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The rolling green swards of Gloucestershire and Somerset , a wedge of land linking the Midlands with the West Country, encapsulate a vision of rural England which has very largely survived the inroads of modern urban culture. The relatively remote settlements may not, for the most part, be peopled by shepherds and farmers, but the landscape has preserved its slumberous charm, and wears a mellow tranquillity which has even seeped into the towns which grew rich on its wealth. Occupying the eastern side of Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds , in particular, show plenty of evidence of past prosperity, not least in the beautiful old mansions and churches endowed from the fortunes made through the medieval wool trade. Moreover, the remarkable continuity of Cotswold architecture has created villages as picturesque as any in England, though the resulting tourist deluge makes some spots nightmarish in summer. Tourism is less of a nuisance in the south of this region, around the busy market town of Cirencester , once an important Roman stronghold and still an important transport hub. To the west, the land drops sharply from the Cotswold escarpment down to Cheltenham , an elegant Regency spa town most famous these days for its horse racing. The town's reputation as a bastion of blue-stockinged conservatism is fairly passe now, and it has developed a more sophisticated veneer in recent years, boasting some of the best restaurants and nightlife in the region. Cheltenham would also make a good base for visits to Gloucester , with its superb cathedral and rejuvenated harbour area, and Stroud , where the much praised Museum in the Park has recently opened. The Vale of Gloucester follows the route of the River Severn northeast towards Worcestershire, the stone cottages of the Cotswolds giving way to the thatched, half-timbered and red-brick houses which are characteristic of Tewkesbury , a solidly provincial town with a magnificent abbey. South down the M5, Bristol is the biggest city in these parts, and one of the most go-ahead, cosmopolitan places outside London. Its dynamism and flare has saddled it with dense traffic and some pretty hideous postwar architecture, but all is compensated for by its surviving traces of every phase in its long maritime history. Bristol is within reach of old-fashioned seaside resorts - more alluring for their nostalgic atmosphere than for their swimming possibilities - and only a few miles from Georgian Bath , whose symmetrical honey-toned terraces contribute to its operatic setting. The proximity of urban grace to panoramic splendour is characteristic of much of Somerset , as in the exquisite cathedral city of Wells , lying on the edge of the Mendip Hills. The landscape assumes more dramatic lines west of here, where the hills are pocked by cave systems, as at Wookey Hole , and sliced through by the Cheddar Gorge . The ancient town of Glastonbury lies close at hand, a site steeped in Christian lore and Arthurian legend, and popular with New Age mystics. To the west, Bridgwater and Taunton lie at the southern end of the Quantock Hills , where Coleridge and Wordsworth roamed, a time recalled in Coleridge's old house at Nether Stowey . The line between London's Paddington station and Bristol provides the backbone of the rail network through this region, though you could also make use of the London-Oxfor  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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d-Worcester line which runs through Moreton-in-Marsh, in the middle of the Cotswolds. There are also direct lines to Cheltenham and Gloucester, and these towns form the hubs of bus routes which connect nearly all the places covered here - though beware that services in the Cotswolds can be extremely sketchy, with little running at all on a Sunday. Your own transport would be ideal for exploring this area, while the M4 and M5 motorways are useful through-routes for longer-distance jaunts.
Your Tips For Cotswolds and Somerset
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