Activities & Days Out

Cycling in the Cotswolds

The Oxfordshire Cycle Way runs near Swinbrook so it’s only a matter of minutes before you’re following this popular route, one of many enjoyable cycle rides following quiet lanes and off-road stretches through the region. For something a bit different, try a combination of bike and train, using the nearby Cotswold Line. A string of local stations enables you to use the service on a hop-on, hop-off basis.

Off-Road Driving, Cotswold Water Park

If you enjoy a taste of adventure, the Cotswold Off-Road Driving School provides expert guidance from 4x4 competitors and instructors. Sample a day’s fun and excitement in a safe, controlled environment at the Cotswold Water Park near Cirencester.

Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power

Established in 1971 by the father of BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, this popular farm park is home to over 50 rare breeds, many of which you can see if you take the “safari" tour of the farm. Children can feed the chickens and pigs while grown-ups can listen to some of the talks about animal husbandry and general conservation.

Heythrop Park Golf Club, Enstone

Make sure your SatNav takes you via the Drive, Church Enstone, or you’ll find you can’t get in. Weaving through the 440-acre Heythrop Estate, this 18-hole features ancient woodland, lakes and streams – it’s a quintessentially English setting. Visitors are welcome and there are all kinds of other facilities, including a spa.

Cotswold Archery School, Moreton-in-Marsh

Deep in the Cotswolds, at Batsford Arboretum, near Moreton-in-Marsh, you’ll find this dedicated archery range. There is a wide choice of bows to use and expert tutors are always on hand.

Birdland Gardens, Bourton-on-the-Water

Home to over 130 species of birds, from some of the rarest, to the most unique species that have developed to live in a specific habitat. Birdland Park & Gardens is home to the only breeding group in the UK for King Penguins.

Rally & Track Driving Days, Great Tew

Family-run and welcoming rally, performance car and off-road driving centre situated on the Great Tew Estate. Here, you can try your hand at rally or track driving in authentic conditions and in the safe hands of trained professionals. The fleet of supercars includes the Ferrari 430, Aston Martin V9 Vantage, Lamborghini Gallardo and Audi R8.

Oxfordshire Shooting School, Enstone

This comprehensive clay and game shooting school, situated amid the pastoral scenery of the Cotswolds near Chipping Norton, offers great facilities and caters for beginners right through to experienced shots.

Watersports at Hardwick Park, Standlake

Head for Standlake, south-east of Witney, and choose from a wide variety of watersports suited to all ages and abilities. This is just the place for exhilarating, fun-filled action, which can be enjoyed by all the family.

Gloucester & Warwickshire Steam Railway,

The GWSR is the perfect destination for anyone who still savours the unique thrill of steam travel. The railway is a volunteer operated heritage railway offering a 28-mile round trip between Cheltenham and Broadway. Expect wonderful views of nearby sleepy hamlets and villages as well as the Malvern Hills and beyond.

Stow-on-the-Wold Shopping

With its winding streets lined with gift shops, tea rooms, boutiques and antique shops, the highest town in the Cotswolds has something for everyone, from the upmarket expert to the hobby collector. Art lovers make for the Red Rag Gallery in Church Street where they discover a cluster of rooms lined with contemporary art and paintings. Then there’s Borzoi Books, renowned independent bookseller, and RosieB Home Interiors on Digbeth Street.

Cotswold Water Park, South Cerney

Over 100 lakes between Cirencester and Cricklade, formed in disused gravel pits and now home to a comprehensive variety of activities, from relatively sedate fishing, cycling, walking and birdwatching to adrenaline-rich waterskiing and sailboarding. Tuition and short experience courses are available from an equally varied range of activity centres here.

Upper & Lower Slaughter

Within walking distance of each other, these are two of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds; in Upper Slaughter the Manor, built in 1658 and now a country house hotel (Lords of the Manor), is a fabulous location for afternoon tea. The idyllic cottages that comprise the Square were designed by Sir Edward Lutyens in 1906, and are well worth seeing. Lower Slaughter is famous for its Old Mill Museum, detailing the history of this former flour mill, a key industrial landmark in Gloucestershire.

Bicester Shopping Village

Full the ultimate designer shopping experience, head for this stylish complex, one of the best retail outlets in the country. Bicester Village is where you can explore a wide range of chic boutiques stocking stylish lifestyle brands that are at the heart of world-class fashion.

Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens, Burford

A day out at this popular visitor attraction is always a memorable experience – not least for the 260 different species of animals to be found here. Covering 160 acres of parkland and garden, the Cotswold Wildlife Park represents the largest privately-owned zoological collection in Britain. There’s also a narrow-gauge railway.

Bourton Vale Equestrian Centre, Bourton-on-the-Water

Scenic rides around Bourton-on-the-Water and the picturesque villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter, with good-natured horses and expert tuition. Riding tuition is also available.

Walking in the Windrush Valley, Swinbrook

You really are spoilt for choice in terms of where to walk in this idyllic corner of the country. If you just want an easy stroll from the front door of the Swan, take a walk through the beautiful valley of the Windrush to the little medieval church of St Oswald, built on the site of a Roman villa. The air hangs heavy with history here and the river looks heavenly on a summer’s evening, winding its way through the attractive countryside

Fly Fishing, Coln St Aldwyns

The River Coln is the perfect choice for a relaxing spot of angling. Fishing Breaks can arrange a beat on this charming Gloucestershire river at Coln St Aldwyns, 9 miles east of Cirencester.

Gliding across The Cotswolds

Take to the skies and enjoy a unique perspective of the Cotswolds from the Cotswold Gliding Club at Aston Down Airfield near Chalford – you can be a passenger, or have a go at taking the controls during a day’s lesson.

Hot-Air Ballooning

Cotswold Balloon Safaris alight from Wyck Hill House at Stow-on-the-Wold, Ellenbrough Park near Cheltenham, and from Oaksey Park near Cirencester - drift across stunning Cotswold countryside sipping a glass or two of champagne.

Ian Coley Shooting, Andoversford

Not far from Northleach are several country estates and shooting schools where game and clay pigeon shooting regularly takes place, including Ian Coley's at Andoversford. With advice and guidance, this activity is perfect, whether you are an experienced shot or just a beginner. Shooting lessons and a great gun shop too.

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Last updated: 12.02.21