Stow-on-the-Wold is the kind of picturesque market-town that you only see on postcards. Perched atop an 800ft hill in the Cotswolds, it is the picture of a charming rural idyll and is the perfect place for a romantic getaway or a countryside escape. With an impressive array of boutique shops, hearty English pubs and tearooms, the town itself is easy (and lovely) to get lost in. And as you venture further afield, across the pleasant green hills and pasture, you come face-to-face with medieval castles, battlefields and Roman villas. Our collection of the best places to stay in Stow-on-the-Wold offer an authentic Cotswolds feel, with roaring fires, creaking floorboards and exposed beams.

Stow has a long history. Standing on an 800ft hill, it was originally an Iron Age settlement. After the Norman Conquest, it was officially founded, owing to its position near certain trade routes that the Normans were eager to exploit. It was even the site of several battles during the English Civil War, and St. Edward's Church housed Royalist prisoners after the Battle of Stow in 1646. Like much of the Cotswolds, its wealth comes from its wool industry, and its vast market square is a testament to this - the site of nationally-renowned annual wool fair, where some 20,000 sheep were traded on a single day. The farmer's market is still held monthly, on the second Thursday of every month. The square is a marvellous place, with its feet still stuck firmly in the past. On one end is an ancient cross and on the other is the town's stocks, used traditionally for pelting local miscreants with rotten tomatoes or dung, while around the square stand old Cotswold townhouses, as if in a time warp. And some of these have now been converted into some of the best places to stay in Stow-on-the-Wold,

The best places to stay in Stow-on-the-Wold are also convenient for sampling the shopping charms of Stow. Maybe you're not in the market for a sheep, but what about antiques? art? or high-end fashion? Stow-on-the-Wold also has a number of tearooms, high-end restaurants, and excellent pubs - some which also offer rooms, and some of the best places to stay in the Cotswolds. Stow-on-the-Wold also has a museum dedicated to a classic Cotswolds pastime: cricket.

The Best Places to Stay in Stow-on-the-Wold

Best Pubs-with-Rooms

• There are a handful of British inns on Hotel Guru claiming to be the oldest, and The Porch House is one of them, it’s been an inn since 947. Which is certainly impressive whether it’s the oldest or not! Inside the Heritage Listed building are 13 stylish guest rooms with exposed stone walls, and huge oak beams, but a contemporary colour scheme and all the mod. cons., including lovely bathrooms, some with fancy roll-top baths. The pub and restaurant have been sympathetically updated too, and while there are still low beams and cosy nooks and crannies, the effect feels comfortably historic, rather than ancient.
• The Sheep on Sheep Street is a top notch gastro-pub with rooms, 22, in fact. All of the rooms and suites are upstairs, with some in the pointed rafters. All of the rooms are simply decorated in classic hotel style, and have king-sized beds and spacious ensuites. There’s just the one dog-friendly room, so that’s one that will need to be booked in advance.
• Made of Cotswold stone, The Bell at Stow is an easy going and comfortable inn, with a great pub and restaurant, and 13 rooms and suites above. The decor is simple and cosy, with feature tartan and soft lighting. Downstairs the pub is welcoming, ideal for a relates Sunday afternoon, or a couple of pints of an evening after your explorations. And the food is delicious.

For Families

• The Old Stocks Inn is a charming old inn, right on the market square. Its 16 individual rooms and suites are chicer than the building looks from the outside, with statement headboards and retro styling to compliment the original features - our favourites have roll top baths. The restaurant is very good. Families have a couple of choices, including a three bedroom self-catering cottage. Dogs are welcome in all of the Garden Rooms.

Prefer a Private Apartment or Cottage?

• If you'd prefer the privacy of a self-catering option then browse through the wide variety available online with our partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• Stow-on-the-Wold’s closest airports are Birmingham, which is well connected to the rest of the UK and Europe, and Bristol Airport. From Birmingham Airport, Stow-on-the-Wold is about an hour away by car or taxi, or three and a half by train via Oxford. Bristol Airport is about an hour and twenty minutes away by car or taxi, or just under four hours by public transport. If you’re travelling via London, the quickest way to travel via public transport is by train, from Paddington via Moreton-in-Marsh.
• If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• Summer is the most popular time to visit Stow-on-the-Wold, but’s partly because of the school holidays, and the fact that many people visit the UK as a whole during the summer. But there are reasons to escape to Stow-on-the-Wold in every season: in winter it’s quiet, perfect for bracing walks and sitting by a roaring fire in the local pub. In spring you’ll see the daffodils, in summer there’s sunshine and plenty of buzz, and in autumn the changing colours are spectacular.

Still not sure where to stay?

• You could expand your search to include all the best places to stay in Gloucestershire? or even the Cotswolds?
• Or consider some of Stow-on-the-Wold’s neighbours? like the best places to stay in Cheltenham? or Broadway? or Stratford-upon-Avon?
• Or you could refine your search by the kind of holiday you’re planning and consider our Gurus’ recommendations for Gloucestershire’s best pubs-with-rooms? the best boutique hotsl in The Cotswolds? or the best country house hotels in the Cotswolds? or the most romantic places to stay in the Cotswolds?
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.