Best Places to Live in The Cotswolds

There comes a point in many urban lives — usually somewhere between the second child and the third Waitrose delivery delay — when one hears the siren call of the Cotswolds. But before you throw your art collection into storage and go full Barbour, a word to the wise…This is a tale of two halves: North of the A40, things are glossier—think Soho Farmhouse Sundays and Estelle Manor aperitivi. House prices sparkle like freshly poured champagne. South of the A40? More low-key, more locals, more bang for your buck (and still plenty of cashmere). So where to land your Hunter boots? In this guide, we look at the best places to live in The Cotswolds, handpicked by our local experts.

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At a Glance

The Vibe: The North Cotswolds (think: Daylesford, Soho Farmhouse, Estelle Manor) is polished, aspirational and faintly scented with Diptyque. You’ll find Negronis, interiors by Rose Uniacke, and property prices that make Knightsbridge blush.  The South Cotswolds, by contrast, is where people have dogs and mud on their boots — often simultaneously. It’s arty, lived-in, a little less curated — and better value for money, if you’re quick.

The Schools: 3 x Primary Schools and 5 x Secondary Schools with an Ofsted ‘Outstanding Rating’.

The Restaurants: Fine dining and gastro pubs a plenty.

The Great Outdoors: The Cotswolds is, itself, a National Landscape, The Cotswolds National Landscape, stretching from Warwickshire and Worcestershire in the north, to Wiltshire and Bath in the south.

NORTH COTSWOLDS

There’s a certain dazzle to the North Cotswolds — an ease with attention, a polish that’s been finely honed. This is the Cotswolds in its Sunday best: golden-stoned villages groomed to perfection, gastropubs with London chefs in residence, and farm shops that feel more like concept stores. It’s picturesque, yes, but purposeful too — a region that knows exactly what it is and isn’t shy about showing it.

Here, the landscape rolls a little more theatrically, the high streets hum a little louder, and second homes sometimes outnumber firsts. But behind the postcard prettiness lies a place of real energy — full of creative newcomers, discerning locals, and communities that balance heritage with a keen eye for the now.

Below, five standout spots that define the North Cotswolds: storied, stylish, and never standing still.

Broadway

Tucked into the far northeast corner of the Cotswolds, where Worcestershire gently nuzzles Gloucestershire, Broadway draws a subtly different crowd to its glossier northern neighbours. Less DFL, more long-established county set, Broadway has an elegance that’s all its own, quietly polished and perhaps the best of both the North and South Cotswolds. Its glorious, and forever photographed highstreet, sweeps down to the village green with an al fresco bustle of upmarket gastro pubs, cafes, artisan gift shops and art galleries.

For foodies, Russell’s is the sort of place that does dinner properly, while Tisanes serves a genteel cream tea in just the right shade of chintz. There’s no shortage of places to stay either—The Lygon Arms, with its storied past and glamorous spa, is the elegant anchor of the village, while The Fish Hotel, tucked higher up on the Farncombe Estate, is all wood-fired hot tubs and style-conscious seclusion.

Commuters head to either Evesham (approx 1h 45min) or Moreton in Marsh (approx 1h 30) for direct trains into London Paddington.

Locals Love

The walk up to Broadway Tower. On a good day, you will have far reaching views over 16 counties”

Burford

Burford wears its Cotswold charm with nonchalant ease. Perched just off the A40, it marks the official beginning of “ooh, isn’t it lovely here” territory. This is the town that lures drivers to pull over, take a picture, then promptly Google house prices.

The high street—gloriously sloping and lined with a golden-hued parade of old coaching inns, independent shops and completely unnecessary but irresistible homeware—is a thing of cinematic beauty. Antiques at the George has just the right amount of dust and discovery. Three French Hens is where you go for a jug and leave with your Christmas tablescape. And Cotswold Cheese Co. is dangerously generous with its samples.  Lynwood & Co. delivers coffee worth queueing for, and The Lamb Inn remains the local Sunday lunch gold standard (unless you’re venturing to The Swan at Swinbrook, which adds a riverside view and a hint of Mitford mythology).

Commuters are well catered for too: it’s 25 minutes to Charlbury station, with direct trains to London Paddington in just over 75 minutes.

Locals Love

“It’s very convenient and equidistant between Cheltenham and Oxford along the A40″

Chipping Norton

Once a modest market town, “Chippy” is now firmly on the map thanks to its proximity to Soho Farmhouse (just ten minutes down the lane) and the resulting influx of media types, tech founders, and impeccably styled wellies. The appeal is more in the surrounding villages and clubs rather than the town itself which serves as a more practical centre for this side of the Cotswolds.

Grab a table at The Chequers, a chic-but-unfussy gastropub with a fireplace worth fighting over, or head to The Old Mill Coffee House for a flat white served to screenwriters and sheep farmers alike.

You’re 10 minutes to Kingham Station, with trains to London in 1hr 25, which makes Chipping Norton an ideal base for those who need to flirt with the capital midweek and retreat to firelit bliss come Friday.

Locals Love

“There’s something magic about Chippy. You’ve got celebrities brushing shoulders with old-school farmers at the deli, but no one’s making a fuss. It’s buzzy without being busy—proper Cotswolds with a twist.”

Kingham

Once a quiet village, now a household name (in households with a subscription to Monocle), Kingham has the perfect trifecta: a train station with direct links to Paddington in 1 hour 25, a village green that could star in a Richard Curtis film, and two gastropubs that would make Soho blush.

