting historic buildings. Take the famous docks, for example, home to 15 Victorian dock buildings that are lined with contemporary cafes and bars so you can grab a bite whilst thinking about times gone by.

In the centre of the city, you’ll find the 11^th-century cathedral with its Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Visit the cloisters and you’ll be following in the footsteps of Harry, Ron and Hermione when they entered the Chamber of Secrets (amongst other films in the series). Continuing the literary theme (as well as the theme of people with the surname Potter), fans of Beatrix Potter can visit the building that was the inspiration for The Tailor of Gloucester. The house is now a museum and shop dedicated to the author.

Gloucester cottages

Bourton-on-the-Water – the best place to stay for a quintessential Cotswold village

Regularly voted as one of the prettiest villages in England, the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ is a sight to behold in any season. You can happily stroll the riverbank, crossing the five famous stone-arched bridges and taking in the village’s cool tranquillity at your own pace. If the need for retail grabs you, peruse the plethora of cute shops, tea rooms and charming attractions, or just admire the honey-coloured architecture that is renowned in the Cotswolds.

There are plenty of walking and cycling opportunities in and around Bourton-on-the-Water for when you want an ambitious ramble or a gentle amble to build up an appetite. The Cotswolds are full of undulating hills so be prepared for some ups and downs, but the scenery offered up will be reward enough. Due to its beauty, the village can get quite busy so exploring the local paths and bridleways is a good opportunity to seek out some solitude.

Bourton-on-the-Water cottages

Tewkesbury – the best place to stay for riverside views

Tewkesbury is an exceedingly gorgeous market town with wonderful timbered buildings which are left over from the medieval period when the town was at its most prominent. The settlement lies next to the rivers Severn and Avon and has always relied on the waterways for trade and leisure. We have therefore chosen it as the best place to stay in Gloucestershire for riverside views.

If you are inclined to do so, you can stretch your legs on long-distance routes such as the Gloucestershire Way, the Cotswold Way National Trail or the newly formed Shakespeare's Avon Way which all take in Tewkesbury at some point. However, if you want to experience the town’s true magic, the shorter riverside walks are a must. The Severn Ham involves a water meadow full of wildflowers and birds, the Battle Trail follows the rivers of Tewkesbury as well as the ancient fields where the 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury took place, and the Riverside Walk shadows the River Avon in the town centre.

Tewkesbury cottages

Stroud – the best place to stay for eco-friendly and sustainable businesses

If you’re looking for places to go in Gloucestershire where the residents and business owners have a sustainable outlook and are environmentally conscious, then Stroud is the place you need to be aiming for. The town has a popular farmer’s market, an independent department store and more eco-friendly retailers than you can shake a reusable container at.

There are plenty of plastic-free retailers, encouraging you to bring your own pots and bags to fill with edibles and non-edibles. Pre-loved furniture is big business in Stroud too, along with vintage clothing stores offering quality second-hand garments. When you’re ready for some entertainment, visit The New Lawn Stadium, home to the world’s greenest football club, Forest Green Rovers. Its organic pitch is irrigated by rainwater and is maintained by a solar-powered mower.

Stroud cottages

Cirencester - the best place to stay for shopping

When you’re researching places to stay in Gloucestershire, undoubtedly the Cotswolds will crop up, so why not visit the ‘Capital of the Cotswolds’ and take in some of the impressive architecture and lovely green spaces that characterise the Cotswolds? Cirencester is a captivating market town that, during Roman times, was the second largest settlement in England only to London. Its central location makes it a great base for visiting the region’s picturesque villages but it’s really the fantastic shopping that draws visitors back time and time again.

The Market Place holds a charter market and a farmers’ market on various days throughout the month, and the Corn Hall has an intriguing schedule of markets such as the Home Fashion and Garden Bazaar, an antiques and collectables market, and the Cotswold Craft Market. If independent bricks and mortar retailers are more your thing, there are ample courtyards and pretty streets to explore, each boasting emporiums and boutiques galore.

Cirencester cottages

Bibury – the best place to stay for tranquillity

Bibury is full of the typical characteristics you’d expect to find in a Cotswold village: honey-washed cottages, a pretty river or stream, verdant scenery and grassy landscapes. Unquestionably, it gets its fair share of tourists, yet this never seems to detract from the serenity and feeling of contentment found when strolling along its tree-lined lanes.

