Glamping in The Cotswolds
If you’ve always wanted to visit the soaring medieval cathedral in Gloucester or hike the scenic Cotswold Way, and love the idea of a camping holiday but don’t want to mess around with tent poles, a glamping break in the Cotswolds might be the ideal solution for you.
Whether you’re after a romantic bolthole like a shepherd’s hut overlooking the beautiful Slad Valley or a stylish and spacious yurt base for a day out at Cheltenham races, you’re bound to find something that appeals in the Cotswolds.
Need a bit of persuading that glamping breaks beat hotel holidays? Find out what the Pitchup experts think and then read on to find out how to get the best of your glamping holiday in Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds.
Where to stay in The Cotswolds
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If you’re organising a family break, glamping makes a lot of sense price-wise – it's often cheaper than a couple of hotel rooms but with many of the advantages, like proper beds so everyone has a sound night’s sleep. Search out family-friendly Cotswolds glampsites with play areas for younger kids, and look for stays near kid-centric attractions like the Cotswold Water Park, where you can all practise archery, sail dinghies or take gentle family bike rides around the lake.
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Thanks to the lack of light pollution, parts of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty rank among the darkest skies in the UK; look for glampsites around Stroud or Bishops Cleeve and hope for clear nights so you get a chance to spot the glittering Milky Way. Safari tents and lodges often have covered decking, so you have some protection against the elements on cooler nights.
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The historic riverside city of Gloucester lends itself to off-season visits as it has lots of indoor attractions, including a world-famous cathedral, lots of fascinating museums and kid-friendly venues like the Warehouse Climbing Centre. When you’re booking your glamping break, look for sites that stay open all year, cosy pods that are well insulated against colder weather or glampsites that allow campfires and firepits so you can cosy up outside.
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There’s no need to rough it these days if you’re looking for a walking holiday – there are masses of glampsites within easy reach of the Cotswold Way, which snakes across Gloucestershire from Bath to Chipping Campden. And if you’re walking every day, why not bring your dog(s)? They’ll certainly get plenty of exercise – but just be sure to pick a dog-friendly glampsite.
What you can do around Gloucestershire’s Cotswolds
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Top of any Cotswolds bucket list is Blenheim Palace, the 18th-century mansion designed by John Vanbrugh. Tour state rooms adorned with Old Master paintings and priceless antiques, and have a wander in the spectacular water gardens before heading back to your cosy bell tent for a restorative cup of tea.
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Stand in ancient Roman footsteps at the hillside ruins of a 3rd-century aristocrat’s estate at Great Witcombe Roman Villa, or admire the ornate mosaic floors at Chedworth Roman Villa. With a choice of shepherd’s huts nearby, Cirencester was an important Roman town and bears the relics of a once-massive amphitheatre.
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Discover postcard-cute Bibury, where the mellow-stone weavers’ cottages on Arlington Row are some of the most-photographed houses in the UK. Lovely Bourton-on-the-Water is an Instagram hit for the honey-coloured houses and rushing River Windrush on its photogenic main street – Pitchup has glamping options near both villages.
- Be grateful for a good night’s sleep in your spacious, family-size lodge as the kids may well pressgang you into taking them to TV farmer Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park, where they can meet rare-breed Suffolk Punch horses and feed adorable lambs in spring.
How to book a Cotswolds glamping break
So we’ve listed some of the many things to see and do in Gloucestershire and The Cotswolds, and the next big question is: when it comes to booking a glampsite on Pitchup, how do you find your ideal spot? Well, it couldn’t be easier. Make a list of everything you require from a site (dog friendly? swimming pool?) and use the filters on the page to narrow down your search
Finding the choice of glamping options confusing? Here’s our definitive glamping guide to the different types of accommodation you’ll find on the Pitchup website and how to make the most of your glamping break.
If you’ve still not quite found your ideal base in the Cotswolds, Pitchup has plenty more ideas for glamping across the whole of Central England, or you could nip over the River Severn into Wales for more spectacular scenery and even more glamping hotspots like the Brecon Beacons or Snowdonia.