The Wild Rabbit is the kind of place where the lighting is always flattering and the butter is churned within a 10-mile radius. Round the corner, The Kingham Plough serves elevated pub classics with zero pretension. Homes here are pretty, pricey and rarely on the market for long. For schools, Kingham Primary is consistently rated one of the best in the region.

Locals Love

“There’s a real sense of community—even if we do all end up at Daylesford on Saturdays pretending not to look at each other’s baskets!”

Stow-On-The-Wold

If you’ve ever looked at a snow globe and thought, “I’d live there,” Stow-on-the-Wold is your place. It’s got all the Cotswold essentials: honeyed stone, ancient pubs, a square wide enough to host a civilised sheep stampede, and more independent shops than you can shake a Liberty print scarf at.

The Old Butchers is your go-to for lobster tagliatelle served on reclaimed slate (probably), while Cotswold Co. will help you achieve that elusive “undone but curated” look for your boot room. Coffee is taken seriously at Coach House Coffee, where the beans are strong enough to fuel an afternoon of antique foraging.

Stow Primary is highly rated, and older kids often head to The Cotswold School in Bourton. You’re 15 minutes from Kingham or Moreton-in-Marsh, with direct trains to London in under 90 minutes.

Locals Love

“I came here for a quiet life and ended up joining a pub quiz team, a Pilates class, and a book group run by a retired MI5 agent. Stow’s full of surprises—but the coffee’s reliably excellent,”

SOUTH COTSWOLDS

There is something quietly assured about the South Cotswolds. It doesn’t court attention in the way its northern sibling might — there are fewer farm clubs, fewer flash restaurants hidden in converted cow sheds — but for those who value charm with depth, beauty with backbone, this is where the Cotswolds truly begins to breathe.
Towns here are handsome rather than hurried. Villages retain their working roots, albeit with kitchens by deVOL and dogs with their own boot-room pegs. It’s a place where people tend to stay — not because they’ve settled, but because they’ve arrived.  Below, four places that offer the best of the South Cotswolds: each distinctive, each deeply livable.

Cirencester

Cirencester isn’t showy, but it doesn’t need to be. The largest town in the Cotswolds has long been the axis around which the area quietly turns — and its appeal is built on something sturdier than hype.

The town centre remains elegant and active, with enough independent shops to suggest authenticity, and enough national names to keep things practical. What sets it apart is its balance.

Families appreciate the state schools and proximity to Cheltenham’s grammar options. Commuters have Kemble station ten minutes away, with a direct line to Paddington. And for everyone else, life ticks along at an agreeable rhythm: farmer’s market on a Saturday, lunch in the courtyard at Made by Bob, a quiet walk along the Churn.

Locals Love

“Leaf & Ground just outside town has become a family ritual — coffee for us, chickens for the children, plants we don’t need.”

Painswick

Painswick is all elegant Georgian façades, yew-lined churchyards and views that unfold like pages in an old novel. It’s sleepy in the best way—a sort of “Cotswolds without the crowd,” unless it’s Sunday lunch at The Painswick, where city folk regularly descend for their roasts and rose.

There’s a great little café, The Patchwork Mouse, and St Michael’s Bistro does slow food with style. The primary school is well-rated, and you’re just 15 minutes from Stroud Station, meaning you can get to London in around 1 hour 40 minutes.

Locals Love

“There’s not much you need that you can’t find here—and if you do, Stroud is just down the hill.”

Stroud

Stroud is different. And it likes it that way. Perched at the meeting point of five valleys, this southern Cotswold town has long attracted artists, activists and a decent share of retired psychotherapists.
Yes, the town centre is scruffy in parts—but that’s kind of the point. You don’t come to Stroud for polish. You come for Britain’s best farmers’ market, progressive politics, and bookshops that still smell like old paper.

You’ll find independent shops galore: try Made in Stroud for homewares or Curio Lounge for an easy brunch. Schools are solid, especially Stroud High School and Marling School (both selective), and the train to London clocks in at a not-too-shabby 90 minutes from Stroud Station.

Locals Love

 “People call it the ‘People’s Republic of Stroud’—and honestly, we wear that as a badge of honour. It’s arty, scruffy, a little eccentric, but full of soul.”

Tetbury

This southern Cotswolds town has long attracted the well-heeled, not least because Prince Charles’ Highgrove Estate is just outside town (his shop is here too, with gorgeous table linens and lemon curd priced like gold).
Tetbury’s town centre is awash with antiques shops you can get happily lost in. The Vintage Rooms and Brownrigg Interiors are worth browsing whether you’re furnishing a Georgian pile (or just dreaming you were).. There’s a youthful streak too—great cocktails at The Close Hotel and a strong foodie scene emerging.
The schools nearby, particularly Westonbirt and Beaudesert, are well regarded. Walks are exceptional. The architecture is quietly beautiful. And the pace is just right. A 13 minute drive to Kemble sets you on the train into Paddinton in 75 minutes.

Locals Love

“A visit to Highgove’s gardens with friends in the Summer!”

Why move to The Cotswolds?

Moving to the Cotswolds isn’t just a change of address — it’s a shift in tempo. Life here unfolds with intention: slower, yes, but also sharper in its focus on what matters. Space, beauty, community, rhythm — the things that often feel just out of reach elsewhere find a natural home in these honey-hued hills.

It’s not about escaping the city so much as editing it. The Cotswolds offers the best bits — culture, connection, good coffee — minus the noise. There are market towns that still feel like markets, schools with soul, and footpaths that begin at your front gate and lead, seemingly, to somewhere better.

People move here to breathe, to build, to belong. And once they do, they rarely look back — not out of nostalgia, but because here, life finally makes sense.

Just choose where from our Best Places to Live in The Cotswolds!