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Cotswolds with a baby and a four year old - prettiest villages and what to do?

29 replies

BelgianWaffles · 03/09/2021 21:09

Hi,

We would like to spend three or four nights in the Cotswolds in October and we’ve never been. What are the prettiest villages, with things to do nearby for children?

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MsTSwift · 03/09/2021 21:10

There’s not much to do in the Cotswolds

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Ragwort · 03/09/2021 21:12

Cotswold Wildlife Park?

Tend to agree it's a bit dreary for youngsters I live nearby.

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Spindelina · 03/09/2021 21:13

Cotswold Water Park and Lacock (NT and the garden centre), neither of which are in the AONB.

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MsTSwift · 03/09/2021 21:14

It’s pubs and lovely walks great for adults but not hugely kid or child friendly - live nearby

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SpottyStripyDuvet · 03/09/2021 21:15

Birdland at Bourton on the water is good. Also the model village.

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rosesandsalvia · 03/09/2021 21:16

Broadway is pretty and has a brilliant playground and you can walk up the hill to Broadway tower. Stow on the wold and Burford are also nice. Not too far from cotswold farm park & cotswold wildlife park. Good soft play in bourton on the water & nice stream to feed the ducks, although town can be a bit touristy in summer.

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rosesandsalvia · 03/09/2021 21:18

Oh and batsford arboretum will look lovely in October - it's near Morton in Marsh

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bigbaggyeyes · 03/09/2021 21:19

Barnsley (not the northern one) and Bibury are lovely and close to cotswold water park and Cirencester

Bourton on the Water is also lovely, model village kids love. Also close to the above

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notpastaagain · 03/09/2021 21:20

We’ve just been to Buford and went to Crocodile World, Cotswold Wildlife Park, Bird Land and Bourton on the Water (which was really lovely and has a shallow river running through it where the children can paddle). Also did a short walk in Shilton (which again has a ford where children can paddle). Burford itself is a nice little town with a very old high street.

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BelgianWaffles · 03/09/2021 21:21

Lots of great ideas, thanks! We’re not looking for too much to do tbh, we want to relax, see pretty villages and go for nice (but not too long!) walks.

I’ve started looking up where to go but I don’t really know where to start!

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Blueroses99 · 03/09/2021 21:22

I took DD4 to Birdworld and she loved the dinosaur trail there. Bourton on the water seemed like a lovely village with lots to do around there.

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NotAnotherBloodyNameChange · 03/09/2021 21:22

@SpottyStripyDuvet

Birdland at Bourton on the water is good. Also the model village.

The model village is tiny though.
We’ve been to ones where we’ve spent over an hour looking at everything, we were only in that one 30 mins & went round twice!

Motor museum?
www.cotswoldmotoringmuseum.co.uk/
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MsTSwift · 03/09/2021 21:22

Cotswold water park is for young teens the inflatable bit is fun but for 10 year olds minimum and summer only as it’s in a lake. Best bet is to get a hotel with an indoor pool?

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CattyMcNips · 03/09/2021 21:25

Cotswold farm park
Cotswold Wildlife Park
Crocodiles of the world
Sudley Castle
Eastnor Castle
Cattle Country
*Birdland
*Model Village
*Motor Museum
Aviation Museum at Staverton
Toddington Steam Railway
Perrygrove narrow gauge railway
Cotswold [artificial] beach
Croft Farm Waterpark
Fruit picking (quite a few places if you google)
Dinky Street
Soft play in Bourton/Cirencester and Cheltenham



*all in walking distance in Bourton on the Water

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BelgianWaffles · 03/09/2021 21:26

Which village(s) are the prettiest in your opinion?

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Spindelina · 03/09/2021 21:26

Also the GWSR is a steam railway, if that's your sort of thing.

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Mischance · 03/09/2021 21:28

My children loved Bourton-on-the-Water - just everything about it. The river running through was almost enough for them!

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CattyMcNips · 03/09/2021 21:28

Lower Slaughter is pretty and used to have a great ice cream shop, quieter than Bourton but walkable (even with a pushchair) my all time favourite is Wick Rissington. Nothing to do there but it's the most beautiful village!

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NC561376 · 03/09/2021 21:32

Cotswold wildlife park is like a fab zoo, has a great playground.

Nearby Burford garden centre nice for a look around, has a little playground, cafe (kind of a fancy garden centre). Apparently Burford village attractive, I've not been.

Agree about Broadway playground - people travel from miles around to go there. Walking to the tower is very very steep. You can park at the top and there is a cafe. Just mentioning in case your DCs don't like walking much or if you are carrying them. Nice (busy) high street with a few delis/cafes.

Bourton used to have a model railway museum, if it is still there that is great for children who like toy trains. Plentiful places to eat. Stream running through village.

Cotswold farm park also great - not sure if it's open in October (has a playground as well).

Westonbirt arboretum lovely for walks.

There are a few national trust places (not as many as you would expect for some reason compared to the rest of the country) - but Hidocte is lovely to walk around. That is quite north Cotswolds though.

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lissie123 · 03/09/2021 21:32

Westonbirt Arboretum is great for all ages

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BelgianWaffles · 03/09/2021 21:41

Thank you!

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Peabody25 · 03/09/2021 21:42

We've just been with a 7 year old and nearly 2 year old.

We stayed in a lodge but the de vere hotel was really near. The de vere has a small playground on side, a pizza restaurant and ice cream van.

Bourton on the water was lovely. There's a model village, car museum, bird land and you can paddle in the stream. There's some lovely little shops as well.

We saw an amazing looking playground on the way to the steam railway at Broadway. Broadway itself is nice for a look round as well.

We did a nice walk round Sherborne park estate as well.

We didn't get chance to go but cotswold wildlife park is meant to be good.

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loubieloo4 · 03/09/2021 21:45

Bourbon on the water is fab

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dalismoustache · 03/09/2021 21:48

All Things Wild www.allthingswild.co.uk/ is close to the Cotswolds (well, North Cotswolds) and well worth a visit. Also, Mary Arden's Farm www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/mary-ardens-farm/

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dalismoustache · 03/09/2021 21:49

Just thought of another - Snowshill www.nationaltrust.org.uk/snowshill-manor-and-garden

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