Cotswold
Explore hidden histories, historic photos, and things you never knew about Cotswold from the collections and archives of Historic England.
Discover your local listed buildings and places
Introducing some of Cotswold's most historic sites, included in the National Heritage List for England. Some of these captions have been summarised by AI. Click through for the official List entry. Skip this section and go to place by numbers
ADLESTROP PARK and HOUSE
Adlestrop
Adlestrop Park and House, historically owned by the Leigh family, feature Repton-designed landscapes. Jane Austen visited often, inspiring elements in her works.
Spring Hill House
Blockley
Spring Hill House is an 18th-century retreat designed by Lancelot Brown for Earl Coventry, with additions by General Lygon, featuring gardens and a park.
Cowley Manor
Coberley
Cowley Manor, rebuilt in Italianate style around 1855-60 by James Hutchinson, features mid to late 19th-century landscape design with lakes.
Dowdeswell Court
Dowdeswell
Dowdeswell Court, rebuilt in the 1830s on a 17th-century site by Rowland Paul, features landscaped grounds and historical significance with connections to the Rogers family since 1582.
Chedworth Roman villa
Chedworth
Chedworth Roman villa in Chedworth Woods is a major Romano-British rural estate featuring luxurious mosaics, bath suites, and evidence of Romanised British society.
Eyford Park
Upper Slaughter
Eyford Park, historically owned by notable figures, features a 1910 Queen Anne-style house by Sir Guy Dawber and landscaped gardens and parklands dating back to the late 17th century.
Cirencester Park
Cirencester
Cirencester Park, developed from 1714, is a historic wooded park influenced by Allen, first Earl Bathurst, with input from Alexander Pope. It remains in private ownership.
Kemble House, gatepiers, boundary walls, outbuildings and…
Kemble and Ewen
A large, detached house dating originally from the C17, probably built for Henry Poole (1564-1632).
Hatherop Castle
Hatherop
Hatherop Castle, originating from the 16th and 17th centuries, underwent extensive restoration in the mid-19th century. It houses formal gardens, park, and a historical Italian Garden.
Abbotswood
Stow-on-the-Wold
Formal gardens by Edwin Lutyens and Mark Fenwick adjoining a C19 country house remodelled by Lutyens in 1901-1902, with other C19 and C20 gardens and parkland, and an earlier landscape park...
Sherborne House
Sherborne
Sherborne House and its grounds have historical significance dating back to the 16th century, featuring extensive gardens, pleasure grounds, and a landscape park associated with a country...
Barnsley House
Barnsley
Barnsley House features a mid-20th century garden by Rosemary Verey, integrating 18th and 19th-century elements, showcasing formal and informal design elements.
Estcourt Park
Long Newnton
Estcourt Park evolved from late 18th to mid-19th century around a country house, later demolished. Notable figures like William Andrews Nesfield contributed to its landscape design.
Batsford Park
Batsford
Batsford Park, established in the late 18th century, showcases oriental-influenced gardens and significant arboretum, enhanced in the 1890s by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford.
Stowell Park
Yanworth
Stowell Park, a historic estate, features a late 19th-century garden by Sir John Belcher. Significant figures include Robert Atkinson and William Scott during its development.
Notgrove Manor
Notgrove
Notgrove Manor, historically linked to bishops of Worcester and prominent families, features 20th-century gardens and park around a C15-C18 Cotswold manor, rich in historical transitions.
Romano-British villa at Withington, Romano-British buildi…
Withington
Two Romano-British building complexes with associated field boundaries and trackways situated on a limestone plateau, surviving as buried masonry and features.
Coberley long barrow
Coberley
A Neolithic funerary monument dating to 3800 - 2400 BC. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Ablington camp
Bibury
Slight univallate hillforts date from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age, serving as stock enclosures, settlements, or refuges. They are rare and significant for historical insights.
Moated site, enclosures and water management features
Weston Subedge
