Cotswold Little Explorers

There is absolutely nothing better than packing up a picnic and heading to the beautiful Cotswolds countryside to enjoy your lunch alfresco!

The Cotswolds offer perfect picnic spots for families, where kids can play in lush green spaces and meadows filled with wildflowers.

With ample room for running around and opportunities to spot wildlife, chase butterflies or throw a ball,  these spots promise memorable outdoor adventures for children.

Whether enjoying a homemade picnic or simply soaking in the beautiful surroundings, these spots are sure to create cherished family memories.

Read on to discover our top picks for perfect picnics.

Picnics with panoramic views

These picnic spots have sweeping views of the Cotswolds escarpment and the lush valleys below.  Have a memorable family picnic this summer with some of these stunning backdrops while you eat your sandwiches!

Crickley Hill

Crickley Hill is a beautiful country park, with vast open grassy Hill tops perfect for picnics. It is also the site of an iron age hill top fort! Crickley Hill is protected by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and is a haven for flora and fauna, lots of walking trails, and amazing views of the Severn Vale stretching all the way to Wales.

There is a lovely cafe if you fancy a coffee or ice cream to go with your picnic lunch, as well as toilet facilities.

Broadway Tower

On the top of Middle Hill, overlooking Broadway Village is the lovely Broadway Tower, which looks like it is straight out of the pages of a fairy tale. With views over 16 counties, roaming deer, picnic benches, grassy knolls and meadows, it’s a great spot to enjoy your picnic with the kids.

Coaley Peak

Coaley Peak Picnic Spot offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside and is a popular destination for picnics, walks, and enjoying the outdoors. With its panoramic vistas and peaceful atmosphere, it’s a great place to unwind and connect with nature. There are also remenants of the Nympfield long barrow here, as well as Stabley Woods, which is great for a bluebell walk or foraging for wild garlic in the spring. 

Dover’s Hill

Dover’s Hill is a beauty spot in Chipping Camden, perfect for picnics. Expansive grassy slopes and expansive views make it a top choice for a picnic and to give the kids freedom to roam.

Leckhampton Hill

Leckhampton Hill, near Cheltenham,  is a popular spot for picnics. With expansive grassy areas and stunning views over the Cotswold countryside, it makes for a great picnic spot. Visitors can enjoy their picnics while taking in the panoramic vistas, exploring the walking trails, and admiring the wildflowers in summer. Just be sure to bring along a blanket and some delicious treats!

Rodborough Common

Rodborough Common in Gloucestershire is just lovely. It offers beautiful picnic spots with sweeping views of the countryside. Bring a blanket, although there are a few benched dotted around. It’s a popular destination for outdoor dining and relaxation. We love to bring a football and just chill out here all afternoon.

Avoncliffe Aquaduct

The Avoncliff aqueduct is an impressive and historic bridge carrying the Kennet and Avon canal over the River Avon. From the aqueduct, there are expansive and beautiful views of the Cotswolds all around. In the vicinity of the aqueduct on the banks of the River Avon, there are plenty of picnic spots down by the water, so bring a blanket!

Barton Farm Country Park

This lovely area of countryside, nestled between the pretty canal and the River Avon is a perfect picnic spot. This popular spot has charming waters, a variety of walks including paved walks suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and of course plenty of open space for relaxing with a picnic.

By the water

Bourton on the Water

This well-known village is a perfect picnic spot! Grab some baked goodies from the fabulous Bakery on the Water, and pick a spot on the village green beside the shallow and calm River Windrush that flows through the  centre of this pretty Cotswold stone village. Be mindful that it does get very busy in summer; it’s very picturesque and very popular. For a quieter, beautiful countryside spot beside the water, try Greystones Nature Reserve, located just 5 minutes from Bourton on the Water village centre.

Cotswold Water Park

Nestled within 42 square miles of picturesque countryside, the Cotswold Water Park is an wetlands area that encompasses more than 180 lakes and cotswold villages with birdwatching, angling, off-road cycling, lakeside strolls, and picnic area for visitors to enjoy.

Click here for more information on the picnic sites and car parking throughout Cotswold Water Park.

Lower Slaughter

This gorgeous and tiny village near Bourton on the Water is a great place to picnic beside the water. It has a charming historic water mill (now a museum) and plenty of benches along the river and a wide green grassy bank near the watermill. Superbly picturesque!

Upper Slaughter

Right next to Lower Slaughter is the even smaller still Upper Slaughter. This tiny place has a lovely hotel and restaurant, and hidden away behind the church is a beach and grassy knoll perfect for picnics, overlooking a row of quaint cottages and the River. Kids can paddle in the shallow waters and play pooh sticks from the pretty stone bridges.

Saul Junction

A wonderful spot along the Gloucester and Sharpness canal, with a cafe and visitors centre, and grassy banks besides the canal to enjoy a family picnic, while watching the colourful boats make there way along the water. Perfect!

Frampton on Severn

Frampton on Severn is a pretty village with a large village green with a large pond in the centre. It is surrounded by historic cottages and country gardens, as well as a great pub, The Bell ( complete with fab play area!) Kids are often seeing playing in the shallow waters. We love bringing a picnic and having a stroll through the village on a summers day.

Minster Lovell

The charming remains of Minster Lovell Hall, a 15th-century manor house in Oxfordshire, are set amidst scenic countryside next to the River Windrush. These ruins feature an impressive hall, tower, and a nearby dovecote, adding to the picturesque allure of the area. The ruins are maintained by English Hertiage, but they are free to enter. The kids absolutely loved exploring this area, and it’s a great setting for a picnic lunch.

Blockley Village Green

This unspoilt quiet village is the perfect hidden gem for a Cotswold picnic in the peace and quiet away from tourists and day trippers. Watch the world go by and enjoy the views from the village green, and soak in the peaceful English countryside.

In the playground

Broadway Activity Park

This amazing park located behind Broadway Village High Street has so much play equipment and is really spacious for kids to run around. There are climbing frames, zip wires, playing fields for ball games, and an orchard at the bottom, perfect for laying out a picnic blanket! It is surrounded by rolling hills, grazing horses, and pastures. It’s a great spot for families to enjoy the warmer weather.

Guiting Power

Behind the village hall in the small village of Guiting Power is a lovely park, with beautiful  views of rolling hills and farmlands. The playing fields offer plenty of space for little ones to run and play, bring a football or cricket set, and really make a day of it. The park has a great sandpit with tunnels and slides, a climbing frame, and swings.

Those are our top picks for beautiful picnic spots at Cotswolds Little Explorers! Let us know in the comments if you have been to any for a picnic yet!

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