About Visit Cotswolds

The Cotswolds has no shortage of guides. Most of them list the same places, use the same photographs, and avoid saying anything that might put someone off.

That's not particularly useful if you're trying to decide whether somewhere is worth a two-hour drive.

I'm Leanne Matthews, and I built Visit Cotswolds after moving to the area and finding most existing guides weren't much help for actual trip planning. This is an independent guide, not a tourism board site or a directory. I research places properly, visit in person where I can, and only include what I'd genuinely recommend. Not everything makes the cut. Some popular villages are worth skipping on a summer weekend. Some less obvious ones are worth going out of your way for. I try to be honest about which is which.

Where I haven't visited somewhere yet, I say so. Recommendations and honest opinions come from first-hand experience, not from copying what other sites already say.

I use AI tools to help with research and drafting, the same way a lot of writers now do. It's useful for pulling together background information and speeding up the research process. But the actual judgement, whether somewhere's worth your time, what to skip, what surprised me, always comes from having been there myself. AI doesn't write opinions on this site. I do.

No sponsored content. No tourism board backing. No obligation to present anywhere in a better light than it deserves.

If you come here with a question about where to go, where to stay, or whether something's worth your time, I want you to leave with an actual answer.