A great holiday takes great planning. So together with our Ultimate Guide to the Cotswolds, we’ve created this super handy list of resources to help you plan your perfect holiday. This comprehensive list of websites will take you on a virtual tour of our wonderful local region, taking you from the best wildlife parks and gardens to top historical sites nearby and the most coveted Cotswold towns and shopping areas. All of the below links have been carefully chosen and come highly recommended by both our family run team and guests. We hope you find this list useful and that you have a truly memorable lakeside holiday with Log House Holidays. Free WiFi comes as standard in all of our holiday cabins so you can access our resource list and guide whilst away.
Best Cotswold Towns
Cirencester
Made By Bob – Inside the Corn Hall Arcade, just off the Market Place, this amazing deli and restaurant is very popularity – expect to que at busy times!
Keiths Coffee Shop – Enjoy freshly roasted coffee aromas whilst perusing the wide selection of artisan foods. Take it all in with a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.
Corinium Museum – A fantastic insight into Roman life in Cirencester. The second largest town in Roman Britain!
Cirencester Park Polo Club – Enjoy an afternoon watching a game at England’s most historic polo club. A quintessential English day out in beautiful surroundings.
Dolcetti and Rave Coffee – The locals secret spot out of the town centre. Head here for handmade local gelato and top quality coffee. Don’t let the industrial look of this area fool you!
Cirencester Roman Amphitheatre – Continue you Roman education after the Corinium museum and explore the old amphitheatre, a short walk from the town centre.
New Brewery Arts – Enjoy the contemporary art gallery, craft shop and cafe, and twelve on-site maker studios. There is always lots going on here.
Cheltenham
Cheltenham Races – World famous horse racing. Check out the calendar and head down for a memorable day out.
Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre – This historic theatre hosts dramas, opera and musicals. Treat yourself to a night out during your time in the Cotswolds.
Tetbury
Westonbirt Arboretum – This is one of the top tree collections in the world. Spend a day in nature walking the beautiful trails of this historic property.
Highgrove Shop – A haven for foodies and gift buyers.
Burford
Cotswold Wildlife Park – A highlight for a lot of our guests. Enjoy seeing giraffes, rhinos and over 200 other exciting animals wandering around, with the gothic manor house as their backdrop.
Gloucester
Gloucester Cathedral – Film locations for two of the Harry Potter films!
Best Cotswold Villages
Bourton On The Water
Birdland Park and Gardens – A fun experience for all of the family. Penguins and flamingos in the Cotswolds!
Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection – Be taken on a journey through 20th century automobile history.
Cotswold Perfumery – Enjoy a sensory tour into how perfume is made. You can even take a class a create your own scent!
Chedworth
Chedworth Roman Villa – One of the finest surviving illustrations of Roman Villas in Britain.
Wildlife In The Cotswolds
Cotswold Wildlife Park – One of best days out for a family holiday in the Cotswolds. Spot giraffes, rhinos and over 200 other exciting animals in the surroundings of the historic gothic manor.
Birdland Park and Gardens – Lots of amazing birds to enjoy from king penguins to pink flamingos! A day trip to Bourton on the Water is a must and whilst you’re there check this fun attraction out.
Barn Owl Centre – Watch activities involving flying eagles and harris hawks. Check out their website to see the amazing experiences on offer.
Gardens In The Cotswolds
You are spoilt for choice with beautiful gardens in the Cotswolds. The larger attractions, including Westonbirt and Batsford offer year round experiences.
Westonbirt Arboretum – Combine stunning walks at this world famous arboretum with a lovely day trip to Tetbury.
Batsford Arboretum – Home to the countries largest private collection of trees and shrubs. Beautiful all year round and a great addition to a visit to Bourton on the Water.
Abbey House Gardens – A stunning garden brimming with history.
Painswick Rococo Garden – If you are on holiday in early spring head here for the amazing snowdrops.
Nation Trust Gardens – Check out the National Trust site to see the list of top gardens near your log cabin escape. Highly recommended places are Blenheim Palace and Stourhead.
Cotswold History And Heritage
Stonehenge – The best know prehistoric monument in Europe.
Avebury Stone Circle – Prehistoric stone circle with walks in the beautiful meadow surroundings and pretty village of Avebury.
Corinium Museum – A well run museum that shows Roman life in Cirencester. Lots of interactive activities for kids too.
Chedworth Roman Villa – Walk in the footsteps of Romans in this grand villa. Enroute to the beautiful Bourton on the Water.
Gloucester Cathedral – The scale of this monument is incredible. One of the film locations for two of the Harry Potter films!
Sudeley Castle – Brimming with regal history and beautiful gardens.
Chastleton House – This stunning Jacobean house has been virtually unchanged over the last 400 years. Step back in history at this National Trust property.
Cotswold Motor Museum and Toy Collection – A fun place to visit whilst in Bourton on the Water. Lots to see here for all of the family as well as car enthusiasts.
National Trust Days Out In The Cotswolds...
