The Cotswolds is the name given to a range of hills in central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England", a hilly area reaching over 300 m or 1000 feet. The area has been designated as the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The highest point in the Cotswolds is Cleeve Hill at 330m/1083ft. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001... Cleeve Hill is the highest point in the Cotswolds and the county of Gloucestershire. ...

The Cotswolds lie within the current ceremonial counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. The county of Gloucestershire forms the largest area of the Cotswolds. The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in south-east England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in South West England. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... Warwickshire (pronounced either /ˈwɔːɹɪkˌʃə/ or /ˈwɔːɹɪkˌʃɪə/) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ... Worcestershire (pronounced ; abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. ...

Description

The spine of the Cotswolds runs southwest to northeast through six counties (see note above), particularly Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and southern Warwickshire. The northern and western edges of the Cotswolds are marked by steep escarpments down to the Severn valley and the Avon. This escarpment or scarp feature is a result of the uplifting (tilting) of the limestone layer, exposing its broken edge. The dip slope is to the southeast. On the eastern boundary lies the city of Oxford (the city of dreaming spires) and on the west is Stroud. To the south the middle reaches of the Thames Valley and towns such as Cirencester, Lechlade and Fairford mark the limit of this region. However, key features of the area, including the characteristic uplift of the 'Cotswold Edge' can be clearly seen as far south as Bath. Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in South West England. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in south-east England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... Warwickshire (pronounced either /ˈwɔːɹɪkˌʃə/ or /ˈwɔːɹɪkˌʃɪə/) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ... The Severn bridges crossing near the mouth of the River Severn The River Severn (Welsh: Afon Hafren) is the longest British river, at 354 kilometres (219 miles) long; it rises at an altitude of 610 metres on Plynlimon near Llanidloes, in the Cambrian Mountains, Mid Wales, and it passes through... The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the midlands of England. ... In geology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves an elevation differential, often involving high cliffs. ... In geology, a scarp is a type of cliff. ... General Definition A dip slope is a geological formation often created by tilted strata. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... Stroud is a town in the county of Gloucestershire, England. ... The Thames Valley is generally the region that drains into the River Thames, England, but is used in a more specific term by the government. ... Map sources for Cirencester at grid reference SP023020 Cirencester is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles (150 km) west northwest of London. ... Lechlade is a town in Gloucestershire, England, and is the highest navigable point on the River Thames. ... Fairford is a small town in Gloucestershire, England. ... For other uses, see Bath (disambiguation). ...

A Cotswold scene at Bibury in Gloucestershire

The area is characterised by attractive small towns and villages built of the underlying rock, known as Cotswold stone (a yellow oolitic limestone). This limestone yields many fossils, in particular fossilised sea urchins are very common. In the Middle Ages, the Cotswolds were prosperous from the wool trade, some of this money was put into the building of churches, so the area has a number of large, handsome Cotswold stone "wool churches". The area remains affluent and has attracted wealthy Londoners and others who own second homes in the area or have chosen to retire to the Cotswolds. A Cotswold scene at Bibury in Gloucestershire. ... A Cotswold scene at Bibury in Gloucestershire. ... Main street in Bastrop, Texas, a small town A town is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. ... A village is a human residential settlement commonly found in rural areas. ... Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic limestone quarried in many places the Cotswold Hills in the south midlands of England. ... Oolites are sedimentary rocks composed of ooids, which is a spherical grain composed of concentric layers. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... A fossil Ammonite Fossils are the mineralized remains of animals or plants or other traces such as footprints. ... Slate pencil urchin (cidaroid) Group of black, long-spined Caribbean sea urchins, Diadema antillarum (Philippi) Sea urchin roe. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Wool in a shearing shed Long and short hair wool at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Boonesville, AR Wool sheep, Royal Melbourne Show Wool is the fibre derived from the fur of animals of the Caprinae family, principally sheep and goats, but the hair of other mammals... Church in Villach, Austria. ... A wool church is an English church built primarily from the proceeds of the mediaeval wool trade. ... 19th century Cottages in the small hamlet of Crafton, Buckinghamshire A cottage is a small house of any period. ...

