Europe

The Two Most Iconic Views in the Cotswolds

The Best Views in the Cotswolds

Here in New England we like to think that we have some of the most charming old towns in the country…and we do. But the fact of the matter is, New England can’t compete with Real England in the quaint village category. We may have emerged victorious in the Revolutionary War, but going head to head with them in a beautiful village contest is a losing battle. The houses in our historic towns are adorned with plaques advertising that they were built in the 1700’s. Meanwhile across the pond, they don’t even bat an eye unless we’re talking about a house that was built before Columbus sailed the ocean blue. So it comes as no surprise that we Americans are enthralled with the English countryside, and there is no better example of quintessential English villages than those of the Cotswolds. This region that encompasses 800 square miles of rolling hills is dotted with incredible towns and villages that all look like they are straight off a postcard.

On our trip to the UK, we spent some time driving through the Cotswolds in search of the perfect English village with that perfect postcard view. It’s hard to go wrong in the Cotswolds, but these two iconic shots are tough to beat.

1. The Street – Castle Combe

In our opinion, Castle Combe is the most beautiful village we’ve ever seen and there’s really no competition. The best view is from The Street just before the bridge crossing By Brook. You might recognize it from the original Dr. Doolittle.
best views in the cotswolds
Castle Combe

2. Arlington Row – Bibury

Even though we would argue that Castle Combe is a more picturesque village overall than Bibury, the view of Arlington Row is fantastic. These houses were originally built in 1380 as a monastic wool store and were later converted to cottages for weavers. Since this is one of the most photographed scenes in Cotswolds, you should expect to be bumping shoulders with other tourists trying to get the perfect Instagram photo. It was used in the filming of a few movies including Bridget Jones’ Diary.
best views in the cotswolds
Arlington Row – Bibury

best views in the cotswolds

 

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