The Beautiful South: Where to Find Classic Cotswolds Charm

The towns and villages of the southern Cotswolds are some of the most scenic spots in the entire National Landscape – Cirencester, Burford and Lechlade chief among them. Twenty years ago, these were the areas most favoured by property purchasers, says Ed Sugden, director of Savills country house department, before the opening of a handful of elite Cotswolds members’ clubs enticed buyers north.

“The south Cotswolds has beautiful valleys – the Coln and Leach Valleys, for example – and gentle, wonderfully authentic countryside with quintessential Cotswolds architecture,” he says. “You’ll see cricket matches on village greens and find handsome 16th- and 17th-century country houses within strong rural communities here.”

The market town of Cirencester is known as the “capital” of the Cotswolds. Popular towns and villages close by include Minchinhampton and Nailsworth to the west, and Burford and Bibury to the east, as well as Ampney Crucis and Ampney St Peter within a 10-minute drive.

“There’s a pleasing feeling of space in the area,” says Plum Fenton, head of the Cotswolds country house department at Savills. “The market towns in the south are generally bigger than in the north, and the villages are often less busy, a plus point for those who prefer the more under-the-radar social scene. But don’t be fooled – there’s plenty going on. 

“A new focal point is Elkstone Studios, seven miles north of Cirencester. It’s a wonderful destination, with interesting retail, restaurants and pop-up shops, offices and co-working spaces, wellness and beauty facilities, and padel courts – a sport that’s growing worldwide and is particularly popular in the Cotswolds.”

Residents also have a growing choice of smart hotels, restaurants and pubs. The Pig, one of England’s best-loved hotel brands, recently brought its chic country-house spin to a 17th-century manor in Barnsley, where it also owns the Village Pub. It joins Thyme, an exceptional hotel with a restaurant and spa in Southrop, which runs the excellent Swan gastropub by the village green.

Also well worth a visit are Poulton Hill Vineyard, which offers tours, tastings and family days out, and the village of Fairford, which hosts a summer festival in June and the Royal International Air Tattoo in July. The Cotswold Water Park, on the Wiltshire-Gloucestershire border, is another family favourite – covering 42 square miles, with 180 lakes, it is ideal for watersports and wildlife-spotting. Prime property options there include The Lakes by Yoo, a favourite place for second homes on a sustainable 850-acre estate, surrounded by woodland.

“Good schools in the south Cotswolds include Beaudesert Park in Minchinhampton, Hatherop Castle, near Fairford, and Westonbirt School, near Tetbury,” says Fenton. 

“And while on average it might take a little longer to get to London by train than from some places to the north, there are direct services from Stroud, Kemble and Swindon stations. You’re also closer to the M4, making connections swift to Bath and Bristol, as well as linking to Heathrow.”

Whether you choose the north or south Cotswolds, you are guaranteed delightful architecture, glorious countryside and a rural lifestyle. “But clever buyers realise they can get lots more for their money in the south while living in a similar environment and equally pretty countryside to that of the north,” says Sugden. “I have clients who actively seek out the south Cotswolds because they perceive it to be less glitzy than some villages to the north. One couple recently bought a beautiful manor house close to the Thames for exactly that reason.”

For buyers eager to find beauty in an off-the-radar location, Sugden recommends the villages of Coln St Aldwyns and Eastleach, both east of Cirencester. “Also look at Sherston, to the southwest,” he says. “It’s a lovely little-known village, with good shops and a splendid local pub.”