Castle Combe – Cotswolds prettiest village
We are regular visitors to Bristol, to visit our son Kian and every time we visit we drive past a signpost to Castle Combe and say we must make a detour one day.
Last week, during half term, we did just that!
Castle Combe is within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is a popular tourist attraction. With its cluster of Cotswold stone cottages and lack of modern buildings – no new houses have been built in the historic centre of the village since about 1600, the village has been described as a chocolate box, a tourist honeypot and the prettiest village in England.
We chose not to drive through the village, instead choosing to park in the carpark, just a short walk downhill to the village itself.
Castle Combe is a popular tourist destination and even on a quiet day in February, albeit half term, there were quite a few tourists milling around.
As it is February, only one of the little shops were open and we could not explore the church as a service was on, so don’t expect to be there anymore than an hour.
Parking in Castle Combe costs from 40p per hour and be warned that access to village is via a steep incline, which doesn’t feel to bad on the way down, but back up may be a struggle for those with mobility issues.
There are two pubs in Castle Combe – The Castle Inn and The White Hart, both which serve food and drinks. If you are a bit more organised, The Manor House Hotel offers afternoon tea options.
Castle Combe is well worth a visit and I would tie it in with other Cotswold villages, Bath or Bristol.
