What the Hamptons is to New Yorkers, the Cotswolds is to Londoners: a rural idyll and, consequently, a magnet for the well-to-do. A playground for the rich (the Beckhams’ family home is now in the Cotswolds, and other famous residents include Kate Moss, Hugh Grant and Lily Allen), a large part of the south-westerly region has been designated as a National Landscape (formerly known as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). It’s easy to see why: the area is known for its rolling countryside, chocolate-box villages, and quaint cottages built from distinctive gold-hued Cotswold stone. 

Property here is as gorgeous – and pricey – as one might expect. House prices consistently soar above the national average: the Cotswolds average in June 2024 was £470,000, according to the Office of National Statistics, while the national average was £302,000 (in May 2024). But the Cotswolds is by no means a one-size-fits-all proposition: the region covers almost 800 square miles and runs through five counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire). Each part has its own identity, from market towns to country piles stretching from Cheltenham to Cirencester, Stroud and Witney. 

Covering the breadth and beauty of the area, here are some of the most stunning homes for sale in the Cotswolds now.

Little Barrow, GL56

This quintessential Cotswolds estate comes complete with a manorial house, formal gardens and a lake. It’s all set within 25 acres of parkland on the historic site of Little Barrow, which dates back to 1066 and was listed in the Domesday Book. The Arts and Crafts house was built in 1734, while later renovations were made by well-known architect Walter Godfrey. The property has been refurbished by the present owners, now boasting bespoke joinery, imported stone floors, an oak panelled library/study and mullioned windows. Outside, the rear façade is festooned with wisteria. The property is grandiose without being listed, which gives owners the freedom to make changes as they see fit. 

Guide price: £12,000,000, savills.com

Southview House, OX29

This five bedroom home sits on two acres of land which are home to a private woodland full of bluebells and wild garlic. The cottage dates back to the 1600s, but has been entirely remodelled, now offering bright, modern reception spaces, an open-plan family kitchen with an Aga, and a living room with an inglenook fireplace and exposed timbers. Southview House has five bedrooms, all with window seats overlooking the gardens, which also deserve a mention: the grounds feature lawns, a vegetable patch and an area for al fresco dining, as well as a timber frame garage/workshop which also comprises a games room, home office and wood-fired hot tub.

Guide price: £1,750,000, johndwood.co.uk

Reserve Edge, GL7

Contrary to what this list might suggest, not all properties in the Cotswolds are honey-hued cottages – there are new builds, too, all sensitively assimilated into the local environment. Take, for example, this five-bed, five-bath property from Yoo Studio, situated by the lakes in Lechdale. It features a floor-to-ceiling wood burner, an open gallery, and views across the lakes as soon as you walk into the house. There are also amenities here – an onsite café, The Lakes Bar & Kitchen and a spa and wellness centre – which are things that you don’t necessarily get in a Medieval manor.

Guide price: £4,500,000, ddre.global

Ready Token House, GL7

Cirencester is the Cotswolds’ biggest town, and Ready Token House is within striking distance. The Cotswold stone home dates back to the 17th century, and its extensive renovation was sympathetic: well-laid-out accommodation still retains flagstone floors in the entrance hall, a large open fire in the drawing room and stone mullion windows. A central island in the kitchen/breakfast room makes it a great space for entertaining, while a stable door leads directly to a south-facing terrace. An impressive principal bedroom also boasts views over the gardens and as far as the Marlborough Downs. Finally, Ready Token House boasts ancillary accommodation in the form of a cottage with its own walled garden.

£5,500,000, bluebookagency.com

Drakestone House, GL11 

This Grade II* listed home boasts nine acres of grounds on the edge of the Cotswold Hills escarpment. Drakestone House was built in 1911, and was described in the book Cotswold Arts and Crafts Architecture as ‘one of the best Arts and Crafts houses in the region’. Although the property has been modernised, its period character remains – in the local larch and stone, which was made by craftsmen from Stinchcome village, and in the original staircase, exposed beams and decorative plasterwork. We also love the modern additions of a farmhouse kitchen and L-shaped coach house.

Guide price: £2,500,000, savills.com

Manor Farm, OX7

This gorgeous farmhouse stands within the bailey of the castle of Ascott d’Oiley, which dates back to c. 1129-1150 and has scheduled monument status. Although the house was built later, it features an early-13th century window surround which is thought to have been part of a private chapel. Manor Farm is approached via a driveway which opens into a gravel courtyard; the plot also contains various period stone barns and an Elizabethan granary. This historical property is in need of renovation, but the potential is immense: accommodation is generous at 5,370 square feet, and includes a reception hall, four reception rooms and up to eight bedrooms, plus two bathrooms.

£3,495,000, butlersherborn.co.uk

Jaggards Lane, SN13

As is seemingly standard for homes in the Cotswolds, this manor house has a fascinating history: the family that occupied it before the current owners did so for 200 years, and were direct descendants of Oliver Cromwell. Jaggards, which boasts a mix of Medieval, Georgian and Victorian architecture, features oak-panelled drawing rooms, strapwork ceilings and a neo-Gothic Bath stone conservatory. The property is surrounded by 2.8 acres of formal gardens containing charming features like matching gate piers, an old dovecote housing 1,000 nesting boxes, and a Georgian privy with classically-decorated friezes.

Guide price: £3,250,000, struttandparker.com

The Steps, GL56

This Grade II* listed Palladian property has undergone extensive renovation. The result is a family home with a wealth of period features, including Modillion cornices, Venetian windows and working fireplaces, as well as extensive cellars which run the entire width of the house and half an acre of gardens, which give no indication that you are moments from the bustling high street in Moreton-in-Marsh. The Steps boasts a series of reception rooms, all with soaring ceilings, while a kitchen/breakfast room by Damian Spratley forms the heart of the home. Upstairs, find six bedrooms, with the principal boasting a walk-in dressing room and Jack and Jill en suites.

£2,250,000, knightfrank.co.uk

Read more: The most beautiful homes for sale in West London