Straddling Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire, this beautiful part of the heart of England boasts rolling hills and peaceful, winding rivers.
Parts of it – particularly in Oxfordshire – are close enough to London to be commutable, but always far enough away to feel like the country. And the further-flung reaches are
Of course Oxford itself has a booming property market – property for sale in Oxford, from its large Victorian townhouses to the pretty semi-detached period cottages, is rising in price every year. By association, nearby towns and villages are also very sought-after with property hunters: Great Milton, Witney and Woodstock are both perennially popular with buyers looking to commute back into Oxford. Properties along The River Thames, are, of course also bought and sold at a premium.
The Oxfordshire Cotswolds comprise classic rolling countryside; Bicester village has hugely raised its profile in recent years, and property here is becoming harder to find, while the area around Chipping Norton has long been a destination for successful London buyers looking for a country retreat not too far from The City.
Gloucestershire is the other main country in the Cotswolds, with innumerable beautiful villages such as Bourton-on-the-Water and the Slaughters (Upper and Lower), while across into Wiltshire the likes of Castle Combe are famously picturesque.
A house that has one of the of finest 17th century interiors in Britain has come to the market – a place which offers everything, but which will have horse lovers in particular wide-eyed with excitement.
Commuters working in Bristol and looking to live in the country have all sorts of fantastic options, with places that offer everything from Cotswolds charm to sandy beaches. Eleanor Doughty picks out some of the best places.
Forget peace and love: the town of Woodstock (the British version, naturally) is set to become the nucleus of more than 1,000 new homes. Clive Aslet investigates.
The house where Colonel Thomas Lawrence – better known as T. E. Lawrence, and Lawrence of Arabia – spent most of his first three decades has come up for sale.
The Thatched House is a dreamlike spot in the Cotswolds that lay in ruins a generation ago. The current owners have breathed life back into this superb home – but are now looking to move on.
The Manor House at South Leigh is where one of Britain's greatest 20th century poets produced one of his most famous works.
It'd be idyllic at any time of year, but the aptly-named Christmas Cottage seems particularly enticing at this time of year.
Collin House lies a few miles away from Chipping Campden on the edge of the idyllic village of Broadway.
A Cornish paradise for sailors and a magnificent Worcestershire home make our round-up this week.
Luckington Court has returned to the market after 70 years.
A place in Cornwall and a Cotswolds home with a walled garden feature in this week's round-up.
A delightful little castle has come to the market in the Cotswolds – but unusually it's for rent rather than for sale.
Bosmere Farm is a wonderful family house in a stunning rural setting.
This place in the heart of the Cotswolds is an aviator's dream: a country house with its own landing strip. Or should that be a landing strip with its own country house?
Cross Hill House stands in almost six acres and includes two Victorian walled gardens.
Described as 'charming beyond belief and in one of the most idyllic places to live in the Cotswolds', Green Close is on the market for £3.8m.
We take our regular look at delightful homes featured in Country Life over the past week or so – including a thatched cottage in the Cotswolds that is almost unbearably perfect.