William Morris, the 19^th-century artist, named Bibury “the most beautiful village in England” and it’s hard to argue a counterpoint once you absorb the views of the River Coln or the vistas between Bibury and nearby Coln St Aldwyns. Most visitors will come to catch a glimpse of Arlington Row, one of the most photographed streets in the Cotswolds. It’s undeniably attractive, so much so that it led to Bibury doubling up as the village of Wall in the 2007 fantasy film Stardust, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert de Niro and Claire Danes.

Bibury cottages

Stow-on-the-Wold – the best place to stay for Tolkien fans

Meaning ‘holy place on the hill’, Stow-on-the-Wold is the Cotswolds’ highest town, located nearly 250 metres above sea level, and you’d be accused of having your head in the clouds if you came to this Gloucestershire town without visiting its mystical doorway. The yew tree door at St Edward’s Church looks like it could transport you to Middle Earth and many a Lord of the Rings fan has travelled through Rohan and Gondor (or maybe just Swindon) just to visit this magnificent church entrance.

The exquisite wooden panels are almost entirely enveloped by the ancient trees and look so similar to the fabled Doors of Durin from Tolkien’s classic tales that it led to the legend that Tolkien himself had visited the town and drawn inspiration from this unique doorway. It is known that the author visited the area when he taught in Oxford and also to visit his brother, however, these stories of inspiration have never been authenticated. This doesn’t stop this ‘Hobbit Door’ from being a marvel to behold! Take a look at our guide to things to do in Stow-on-the-Wold for even more inspiration, and nearby Moreton-in-Marsh offers plenty of attractions too. 

Stow-on-the-Wold cottages

Winchcombe – the best place to stay for walking

It’s said that you should be getting in as many as 10,000 steps each day. With a trip to Winchcombe, you’ll be doing this and more. Walking doesn’t need to mean long rambles in the countryside or up great peaks; this market town has plenty of exciting alleyways to discover, galleries to wander, and boutiques and antique shops to peruse. The Cotswold stone cottages and black and white timber-framed houses are a spectacle and offer a timeless quality that can be admired as your stroll the streets.

The town has a Walkers are Welcome status, meaning if you love the outdoors, you’re going to be in your element. There are a variety of walks available to suit all abilities including town walks, historic walks and countryside walks so you’ll get to see plenty of beautiful sights along the way. Since 2009, Winchcombe has held the award-winning Cotswolds Walking Festival, which aims to find new walks or fresh and interesting ways to experience existing walks.

Winchcombe cottages

Chipping Campden – the best place to stay for gardens and vineyards

You may not know this, but Chipping Campden has one of the most prestigious wool churches in the Cotswolds. This church is renowned for having one of the most long-standing altar tapestries and the largest brass memorial in England. This would make a great visit on a rainy day, but if you want to stay outside in the fresh air, this market town has a couple of celebrated gardens and a superb vineyard which are definitely worth your while.

Little Oak Vineyard offers tours and tastings, and you can even lease a vine or two that you can visit throughout the year before reaping the rewards with two bottles per vine with personalised labels. In terms of gardens, you have a choice of Hidcote Manor Garden and Kiftsgate Court Gardens. At the former, you may feel as though you’re Alice in Wonderland as you wander the Art and Crafts movement gardens, and at the latter, you’ll experience plenty of diversity with the talents of three different gardeners on show. Read our guide to Chipping Campden to find out more about this stunning market town. 

Chipping Campden cottages

Cheltenham – the best place to stay for festival goers

Possibly one of the most visited towns in Gloucestershire, Cheltenham is a spa town that has been drawing sightseers from near and far since the early 1700s when its natural mineral springs were discovered. This Cotswolds town is well known for its horse racing festivals but it’s not just the equine galas that have visitors returning year on year.

Known as the Festival Town, you’ll be spoiled for choice all year round with over 25 events celebrating all kinds of music, science, literature and cuisine. The arts are well represented with comedy, poetry and performing arts each having its own dedicated jamboree, and if you’d like to witness something a little different, join the town to celebrate the Balloon Fiesta (hot air balloons), the Paint Festival (street art) or the Wellbeing Festival.

Cheltenham cottages

Map of the best places to stay in Gloucestershire

Plan your getaway to Gloucestershire

If Gloucestershire sounds like the county for you, we have a tempting choice of cottages to suit all kinds of guest make-ups. From large cottages for family and friend celebrations to romantic boltholes for two and from dog-friendly retreats to luxury abodes with that little touch of class, we’ve got a Gloucestershire holiday home that’s the perfect fit for you.

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