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a medieval moated site, moated enclosure and associated water management features. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Barrington Park
Barrington
Barrington Park features a deer park from the 17th century and mid-18th-century pleasure grounds designed by Lady Talbot, showcasing picturesque landscapes and historical architecture.
Great Rissington Manor
Great Rissington
Great Rissington Manor, initially a 17th-century farmhouse, features C20 formal gardens by Falconer, Baker and Campbell, with several terraces and an ornamental woodland area.
Newark Park
Ozleworth
Newark Park, begun around 1550 by Sir Nicholas Poyntz, is a 16th-century hunting lodge turned country house, now maintained by the National Trust since 1949.
Westonbirt
Boxwell with Leighterton
Westonbirt features pleasure grounds, park, and arboretum from 1830-60, tied to a costly Victorian house.
Former Oakley Hall School Memorial Chapel
Cirencester
A memorial chapel in Perpendicular Gothic style, built 1919-20, by Leonard William Barnard, FRIBA (1870-1951), for Oakley Hall School. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Romano-British site known as Hailey Wood Camp
Coates
The buried remains of a C1 to C4 AD Romano-British settlement. The site is not visible at ground level but survives as buried features. The settlement overlooks the Cotswold Hills.
Railway sign and seat at Adlestrop bus shelter
Adlestrop
A Great Western Railway sign and seat from the former Adlestrop Railway Station, relocated to the village as part of a bus shelter and forming a tribute to the poet Edward Thomas, his work...
Hidcote Manor
Ebrington
Hidcote Manor, designed by Lawrence Johnston from 1907, features an Arts and Crafts-style garden. It became the first National Trust garden acquisition in 1948.
Church of All Saints
North Cerney
The Church of All Saints in North Cerney is a historic Anglican parish church, originally from the early 12th century, featuring remarkable architectural changes through centuries.
Church of St Andrew
Chedworth
The Church of St Andrew features late 12th to 15th-century construction with significant involvement from the Neville family.
Rodmarton Manor
Rodmarton
Rodmarton Manor, built in the early 20th century, exemplifies the Arts and Crafts style, featuring compartmentalized gardens and rooms with scenic views, fostering community interaction and...
Grevel's House
Chipping Campden
Grevel's House, a complex medieval structure with 17th and 19th-century remodelings, features unique architectural elements like Perpendicular bay windows and Tudor fireplaces, showcasing...
Manor Farmhouse
Upper Slaughter
An estate manager's farm house, built in typical gabled Cotswold vernacular style in 1910 for Captain Robert Brassey by Alfred Groves and Sons of Milton-under-Wychwood, with architectural...
Daylesford House
Adlestrop
Daylesford House and gardens, associated with Warren Hastings, feature Neoclassical architecture by S.P.
Church House, Lechlade
Lechlade
Church House in Lechlade has 18th-century gardens, historical developments by the Ainge family, and architectural expansions including garden buildings, showcasing its cultural and...
Cirencester Quaker Meeting House and attached Warden's House
Cirencester
Quaker Meeting House built in 1673, with the attached warden's house added in 1810 and further alterations and additions of 1726, 1810 and 1865.
74 Dyer Street (former offices of the Wiltshire and Glouc…
Cirencester
A purpose-built newspaper office, designed by V A Lawson (1861-1928) and built in 1904, for the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire Standard; the 1990s extension is excluded.
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Search for more listed placesCotswold through time
This timeline shows the first period of use for buildings and places on the National Heritage List for England, just one of the details recorded for every list entry. Click around to see how Cotswold changes over time. Skip this section and go to aerial photos
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Aerial photos of Cotswold
Aerial photography helps reveal secrets of England's changing landscapes that are impossible to see from the ground. Skip this section and go to archive images

