Right Up My Street

If your looking to find a typical Cotswolds scenic driving route scattered with honey coloured stone villages and beautiful rolling countryside then you should definitely take the Cotswolds Romantic Road from Broadway on your next trip to the idyllic Cotswolds countryside.

I've been lucky enough to have visited the Cotswolds a couple of times this summer and when I was browsing the internet for things to do and places to see while on our weekend break a friend suggested we drive "Cotswolds Romantic Road" route - a relatively quick way to see all the little villages and hidden nooks and crannies of the Cotswolds in one all-round trip.

The best thing is, you can do it as quickly, or as slowly as you like - its your choice whether you park the car and walk around at every stop or just take the whole route driving non-stop, maybe as a detour via your journey back home?

Here's a link to the full route map for the Cotswolds Romantic Road.
Me and Alex luckily had a couple of nights in the Cotswolds where we were based in Winchcombe, an ancient Anglo-Saxon town ideally situated mid-way between Broadway and Cheltenham.

In Winchcombe we stayed at the charming and quaint The Lion Inn, a boutique pub with rooms which I reviewed here. The route itself suggests you start from Broadway so we were ideally placed to follow from the beginning, step by step.

Bearing in mind you can start the route from pretty much any stop on the map - its pretty simple, you can either follow the map directions, or just look out for the next village stop on the road sign posts.

What's even more exciting is this route's "sense of adventure" as most of drive route uses small 'B' roads and ungraded local single track roads with passing places, so if your like me and end up being the passenger, you'll probably spend most of the time in-between villages closing your eyes, squealing and putting trust in your partner while they navigate the windy, narrow country lanes!

The circular route from Broadway passes through several typical Cotswolds hill villages, a quaint riverside village, the Little Venice of the Cotswolds (Bourton-on-the-water) and an ancient market town - only to name a few of the route's iconic landmarks!

Like I said, if your in a rush, or have some time constraints you could easily drive the route non-stop and it would only take you a couple of hours because the total mileage is only 45 miles. However, in order to properly take in the beauty of the rolling hills and countryside you'll want to spend a good full day exploring, walking, and have the odd re-fuel stop along the way.

In my opinion, the villages well worth a stop and wander are Broadway, Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter, Bourton-on-the-water and Stow-on-the-wold.

Bourton-on-the-water is very touristy and known to many as the "Little Venice of the Cotswolds" and is well worth a stop - there are plenty of quaint tea-rooms scattered throughout the village and plenty of bustling pubs boasting a enviable riverside location where you could stop and grab a cider with a memorable view!

On our Cotswolds travels we checked out the Smiths of Bourton tea-room for a delicious cream tea! If you decide to stop off in Stow-on-the-wold make sure you visit The Sheep on Sheep Street for a tasty bite to eat or a refreshing mojito pit-stop.

If your looking for a base to stay in the Cotswolds, see my reviews for The Lion Inn in Winchcombe and The Ragged Cot near Cirencester (south Cotswolds).
xo.