A number of top National Trust properties boasting history and heritage are within easy driving distance of a log cabin holiday. Highly recommended is a day out at Lodge Park and Sherborne Estate. You can search nearby properties at the following link: National Trust days out
Sports In The Cotswolds
Gloucester Rugby – Impress your other half and surprise him with tickets to an atmospheric rugby game at Gloucester’s home stadium.
Cheltenham Racecourse – A day at the races is always great fun. Put on some bets, enjoy some good food and drink and soak up the exciting atmosphere at this amazing track.
Check out the below ‘Local Cotswold Activities’ section for sports to try in the Cotswold Water Park and nearby.
Cotswolds Food And Drink
Cotswold Pubs
Our top 10 Cotswold pubs to eat and drink at…
The Potting Shed @ Crudwell
The Wild Duck @ Ewen
The Swan @ Southrop
The Village Pub @ Barnsley
The Trouble House @ Tetbury
The Bell @ Sapperton
The Bathurst Arm @ North Cerney
The Stump @ Fosse Cross
The Seven Tuns @ Chedworth
The Snooty Fox @ Tetbury
Tea Rooms
Huffkins – Treat yourself to some delicious afternoon tea from this family run tea room. You’ll find them at Burford, Stow on the Wold, Witney and Cheltenham.
Farm Shops
The Organic Farm Shop – Food as locally grown as you’ll find. They can even deliver to your lakeside cabin too. Worth a trip though to enjoy the cafe and see the wide variety of delicacies on sale.
Butts Farm – Lots to do on this nearby farm. Their meat is top notch too so head here for supplies for a Sunday roast.
Highgrove Shop – A wide range of original items for home and garden – courtesy of HRH The Prince of Wales!
Jesse Smith Farm Shop – On the way into Cirencester you’ll find this excellent farm shop with lots of delicacies to pick up and a great cafe if you’re feeling peckish there and then. Make sure you try one of their scotch eggs.
Micro Breweries
Force Brewery – Just 10 minutes away on the edge Cirencester. It’s possible to arrange sit down tours of the brewing process here as well as picking up some great ales from the man who made them.
Shopping In The Cotswolds
Large Shopping Areas
Swindon’s main attraction is the Swindon Designer Outlet. Just 30 minutes away this huge designer outlet has loads of top names at discounted prices.
Gloucester has a number of large shopping destinations including the Westgate Quarter, the Eastgate Shopping Centre,Kings Walk Shopping Centre and Gloucester Quays.
Cheltenham offers a great day of shopping. The main centres are The Promenade, The Brewery, The High Street and The Suffolks and Montpellier Quarter
Our Favourite Cotswold Shops
Dolcetti – The best ice-cream in the Cotswolds – just 10 minutes away in Cirencester.
Local Cotswold Activities
Cycling
Go By Cycle – In case you want some proper off road bikes or we have rented all of ours out. Just 2 minutes down the road.
Water Sports
Cotswold Water Park Stand Up Paddle Board Hire – Head here to enjoy a SUP course.
Wibit Aquaventure – Just 5 minutes away this is a fun way for kids to spend an afternoon on a hot summers day.
WM Ski – Nearby cable ski lake.
Sailing
Waterland – Courses and tuition for all levels of sailors.
South Cerney Outdoor – Another great spot for courses and tuition on a number of water based sports.
Riding
South Cerney Riding School – Lessons and guided hacks for all levels.
Camp Riding School – Enjoy a riding excursion on your holiday in the Cotswolds. The surrounding scenery in this area is simply stunning too.
Climbing
Head 4 Heights – Just down the road this is a fun centre to enjoy some adrenalin activity at.
Ballooning
Ballooning in the Cotswolds – A truly romantic day out – amazing for memorable honeymoons.
Gliding
Oxfordshire Sportflying – A memorable experience above the beautiful Cotswolds.
Gold
Oaksey Park Golf – Less than 5 minutes drive this is our nearest golf course.
Fishing
Bibury Trout Farm – Stunning setting and next to some great pubs and restaurants.
Lechlade & Bushyleaze Trout Fishery – Some great Trout fly fishing here.
Paintballing
Combat Splat – Enjoy some adrenalin at this great paintball centre just 5 minutes away.
Swimming
Cirencester Open Air Swimming Pool – Open May to September
Cotswold Leisure Centre – Gym, squash courts, classes and an inside pool.
Top Events In The Cotswold Calendar
Arts And Culture
Cheltenham International Dance Festival
Food And Drink
Music
Outdoor Shows
Royal International Air Tattoo
Crazy Cotswolds
Sports
Dog Friendly Cotswolds
Our Top Dog Friendly Cotswold Attractions
Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection
Recommended Vets
Cotswold Tourism Sites
Cotswolds – Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
A2B Taxis – 01285 655651
2 and Fro Taxis – 01285 640088
Things To Do In The Cotswolds – In The Newspapers
Six things you must do in the Cotswolds – Daily Mail
Top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds – Express
Take a walk on the Wold side: Family adventures in the Cotswolds – Mirror