London to London: Charm and Tranquillity in the Cotswolds

Your first leg will see you pick up your motorhome rental and depart London for a leisurely drive along the M3, A303, and A36 west to Bath. While the M4 is the fastest route, this one will take you past one of England’s most famous and ancient landmarks: the mighty Stonehenge.
 
Follow the M3 through Twickenham and out of the city, and you’re on your way!
 
Basingstoke
 
This growing market town has a long history and plenty of places where you could stop for tea or lunch to break up the trip. There are numerous shops here, so stock up on anything you might need for your trip. For some historical fun and learning, take a look at the lovely ruins of Basing House or the remains of Silchester, once a Roman town called Calleva Atrebatum. The Milestones Museum is also an excellent place to visit, featuring reconstructed Victorian street scenes and more.
 
Continue on from Basingstoke and get on the A303 to pass through Andover and land at Stonehenge.
 
Stonehenge
 
This famous site of ancient history has been visited by many, yet remains quite a mystery. It is a circle of standing stones, certainly not the only one in Great Britain but by far the biggest, with each stone around four metres tall. It’s not just the circle that fascinates visitors to Stonehenge, either - it is set within an area full of prehistoric sites including several hundred burial mounds.
 
Nobody can say for sure how the stones got there, who put them there (they are believed to have been erected between 3,000 and 2,000 BC) and perhaps most importantly, why they were placed. Just glimpsing this ancient structure is an amazing experience.
 
Once you’ve seen Stonehenge, get on the A36 and carry on through Codford, which has its own ancient stone circle on a smaller scale, towards your final destination for the day: Bath.
 
Bath
 
Right at the southern end of the Cotswolds is Bath, and the theme of ancient history that has marked this leg of your journey will carry over to this stopping-place. The town is famously built on what was a Roman bath or spa, known as Aquae Sulis, and remains a spa town based around the natural thermal hot springs. There is endless history here, and great museums to visit including the Museum of Bath Architecture which delves into the unique buildings of the city spanning many centuries.
 
A dip in a spa, in true Bath style, is a great way to end the first leg of your relaxing Cotswolds road trip. There are many to choose from, including the luxurious Thermae Bath Spa.

Depart Bath heading north, and you will immediately be in the beautiful Cotswolds. This route takes you along the “Cotswold Edge” on the western border of the region, where the rolling hills rise to an escarpment before they drop away to the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale.
 
Get on the A46 and make your way through the countryside as slowly as you please - with a short distance to drive today, you can stop as much as you like to take it all in.
 
Old Sodbury
 
Perched high on the escarpment above the bigger town of Chipping Sodbury, this charming place has lovely views over the Severn and is a good introduction to the geography of the area.
 
Of particular interest here is an Iron Age hillfort located just outside of Old Sodbury, 11 acres in size with ditches and ramparts. It is on private land, but there are paths leading to it that the public can use.
 
At Dunkirk, you will turn off the A46 to wind your way along the Edge, following more or less the path of the famous Cotswold Way walking trail. If you like to walk, this is a great place to do it - join the trail for a few miles and enjoy the beautiful views from the escarpment.
 
The road passes through Hawkesbury Upton, Hillesley, Alderley, and Wotton-Under Edge - a series of cute Cotswolds towns.
 
Dursley is known as a base for walkers, situated as it is on the Cotswold Way and near the stunning scenery of the escarpment.
 
Stroud has independent shops, cafes, galleries and one of the best farmers’ markets in the country, so try a bit of retail therapy while you are there.
 
Painswick
 
Often called the “Queen of the Cotswolds”, Painswick is a historical wool town built from mellow Cotswold stone and a particularly pretty place with amazing old buildings. You could see homes from as far back as the 14th century here.
 
Don’t leave without calling in to the gorgeous Rococo Garden at Painswick House, and trying out one of the lovely cafes in the town centre.
 
Past Painswick, you’ll skirt the edges of Gloucester and continue through many more friendly and inviting small towns before reaching Bredon, the end of this leg.
 
Bredon
 
At the foot of Bredon Hill and close by the River Avon is lovely Bredon. Here you will spot medieval barns, thatched cottages and more of the gorgeous honey-coloured Cotswold stone. Relax with a drink and a meal at one of the wonderful pubs and enjoy the charm!
 
