Regional Info
Geography
The Cotswolds are famed for their beauty and stretch from the escarpments on the edge of the Georgian city of Bath and northwards through the pretty countryside around Stroud, Nailsworth and Dursley with the quiet steep sided valleys of Laurie Lee, Cider with Rosie fame. Around the market towns of Cirencester.
Malmesbury and Tetbury the land seems flatter and more rolling and the views far reaching. South of the M4 around Chippenham with the River Avon meandering on its way to Bath the land is lower lying with lush pasture as is the land east of the Severn in the Berkeley Vale.
Cities and Towns
Major centres in the area are the world famous Georgian City of Bath with the commercial centres based at Bristol, Swindon and Cheltenham. Market towns include, Chippenham, Cirencester, Devizes, Tetbury, Burford and Malmesbury. The area is of great interest to tourists especially the attractive villages such as Castle Combe and Lacock both often used for film locations,together with Bibury, Painswick and Bradford on Avon.
Communications
M5 and M4 motorways.
Rail Links at Bath, Bristol, Chippenham, Swindon, Kemble and Westbury.
Bristol International Airport.
Properties
Properties range from pretty Cotswold stone cottages in the villages to stone farmhouses and larger country houses and old rectories. Georgian houses of Bath stone can be found in the in the City and the towns nearby such as Bradford on Avon. Barn conversions have been built throughout the area, some with land and in former farmyard settings.
Economy
Booming commercial centres such as Swindon, Cheltenham and Bristol attract those working in many of the service industries. Farming is still strong in the area but due to the current downturn in farming many have diversified with holiday cottages or small office units created from old farm buildings. Tourism is very much part of the area with hotels in the five star range such as Manor House Hotel at Castle Combe, Lucknam Park near Bath, Calcot Manor near Tetbury, Whatley Manor near Malmesbury, Barnsley House Hotel and the Bibury Court Hotel in their respective villages of the same name. The new Highgrove shop in Tetbury has raised the profile of the town even more with local traders noticing increased business due to the interest and visitors going to sample the wares of the Prince of Wales.
Schools
A wide range of private schools of renown in the area, for further information visit
www.iscis-sw.co.uk
Good range of state schools both primary and secondary.
Leisure
Plenty of golf courses in the area including Castle Combe, Bowood near Chippenham, Minchinhampton and Cotswold Edge near Wootton under Edge to name but a few.
Water sports at the Cotswold Water Park. Horse racing at Cheltenham and Bath. Eventing at Badminton. Polo at Cirencester, Westonbirt and Tidworth. Fishing on the Avon. Hunting with the Beaufort, the V.W.H, the Cotswold, the Cotswold Vale, the Avon Vale, the Tedworth, and the Berkeley. Motor racing at Castle Combe.
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