About the Cotswolds
The Cotswolds is England’s largest
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
It lies predominantly in the counties of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire but also stretches into Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire and Somerset. It covers 800 miles of unspoilt countryside and rolling hills dotted with villages and market towns built of a characteristic honey coloured limestone. It has gardens, castles and country houses, limestone grassland and ancient beech woodland. It is crossed by miles of drystone walls, hedgerows and footpaths.
The Cotswolds are primarily composed of Jurassic limestone, known as Cotswold Stone.
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This limestone was formed approximately 150 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic period when the area was covered by warm, shallow seas. Over time, layers of sediment accumulated and solidified to form the limestone rock that characterises the Cotswolds today. The landscape of the Cotswolds is defined by rolling hills, escarpments, and valleys, all shaped by erosion over millions of years.
