The 'honey-colored' stone found throughout the region is Oolitic limestone, formed from fossilized marine organisms during the Jurassic period.
The Cotswolds are home to the source of the River Thames, located near the village of Kemble.
The area's prosperity during the Middle Ages was primarily driven by the export of high-quality Cotswold wool to continental Europe.
The Cotswold Way is a National Trail that runs the entire length of the AONB, primarily following the Cotswold escarpment.
The region contains the highest point in the Cotswolds, Cleeve Hill, which reaches 1,083 feet above sea level.
The AONB designation covers parts of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire.
Many local vernacular buildings are constructed from stone quarried directly from the immediate surrounding fields.
The Cotswolds AONB is the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales, covering 787 square miles across five counties. The landscape is defined by its underlying Jurassic limestone, which historically provided the primary building material for local villages. The region sits atop an escarpment known as the Cotswold Edge, which offers elevated views across the Severn Vale. It contains over 2,000 miles of public rights of way, including the 102-mile Cotswold Way National Trail. Agriculture remains a dominant land use, though the area is also noted for its concentration of honey-colored stone architecture from the medieval wool trade era. It serves as a protected landscape under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
The elevated view from the Broadway Tower looking west over the Vale of Evesham.
Download offline topographical maps as mobile signal is inconsistent in deep valleys.
Focus on visiting smaller, less-populated villages like Stanton or Naunton to avoid peak tourist congestion.
Sturdy, waterproof walking boots are essential due to muddy terrain and uneven limestone paths.
Avoid driving through the narrow main streets of Bourton-on-the-Water or Castle Combe during midday in July and August.
Follow the Countryside Code: keep dogs on leads near livestock, close gates behind you, and do not leave any litter.
