21 Best Sights in Bath and the Cotswolds, England

Although now a fraction of its original size, Malmesbury Abbey is still the defining feature of the entire town. There has been an abbey on this site since 1180; the current abbey is the third. During the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was used as a wool store and many parts were destroyed. But during the 16th century, the magnificent building became the parish church of Malmesbury, which it has remained since. The breathtaking Norman porch and its ornate carved figures depict the story of Creation through the death of Christ; it is considered one of the best examples of such in Europe. In the northern section of the building is King Athelstan's tomb; Athelstan was crowned king of Wessex in 925 and united England by 927. Malmesbury Abbey is also famed for its stained-glass windows; the Luce window is by Burne-Jones.

The town has a famously pretty and much-photographed group of 17th-century weavers' cottages made of stone.

Located within the town hall, the Athelstan Museum contains a general history of the town of Malmesbury, as well as details on the Abbey and King Athelstan. The museum also has exhibits about the lace-making industry, the town's wool trade, and locally made clocks and bikes. Local-born philosopher Thomas Hobbes gets special attention, too.

Fans of the television drama Downton Abbey probably already know that the interior shots of the series are filmed at Highclere Castle near Winchester, but most of the exterior shots are concentrated on the Oxfordshire village of Bampton, on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds. Visitors can walk the sleepy streets of mellow stone, see the library in Church View which doubled as the Downton Cottage Hospital, and visit the church of St. Mary, the setting of both Mary and Edith's weddings. Bampton is 6 miles southeast of Burford and 18 miles southwest of Oxford, from where there is a regular bus. Drivers should take the road signed Brize Norton off the A40.

An excellent way to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of Bath is through the Bath Skyline Walk, one of England's most popular walks. Its 6 miles of greenery encircles the city and includes woodlands, valleys, meadows, and trails with captivating views of the city's architecture. Grab a picnic and some strong shoes and head out on the waymarked path. The starting point is on Bathwick Hill near the entrance to the National Trust Bathwick Fields; you can download a free walking guide from the National Trust website. If you don't have the time (or energy) for the full walk, take the 3-mile "Walk to the View" waymarked from Bath Abbey.

This enlightening spot hosts interactive exhibits and displays to educate and inspire visitors about the history and heritage of Bath. It covers all the aspects that earned Bath its UNESCO World Heritage site status in 1987, including the hot springs, Roman ruins, Georgian architecture, and surrounding landscapes. The center also provides free walking trails and guides.

John Wood designed the masterful Circus, a circle of curving, perfectly proportioned Georgian houses interrupted just three times for intersecting streets. Wood died shortly after work began; his son, the younger John Wood, completed the project. Notice the carved acorns atop the houses: Wood nurtured the myth that Prince Bladud founded Bath, ostensibly with the help of an errant pig rooting for acorns (this is one of a number of variations of Bladud's story). A garden with large plane trees fills the center of the Circus. The painter Thomas Gainsborough (1727–88) lived at No. 17 from 1760 to 1774.

In 1902, the Guild of Handicraft took over this former silk mill, and Arts and Crafts evangelist Charles Robert Ashbee (1863–1942) brought 150 acolytes from London, including 50 guildsmen, to revive and practice such skills as cabinetmaking and bookbinding. The operation folded in 1920, but the refurbished building now houses this cooperative artist-run gallery showing and selling beautiful glass, ceramics, paintings, sculptures, textiles and more on the ground floor. The longtime silversmith Hart is also in the building. 

The broad High Street, lined with stone houses and shops, follows a captivating curve. In the center, on Market Street, is the Market Hall, a gabled Jacobean structure built by Sir Baptiste Hicks in 1627 "for the sale of local produce." 

In the center of Tetbury, look for the eye-catching Market House, dating from 1655. Constructed of white-painted stone, it's built up on rows of Tuscan pillars. Various markets, with traders selling everything from vegetables to jewelry, are held here during the week.

The grandest of Cheltenham's remaining spa buildings, the pump room is set amid parkland, a 20-minute walk from the town center. The classic Regency structure, built in the late 1820s, now serves mainly as a concert hall and a theatrical venue. It's wise to check before visiting as there's often a private function taking place. There's also a café.

Florence's Ponte Vecchio inspired this 18th-century span, one of the most famous landmarks in the city and the only work of Robert Adam in Bath. It's unique in Great Britain because shops line both sides of the bridge.

Palatial houses and the Francis Hotel surround the garden in the center of this square designed by the older John Wood. An obelisk financed by Beau Nash celebrates the 1738 visit of Frederick, Prince of Wales.

Originally designed as an arboretum, this tidy expanse of lawns and shady walks just west of the Royal Crescent provides the perfect setting for pleasant strolls and leisurely picnics. The park has a pond, the Botanical Gardens, and an adventure playground with plenty for kids. The Great Dell Aerial Walkway at the park's northern end provides lovely views across the park. Hot-air balloon launches and open-air shows at festival time enliven the atmosphere.

The soaring pinnacled tower of St. James, a prime example of a Cotswold wool church (it was rebuilt in the 15th century with money from wool merchants), announces Chipping Campden from a distance; it's worth stepping inside to see the lofty, light-filled nave. The church recalls the old saying, which became popular because of the vast numbers of houses of worship in the Cotswolds, "As sure as God's in Gloucestershire."

At the top of Market Place is this magnificent Gothic parish church, known as the cathedral of the "wool Gothic" style. Its gleaming, elaborate, three-tier, three-bay south porch is the largest in England and once served as the town hall. The chantry chapels and many coats of arms bear witness to the importance of the wool merchants as benefactors of the church. A rare example of a delicate 15th-century wineglass pulpit sits in the nave. General and tower tours are available periodically; check the website for dates and times.

 A fine example of neo-Gothic style, this 1781 church has a galleried interior with pews and fine slender pillars. The entrance porch features a striking contemporary mural of the Annunciation, and the churchyard has around 300 species of native wildflowers including snowdrops, cyclamen, and bluebells.

Besides its soaring pillars and clerestory windows, this light-filled 15th-century church, known as the cathedral of the Cotswolds, contains notable memorial brasses, monuments to the merchants who endowed the church. Each merchant has a wool sack and sheep at his feet.

Almost 40 outlandish gargoyles adorn this mid-15th-century Perpendicular-style building, a typical Cotswold wool church full of light. The interior displays an embroidered altar frontal said to have been worked by Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII. Look for the Winchcombe Imp, an unusual figure for a rood screen, now at the back of the church.

Considered the largest outdoor market in the Cotswolds, the Tuesday Market takes over the center of the main street between 9 am and 3 pm, with a mix of household goods, fruits and vegetables, and some arts-and-crafts and jewelry stalls. It's no newcomer to the market scene either: it was chartered in 1227.

Connecting the two Slaughters is part of the Warden's Way, a mile-long pathway that begins in Upper Slaughter at the town-center parking lot and passes stone houses, green meadows, ancient trees, and a 19th-century corn mill with a waterwheel and brick chimney. The Warden's Way continues south to Bourton-on-the-Water; the full walk from Winchcombe to Bourton is 14 miles. The Winchcombe Welcomes Walkers website has useful information about the self-guided walk.