Where Americans go to find the England they imagined
The Cotswolds, a rural stretch of south-central England between London and Bath, continues to draw American travelers chasing the version of the countryside they’ve seen in old novels and Sunday-night dramas. Villages built from honey-colored limestone sit close together, separated by gentle hills that rise and fall like something out of an illustrated map. It’s a landscape that feels instantly recognizable even to first-time visitors, carrying the same quiet charm that’s shaped so many stories set here.
The Cotswolds often becomes the place where American trips through England finally slow down. After the pace of London or the bustle around Oxford, the region feels like a natural exhale. Drivers leave the main roads and end up on winding lanes where stone walls press close, and villages seem to appear out of the landscape rather than sit on top of it. Instead of racing toward the next landmark, travelers settle into small routines that might include a farm shop for coffee, a pub with a fire going or a footpath that leads through fields without ever feeling far from town.
Cheltenham as a base for exploring
Cheltenham, on the western edge of the Cotswolds, serves as a popular and practical base for exploring the area. Just outside the town is Ellenborough Park, a 15th-century manor and the only five-star hotel in Gloucestershire.
The property has a historic setting many travelers look for when venturing beyond London. Its Tudor Great Hall continues to host afternoon teas, and the original front door carries what are believed to be musket holes from the English Civil War. The house also hosted King George III during his 1788 stay in Cheltenham, when the monarch traveled to the town to access its spa waters. A restoration completed in 2010 preserved the stone archways, timber ceilings and other features that define the building’s character.
Walking routes and open countryside
Ellenborough Park estate sits below Cleeve Hill, one of the most accessible viewpoints in the Cotswolds. Footpaths lead from the grounds toward the ridge, where the landscape opens across farmland, hedgerows and wooded valleys. Walking is a central part of the experience for many visitors, who choose the area for its gentle trails and open countryside rather than more demanding national park routes.
Villages close enough to visit in 1 day
Several of the best-known villages, including Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold and Broadway, are within reach of Cheltenham. Their market squares, stone bridges and narrow lanes lined with limestone cottages reflect the region’s traditional architecture. The close grouping of the villages allows travelers to see several in a single day, which appeals to those building multi-stage itineraries through the United Kingdom.
Historic grounds and contemporary touches
Ellenborough Park’s location links the wider landscape with the area’s heritage. The estate’s grounds extend toward Cheltenham Racecourse, and the terrace faces the hills that shape local walking routes. A pergola beside the terrace supports four vines donated by Taittinger, adding a contemporary detail to a site with a long documented past.
A TV series brings new visitors
A newer cultural reference has also widened U.S. interest. Diddly Squat Farm Shop, featured in the Amazon Prime series “Clarkson’s Farm,” is roughly a 40-to-60-minute drive from Cheltenham and has become a popular stop for visitors who first encountered the area through the show.
Weekend lines form early, and many travelers pair their visit with nearby villages or short walks along surrounding footpaths. For some visitors, the connection to the series offers an easy point of recognition in a place they’re seeing for the first time.
When Americans visit most
David Hinder, guest relations manager of Ellenborough Park, says American visitors most often arrive between May and September, when the countryside and gardens are at their peak. He adds that interest rises again during the Christmas season. Online traffic trends show strong engagement from New York, Los Angeles and Washington, reflecting the audiences most likely to build the area into U.K. itineraries.
A landscape that delivers what they come looking for
For U.S. visitors, the Cotswolds combine the rural scenery, walkable hillsides and historic settings that shape many first impressions of England. Staying at Ellenborough Park sets that experience against a backdrop of centuries-old architecture within minutes of the region’s most recognizable villages.
Mandy is a luxury travel, fine dining and bucket-list-adventure journalist with expert insight from 46 countries. She uncovers unforgettable experiences around the world and brings them to life through immersive storytelling that blends indulgence, culture and discovery, and shares them with a global audience as co-founder of Food Drink Life. Her articles appear on MSN and through the Associated Press wire in major U.S. outlets, including NBC, the Daily News, Boston Herald, the Chicago Sun-Times and many more.