Bredon Hill is a regional landmark, and the varied landscapes of its slopes are often swarming with walkers and cyclists. On the outskirts of the town is Bredon Barn, a threshing barn from the 14th century owned by the National Trust.
 
There are several campsites close to Bredon, including the Croft Farm Waterpark on a small lake.

While Shakespeare’s birthplace is not technically within the Cotswolds, it’s just a short distance to the north. We have included it in this itinerary as it is a place of huge interest to many travellers, so buckle up and get on the A46 from Bredon to head north for your third leg of the trip.
 
You’ll pass through Evesham as you head towards Stratford-upon-Avon, an old riverside town with stunning timber-framed 15th-century buildings around the Market Square, along with several other small villages like Offenham and Harvington.
 
Stratford-upon-Avon
 
This mid-sized market town is famous the world over as the home of William Shakespeare, who wrote some of the most-quoted lines in the English language. It has an unmistakably Tudor aesthetic and is packed with interesting bits of heritage of which many are related to the Bard.
 
You could stay here for a few days and find plenty to fill the time, but if you can’t do that, we recommend seeing Shakespeare's birthplace in Henley Street, Ann Hathaway’s Cottage and the Holy Trinity Church where he is buried.
 
Head back into the Cotswolds proper, and one of the first places you’ll come across is Mickleton, a very picturesque spot with many thatched cottages. Next is Chipping Campden, a medieval wool town with a very long history and some spectacular limestone architecture.
 
Stow-on-the-Wold
 
This delightful village of warm-toned buildings is a fantastic place to stop for tea or food, and is the highest town in the Cotswolds, sitting on top of an 800-foot hill. A beautiful ancient cross looks over the Market Square, which is also home to the remains of the old town stocks, a vivid bit of living history.
 
While in Stow-on-the-Wold, take the short detour on country roads to visit Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter, a gruesomely-named but lovely pair of villages nearby. Copse Hill Road in the lower of the two was voted the “most romantic street in Britain” in 2011.
 
Continue along the road to Burford, and if you haven’t yet had your fill of picture-perfect small towns, adjust your route a little to visit the multitude of them found here, such as Kingham.
 
Burford
Stay a night in Burford, which has several campsites and caravan parks in close proximity. Here you can wander the beautiful old High Street to find a spot for a meal or drink and admire the views down to the River Windrush, or take a look at the beautiful St John the Baptist Anglican church, a Grade 1 Heritage-Listed building.
 

For the final stretch of your journey, you’ll head southwest for a bit to see as much of the Cotswolds as possible and then turn eastwards towards London at Cirencester. Again, this last leg does not involve hours on the road but allows plenty of time to enjoy the travel, take it slowly, relax and revel in the gorgeous English countryside.
 
Depart Burford on the B4425, and you’ll soon come across another gem of a village.
 
Bibury
 
Bibury is widely thought of as one of the Cotswolds’ most pleasant and pretty towns. You have likely seen a picture somewhere of Arlington Row, an exquisitely picturesque row of old weavers’ cottages which features in a lot of imagery including TV shows and movies.
 
Foodie visitors to Bibury will enjoy the Bibury Trout Farm, founded in 1902, where you can catch and eat your own fish. The town also has an array of tea houses and cafes.
 
Cirencester
 
Known as the capital of the Cotswolds, this is a bigger place than many of the villages you will have passed through and has more facilities. In Roman times, it was called Corinium Dobunnorum and was second in size only to London.
 
Take a walk in the town centre past the colourful old buildings, and then enjoy the lovely landscaped green spaces of Cirencester Park and the Bathurst Estate. Antiques lovers, keep an eye out for stores and markets to peruse.
 
From Cirencester, you can get on the A419 past Swindon, and then the M4 to head back towards London. It will take you through the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the villages there.
 
Should you need another tranquil stop before heading back to the hustle and bustle of London, get off the highway at Reading and enjoy a walk in the Forbury Gardens, where the city has recreated a beautiful Victorian ornamental garden.
 
Your return to London will take you from quiet, charming villages to the buzzing, busy big city life - a sharp contrast, but one which can make you appreciate each just that little bit more. If you’re from out of town, be sure to explore London Town before or after returning your motorhome - and for more adventures, take a look at our range of exciting, adventurous and history-packed motorhome itineraries in the United Kingdom.
 
Not really needing an itinerary? Enjoy the UK roads when you grab campervan rentals from Luton, from Birmingham, and all over the country. Happy travels!