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In autumn, the colors in the Cotswolds are explosive, and summer in the region is also sublime. Springtime will most likely be rainy and perhaps a bit too cold for comfort.
To see the best of the region, a car is essential. The most convenient rentals are in London, but Oxford, an hour’s drive east from the Cotswolds, also has several rental offices; try 1Car1 (1car1.us; weeklong rentals from $199). Make sure to opt for a GPS, as the area’s country roads are not always well-marked.
Hwy. B4425, near Bibury, Gloucestershire; 44-1285/740-000; barnsleyhouse.com; doubles from $584.
Great Value Twelve stunning houses, furnished with quality antiques, one sleeping up to 10, are set on proper gardens, with a swimming pool and play areas. Off Hwy. A424, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire; 44-1993/830-415; bruern-holiday-cottages.co.uk; cottages from $2,000 per week.
The Square, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire; 44-1386/840-330, cotswoldhouse.com; doubles from $300, including breakfast.
Kemps Lane, Painswick, Gloucestershire; 44-1452/813-688; cotswolds88hotel.com; doubles from $350.
Great Value Kingham, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire; 44-1608/658-327; thekinghamplough.co.uk; doubles from $170; lunch for two $88.
The prix fixe lunch is wonderful. 1 London St., Market Place, Fairford, Gloucestershire; 44-1285/712-200; dinner for two $180.
49 Long St., Tetbury, Gloucestershire; 44-1666/504-466; dinner for two $180.
Casual (order from the bar) but with a sophisticated menu, this gastropub serves both posh and humble locals alike. Paxford, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire; 44-1386/594-000; dinner for two $120.
Cotswold House, The Square, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire; 44-1386/840-330; dinner for two $100.
Prince William’s local serves a mean burger. The Green, Bledington, Oxfordshire; 44-1608/658-365; lunch for two $70.
Gloucestershire; 44-1367/850-205; dinner for two $140.
Cirencester Rd., near Tetbury, Gloucestershire; 44-1666/502-206; lunch for two $90.
Nether Westcote, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire; 44-1993/830-888; lunch for two $90.
Hwy. B4070, Slad, Stroud, Gloucestershire; 44-1452/813-429; dinner for two $80.
The Duke of Marlborough lives here, Winston Churchill was born here, and Capability Brown did the gardens. Need we say more? Woodstock, Oxfordshire; 44-1993/811-091; blenheimpalace.com.
Merriscourt, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire; 44-7970/547-765; merriscourt.com.
Gloucestershire; 44-1242/602-308; sudeleycastle.co.uk.
Bespoke suits, shirts, and cashmere. Merriscourt, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire; byrnesofmayfair.com.
Daylesford, near Kingham, Gloucestershire; 44-1608/731-700.
10 Long St., Tetbury, Gloucestershire; 44-1666/505-666.
Gourmet chutneys, flowers, cheeses, meat, fish, and game. Saturdays at Cornhill Market Place, Stroud, Gloucestershire.
Hypermodern spa in a tranquil natural setting. Cowley, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; 44-1242/870-900; cowleymanor.com; treatments from $120.
By Laurie Lee. This autobiographical novel by the Cotswolds bard, about Gloucestershire life in the 1920’s, is required reading for anyone who wants to know about the area before the celebrities descended.
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