The very best places to stay in
Central England
Central England feels like an ode to the slow life — gentle green hills, hedgerow paths, tumbling rivers, and villages where you still hear church bells echo at dusk. It’s not one single mood but many: the honey-stone charm of the Cotswolds, the wild woodlands and hidden ridges of Gloucestershire, the dreaming spires and sleepy lanes of Oxfordshire. Stay here long enough and you’ll sense the layers, too: ancient Roman roads underfoot, medieval market towns, quiet riversides where kingfishers dart past.
In the Cotswolds part of this region, villages glint golden in early morning, inns pour the best ale, and old stone barns hide garden gates to secret courtyards. Gloucestershire brings forest magic (hello Forest of Dean), dramatic escarpments, river valleys (the Wye, the Severn), castles and abbeys that feel a little wild. Oxfordshire adds literary heritage, elegant market towns like Woodstock and Chipping Norton, and rivers (Thames, Cherwell) that thread through meadows and dreamlike green quiet. Together they knit a patchwork of landscapes, where every drove lane or orchard makes you exclaim at its beauty. See our handpicked Kip Tips for the region below.
Our hideaways here include shepherd huts with hot tubs tucked away in fields; treehouses with alfresco bathing amongst woodland, and incredible design stays hidden behind ancient walls. Use them as your base to explore villages, meadows and market squares, or simply as a place to do almost nothing at all.
Featured stays in
Central England
Curate your Central England stay
Kip tips
BEST ACTIVITY
Walk a stretch of the Cotswold Way. We love the route between Broadway and Winchcombe). Start early, stop at a country pub mid-walk, finish back at your Kip Hideaways.
MUST VISIT
- Arlington Row, Bibury. That staggeringly idyllic row of weavers’ cottages is on almost every postcard for a reason.
- Wittenham Clumps — short but magical hill overlooking the Thames and vale; perfect for sunset or a picnic under wildflower meadows.
SECRET KIP TIP
Sunrise at the Secret Quarry at Slad, Gloucestershire. Just before dawn the old quarry pools are glass-still; Sit on the limestone ledge and listen to the dawn chorus.
If you’d prefer to be wild swimming, head to the pond near Fairford (a disused clay pit) where locals dip on midsummer nights.
FOODIE TREAT
Daylesford Organic is way more than a farm shop; it’s a rural nirvana for food lovers. Think glass-walled cafes serving wood-fired flatbreads, a creamery that smells faintly of heaven, and shelves stacked with the prettiest jars of pickles you’ll ever meet. Arrive hungry, leave with armfuls of artisan cheese and perfectly baked sourdough.
WITH KIDS.
Hire a boat or punt and glide down the River Cherwell, past weeping willows, herons and timeless lawns.
ARCHITECTURE
We love Snowshill Manor in the Cotswolds: a treasure trove of eccentricity, this honey-stone Arts & Crafts manor was the lifelong obsession of Charles Paget Wade, who filled every room with curiosities: Samurai armour beside spinning wheels, model ships beside toy theatres. The gardens tumble down terraces scented with lavender, and from the top, there are beautiful panoramas over the Cotswold hills.
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Why book a Central England holiday with
Kip Hideaways?
We endlessly research and curate the very best places to stay across the UK: all gorgeous and great value. Beautiful, unique style is a must for us but it’s the thoughtful detail and owners who really care that make our hideaways so special.
Our design-led hideaways include cabins with hot tubs, dog-friendly cottages, romantic treehouses and family-friendly houses.
