The Cotswolds National Landscape, which lies across six counties, but mostly Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, has a population of around 139,000, but receives about 38 million visitors a year, according to local estimates.
Our Cotswolds village was perfect – now up to 20,000 tourists visit in a weekend
Read MoreThe Cotswolds is undeniably pretty. Rural landscapes are peppered with villages and towns featuring the local yellow limestone, as well as stately homes and gardens.
For those who fancy trying somewhere different, we’ve curated a selection of towns and villages that have a bit of the Cotswolds’ spirit – think independent shops, pubs and restaurants, must-see attractions and a strong sense of community – but without the tourist crowds.
Appearing in the Domesday Book, this well-heeled town, often lauded as one of the best places to live in the UK, is largely made up of 17th and 18th century limestone buildings and older, timber-framed structures.
There are also more than 600 listed buildings in and around the town, as well as five medieval churches, which helped Stamford win the honour of becoming England’s first conservation area in 1967.
The four-star William Cecil, set within Burghley Estate, has B&B rooms from £129 per night, and accessible options.
Corfe Castle, Dorset
Corfe Castle is full of history and pretty buildings (Photo: Julian Elliott Photography/Getty Images)
The castle, which was built a little after the conquest of 1066, was once one of the nation’s great strongholds. It was partially destroyed during the English Civil War, but its legacy remains – some of the stone ruins were used to build the village below.
Like the hugely popular Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds, Corfe Castle also has a model village (adult entry is £4.50).
Mortons Manor has rooms from £175 per night, on a B&B basis. Accessible rooms available.
There’s a thriving arts scene, with plenty of galleries, such as Black Swan Arts, as well as independent stores and award-winning markets.
square WINTER WEEKENDS The creative city of potteries that's a gateway to the Peak District
Read More
Frome is an ideal base from which to explore the Somerset countryside and nearby Bath, a 35-minute train ride away.
Although tiny, this village in the Chiltern Hills National Landscape has certainly made its mark.
Turville is tiny, but picture-perfect (Photo: Graham Custance Photography/Getty Images)
Pop in the 12th century St Mary’s Church, the oldest standing building in Turville.
The 300-odd villagers are also overlooked by Turville Hill, a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, home to two rare butterfly species: the silver spotted skipper and the Adonis blue.
There’s nowhere to stay in the village itself, but four-star Relais Henley is just up the road, with accessible rooms. Bed and breakfast costs from £183 per night.
Grantchester, Cambridgeshire
It’s full of pretty thatched cottages and a church, St Andrew and St Mary, which dates to the 12th century.
Grantchester is surrounded by bucolic meadows and, when the weather allows, you can take tea on deckchairs in the gardens of the Orchard Tea Rooms.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Seven alternatives to the Cotswolds – with all the charm, but fewer crowds )
Also on site :