Typical Cotswold towns are Bourton-on-the-Water, Broadway, Burford, Chipping Norton, Cirencester, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold and Winchcombe. The Cotswold village of Chipping Campden is notable for being the home of the Arts and Crafts movement, founded by William Morris at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. William Morris lived, occasionally, in Broadway Tower a folly now in country park. Chipping Campden is also well known for the annual Cotswold Games, a celebration of sports and games dating back to the early 17th century. A view of Bourton-on-the-Water Location within the British Isles Bourton-on-the-Water is a town in Gloucestershire, England. ... Broadway, Worcestershire Broadway is a Cotswold village in Worcestershire, England. ... Map sources for Burford at grid reference SP2512 Looking north through Burford Priory of Our Lady Picturesque Burford Burford ( or in the IPA) is a Cotswold town in Oxfordshire, England. ... Chipping Norton Town Hall Map sources for Chipping Norton at grid reference SP3126 Chipping Norton is a town in Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. ... Map sources for Cirencester at grid reference SP023020 Cirencester is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles (150 km) west northwest of London. ... Location within the British Isles. ... Map sources for Stow-on-the-Wold at grid reference SP195255 An English Gloucestershire market town, Stow-on-the-Wold sits on top of a 800 foot tall hill, at the convergence of a number of roads through the Cotswolds. ... Location within the British Isles Winchcombe is a Cotswold town in Gloucestershire, England. ... Location within the British Isles. ... Artichoke wallpaper, by John Henry Dearle for William Morris & Co. ... William Morris, socialist and innovator in the Arts and Crafts movement William Morris, publisher Davids Charge to Solomon (1882), a stained-glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris in Trinity Church, Boston, Massachusetts. ... Broadway Tower, England Broadway Tower is a folly located at the highest point (1,024 feet above sea level) of the Cotswolds, England. ... A woodcut from 1636 depicting the Cotswold Games The Cotswold Games were an annual public celebration of games and sports held in the Cotswolds in England. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Cotswolds were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1966, with an expansion on 21 December 1990 to 1,990 square kilometres. In 1991 all AONBs were measured again using modern methods. The official area of the Cotswolds AONB increased to 2,038 square kilometres. In 2000 the government confirmed that AONBs had the same landscape quality and status as National Parks. This year, 2006, is the 40th Anniversary of The AONB. Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is a United Kingdom. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

The designation was made in order to conserve and to enhance the unique landscape. In the early days of discussions about Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Cotswolds area was not given priority for AONB status and it was only down to pressure from local members of the Campaign to Protect Rural England that it was considered early on in the designation programme. Without that pressure the Cotswolds may have had to wait for another 10 years for protected status.

The largest of 40 AONBs in England and Wales, the Cotswolds area stretches from the border regions of South Warwickshire and Worcestershire, through West Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire and takes in parts of West Wiltshire and Bath and North East Somerset in the South.

The Cotswold Way is a long-distance footpath (approx 103 miles) running the length of the AONB. The Cotswold Way is a long-distance footpath, running along the escarpment of the Cotswold Hills in England. ...

The Cotswold Voluntary Wardens Service was established in 1968 to help conserve and enhance the area. There are now over 300 Wardens. In 2005 they gave over 36,000 hours of their time.

Transport

The M5 motorway and Cross Country rail line run north - south close to the western boundary of the area. The M4 motorway and Great Western Main Line cross the area in the south as do the A40 road and Cotswold Line in the north. Cheltenham is a hub for National Express coach services. This article concerns the M5 motorway in England. ... The Cross Country Route (MR) is the name given to a major British rail route, running from South West England via Bristol, Birmingham, Derby and Sheffield to North East England and Scotland. ... The M4 motorway is a motorway in the UK, which links London and west Wales via Bristol. ... Categories: Rail stubs | British railway lines ... The A40 is a trunk road in England and Wales, connecting London to Fishguard. ... A First Great Western Link Network Express Turbo unit at Evesham station on 19th September 2004, with a service for London Paddington. ... Cheltenham (or Cheltenham Spa) is a spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, England, near Gloucester and Cirencester. ... This article is about the company responsible for most long distance bus and coach services in the UK and the brand it uses; for information on the owning group, see the National Express Group article. ...

Note on counties

Between 1974 and 1995 parts of the AONB fell within the newly formed administrative and ceremonial County of Avon. After 1995 Avon was divided between four administrative unitary authorities with 'shadow county' status, the relevant ones for the AONB being South Gloucestershire and Bath and North-East Somerset. For ceremonial purposes these counties are returned to their pre-1974 lord-lieutenancies. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Northavon Bristol Kingswood Woodspring Wansdyke Bath The County of Avon was a short-lived administrative county in the west of England, named after the River Avon which ran through it. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... South Gloucestershire is a local government area in South West England. ... Bath and North East Somerset (commonly referred to as BANES) is an English unitary local government authority that was created on April 1, 1996 following the abolition of Avon County Council, and is an administrative county in its own right. ... The title Lord-Lieutenant is given to the British monarchs personal representatives around the United Kingdom. ...

See also

A horse in a field of buttercups, taken in the Cotswolds in Spring 2005

• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England
• Geology of the United Kingdom
• UK topics

ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2240x1680, 1809 KB) Description: A horse in a field of buttercups, taken in the Cotswolds of England, May 2005 Creator: Mr John Dovey, May 2005 Source: Picture taken by myself. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2240x1680, 1809 KB) Description: A horse in a field of buttercups, taken in the Cotswolds of England, May 2005 Creator: Mr John Dovey, May 2005 Source: Picture taken by myself. ... An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England (AONB) is an area in England specially designated by the Countryside Agency. ... Geological map of Great Britain. ... This is a list of topics related to the United Kingdom. ...

External links

• Cotswolds web site - Cotswolds accommodation, events and information
• Cotswold Events
• Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Website
• The Cotswold Hyperguide - A visitor's view of some Cotswold towns and villages
• The Cotswolds - Tourist guide
• Guide to the Cotswolds
• Let's Stay Cotswolds
• This is the Cotswolds - Local news and information
• Guide to the Cotswolds from Navito UK - Introduction to the Cotswolds plus searchable database for locating Cotswolds pubs, hotels and other businesses and a book shop for maps and books about the Cotswolds.