7 Airbnbs in the Cotswolds That Nail English Countryside Charm

Thatched roofs, walled gardens, and honey-stone cottages for a weekend away from LondonPhoto: Sarah Frances KelleyThere’s a reason the Cotswolds garners the attention it does—and why this honey-stone corner of England shows up on every list of the country’s most beautiful places. Sure, the golden-colored villages and quaint cottages lure in a more fantastical set of travelers, but beyond the picturesque, this is a region of farmers, destination pubs, antique-filled barns, and a long list of lovely hikes to get you out in the fields. It’s an easy two-hour drive from London, making it the ideal spot to pair city and countryside, and these Airbnbs will set you up nicely for living out your Downton Abbey dreams for the weekend. From a 16th-century thatched cottage with a posh members’ club on its doorstop to a 14.5-acre estate with its own boating lake, here’s where to spend the night in the Cotswolds.Luxury Thatched CottagePerks: Pet-friendly, free parking, 10-minutes to Soho FarmhouseThis Grade II–listed thatched cottage in Adderbury is only 10 minutes to happening hot spot Soho Farmhouse and 20 minutes from both Blenheim Palace and cult-followed shopping outlet Bicester Village. It’s a sweet mix of countryside quiet but with prime land that makes for an easy dabble into the Cotswolds’ best-known haunts. The 16th-century cottage sleeps four across two bedrooms, with mind-your-head height ceilings and a fresh, detailed decorating hand that keeps the old bones from feeling too over the top. Breakfast and coffee are stocked for mornings—including butter from Daylesford and organic eggs—in the sunflower yellow kitchen, and well-behaved dogs are welcome to curl up by the fire on a chilly winter's day, kindling stacked at the ready from the moment you walk in. From £450 per night.Gorgeous Cotswold Cottage With Spectacular GardensPerks: Landscaped garden, 5-minute walk to Thyme hotel, antique artThis Southrop cottage is dressed by the eye of someone who does this for a living: Art dealer Gretchen Shoring, who runs the London-and-Cotswolds gallery ARTI with her business partner, Tess Gomm. They duo have even sourced art for spots including The Pig hotel in the Cotswolds. Inside, faded William Morris-style wallpaper and a gallery wall of small gilt-framed oils fill the low-beamed main bedroom that’s layered with sage and dusty-pink wool throws over an antique iron bed frame. But outside, the real appeal reveals itself: a quintessential walled garden of clipped box topiary, gravel paths, a stone lily pond, and billowing hydrangeas, hidden entirely from the road behind a wisteria archway. The village pub, The Swan, is a five-minute walk, as is Thyme's Ox Barn restaurant, which is a much-loved destination for serious seasonal plates. From £315 a night.Pretty Chocolate Box Thatched CottagePerks: 2-minute walk to pubs, charming cottage garden, near Daylesford farmKingham is regularly the Cotswolds village people dream about—it’s in a prized position for a spot of shopping at Daylesford, the organic farm shop-cafe-gym-cooking-school, and this 450-year-old thatched cottage sits right at its center, restored over a speedy seven weeks by its owner, designer Victoria Barker of Studio Faeger. The sitting room is painted in Farrow & Ball's blush Setting Plaster and paired colorfully with a sage-green corduroy sofa and a chintz armchair picked up secondhand. Upstairs, one bedroom is papered in a pretty Molly Mahon print, the other—tucked under the thatch—is simpler, with creamy tones and an antique tulip-motif kilim. Across the lane, a tiny courtyard garden with a striped pink parasol is just enough space for a glass of rosé in the sun before a hard-to-book supper at The Wild Rabbit or Sunday lunch favorite Kingham Plough, which are both a two-minute walk away. From £300 a night.A Large Cotswold Country RetreatPerks: Charming village setting, wood-fired pizza oven, sister cottage next doorThere’s real hosting magic in the kitchen at Garden House, designed by local-interiors maestro James Mackie and built around a wood-fired oven that turns dinner into a group, get-in-on-the-action pizza night. The double-height ground floor space is the main star, with cozy time together around a stone fireplace and loads of lovely light. Outside, a koi pond doubles as the view from the master bedroom’s own terrace, while a second reception room with a wood burner and a drop-down projector screen is built for post-dinner films. Five bedrooms sleep up to 10 and a sister cottage next door—reachable via the garden gate—means the whole grounds can be taken over for a bigger trip. Lechlade is a five-minute drive for fresh sourdough at Crampi and a mosey along the Thames. From £1,539.50 per night.Cosy Cotswolds CottagePerks: Designed by Laura Stephens, hamper of local goods, roll-top bathtubWell Cottage takes its name from the old well still standing in the front garden of this three-bedroom house in the beautiful village of Ramsden. Once two cottages, now knocked into one, it has been charmingly dressed up by interior designer Laura Stephens. She pulled her palette straight from the surrounding countryside—chocolate browns, dusty reds, and of course deep greens color the walls, alongside GP&J Baker wallpaper in the primary bedroom and a pattern-happy oak-leaf print in the second. There’s a roll-top bathtub for evening soaking, while two separate sitting rooms (one with a boot room, the other a proper snug) keep the antique furniture and board games close at hand. The Royal Oak pub, a true locals’ favorite, is a four-minute walk down the lane. From £416 per night.Temple Guiting ManorPerks: Heated pool, tennis court, private gym & yoga studio, boating lakeThe perfect setting for a blowout bash, this 14.5-acre estate—sister to London’s Henry’s Townhouse—looks like the setting of a Nancy Mitford novel, all follies, formal gardens, and family portraits lining the hall. The estate spans five Cotswold-stone buildings—a Cotswold-elegant manor, a Provençal-in-feel barn, an industrial-edged granary, plus the peacock shed and cow byre—sleeping up to 36, so grab your nearest and dearest for a full takeover. Kids love the cinema room, but the grounds are equally as beautiful and entertaining, with a heated pool, an astroturf tennis court, two hot tubs, a boating lake, and a private gym and yoga studio, while an on-site estate manager is on call for any want or need. From £6,750 a night.