Cirencester
Oakley Hall School and the surrounding countryside, Cirencester, 1947

Cirencester
The Oakley Hall School playing field, Cirencester, 1947

Ebrington
Ebrington Manor and the village, Ebrington, 1947

Ebrington
Ebrington Manor, Ebrington, 1947

Moor Wood
Moor Wood House and Farm, Moor Wood, 1952

Bagendon
Moor Wood near Woodmancote, Bagendon, 1952

Chipping Campden
St James's Church and environs, Chipping Campden, 1929

Chipping Campden
The town, Chipping Campden, 1946

Moreton-In-Marsh
The Town Hall and environs, Moreton-in-Marsh, 1929

Moreton-In-Marsh
The High Street, Oxford Street and environs, Moreton-in-Marsh, 1953
Cotswold in the Historic England Archive
The Historic England Archive cares for over 15 million images, dating from the 1850s to the present day. Discover stunning images of Cotswold's past. Skip this section and go to stories about heritage
Charles George Harper Collection
Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 1892 - 1933
The north entrance to the Sapperton Canal tunnel
Eric de Mare
Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 1945 - 1980
General view of the Sapperton Tunnel on the Thames and Severn Canal in Coates in the snow.
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 1956
Mr James Ayliffe, landlord of the Trout Inn in Lechlade pouring a pint of beer from a wooden barrel from the Simonds Brewery of Reading
John Gay Collection: Miscellaneous
The Cotswolds
Date created: 1949 - 1951
A group of men despondently assess council house building work in the Cotswolds
John Gay Collection: Counties
Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 1948
View across churchyard to the Church of All Saints, Somerford Keynes.
John Laing Collection
Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 02 Jun 1980
The exterior of the Tesco supermarket in Cirencester
Alfred Newton and Sons
Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 1908
GENERAL VIEW SHOWING COUPLE OUTSIDE UNIDENTIFIED BUILDING PROBABLY IN EITHER ICOMB OR WYCK RISSINGTON PARISHES.
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 1903 - 1908
EXTERIOR VIEW OF DETACHED HOUSE
Walter Scott
Bibury, Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 1946
A photographic copy of an image of Arlington Row in the village of Bibury
John Gay Collection: Counties
Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 1948
View across a field past a late medieval and late 18th century stone barns on the right, towards Siddington's St Peter's Church.
John Laing Collection
Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 02 Jun 1980
A view from behind the bakery counter at the Tesco supermarket in Cirencester
Alfred Newton and Sons
Cotswold, Gloucestershire
Date created: 1908
GENERAL VIEW SHOWING WOMAN WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN PROBABLY IN EITHER ICOMB OR WYCK RISSINGTON PARISHES.
Stories about heritage in your local area
Historic England publishes news, blogs, research, videos, and podcasts celebrating England's rich heritage. Discover the stories we have about Cotswold. Skip this section and go to education
What Happened After the End of Roman Rule in Britain?
Mentions Long barrow and Roman amphitheatre and cemetery, Chedworth Roman villa
After the fall of the Roman Empire in Britain around AD 410, many towns declined, industries ceased, and the Roman army left England's shores.
6 Historic Places That Inspired Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
Mentions Bell Inn, Parish Church of St Edward
Catch a glimpse of Middle-Earth at these listed historical sites in England.
10 Accessible Historic Places to Visit
Mentions Westonbirt
Here we look at some listed places that have creatively improved their accessibility.
A Guide to English Gothic Architecture
Mentions Church of St John Baptist and attached railings and gates
Learn how to identify the features and characteristics of medieval Gothic architecture in England.
The Story of Eleanor Coade
Mentions Ornamental Vase Circa 10 Metres South of Grotto, Circa 60 Metres South East of Sezincote House
The pioneering business woman who successfully adapted a secret formula to manufacture an elegant artificial stone.
13 Roman Ruins to Visit in England
Mentions Chedworth Roman villa
Remains of Roman Britain can be found everywhere, from walls left in our cities to forts and villas in the countryside.
Protected Parks and Gardens to Visit this Autumn
Mentions Westonbirt
As the nights grow shorter and the leaves get crispier, here are some of the best parks and gardens to visit this Autumn.
9 Remarkable Survivals from the Festival of Britain
Mentions Festival of Britain Bus Shelter
The Festival of Britain showcased science, technology, architecture and the arts in venues across the country.
The 'London' Wreck – Excavation and Analysis of Material at Risk
Mentions Cotswold
Work on the 'London' wreck has revealed a wealth of information about this 17th-century warship.
The London Wreck: A Kaleidoscope of Specialists, Materials and Artefacts
Mentions Cotswold
Scientific analysis of the finds from the wreck of the London has revealed a wealth of information about life aboard a 17th century Royal Navy Vessel.
Mapping the Palaeolithic in England
Mentions Cotswold
Developing a GIS resource to help map the potential for Palaeolithic period archaeology in England.
The Roman Landscape Characterisation and Prediction Project
Mentions Cotswold
Harnessing the potential of existing knowledge to develop predictive models of Roman settlement.
Historic Cannon From The 'London' Wreck Revealed After 360 Years Below The Waves
Mentions Cotswold
An exceptionally well-preserved bronze cannon from a 17th century warship discovered by chance near a busy shipping lane in the Thames Estuary.
Malt Kilns and Malthouses
Mentions Malt House and Boundary Wall With Seymour House Hotel
A new book tells the important story of how maltings evolved in England and looks at their future use.
Understanding the Staffordshire Hoard
Mentions Cotswold
How 10 years of research has revealed new insights into the nation’s largest Anglo-Saxon treasure.
Historic England Announces New Listings to Celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Mentions Cotswold
Listings of places which reflect the important social, technical and cultural changes which have taken place over the 70 years of Her Majesty's reign.
Historic England Highlights Captivating Heritage Sites Listed in 2021
Mentions Brook Cottage, The Fosse Way Bridge, Cotswold
Highlights from over 400 historic places which have been added to or amended on the National Heritage List for England in 2021.
Divers Map Condition of One of England’s Most Important 17th-century Shipwrecks
Mentions Cotswold
Divers investigate remains of a 355 year-old shipwreck called the London which blew up in 1665 off Southend Pier in Essex.
10 Years of Extraordinary Archaeological Discoveries
Mentions Cotswold
Historic England celebrates 10 fascinating archaeological discoveries of the past decade
23 Remarkable Places Listed in 2018
Mentions 74 Dyer Street (former offices of the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire Standard), Garden at Kingcombe, Cotswold
Historic England publishes its annual highlights from more than 900 buildings and sites listed or upgraded this year.
Cotswold's social history through photos
Over 10,000 images from the Historic England Archive have been specially selected and re-captioned for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about their local area. Skip this section and go to grant-aided places
Ye Sygne of St John Baptist Head', Lechlade, Gloucestershire
Period: Medieval (Middle Ages) (1066 - 1484)
This inn was originally an almshouse and hospital. It was founded in c1229. It was built to care for the workmen building St. John's Bridge.
Ye Sygne of St John Baptist Head', Lechlade, Gloucestershire
Workhouse, now Northleach Hospital, Gloucestershire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
Accommodation in workhouses was provided for men and women in separate blocks.
Workhouse, now Northleach Hospital, Gloucestershire
Westington Quarry, Westington, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
Five of the quarrymen are standing posed at the entrance to the quarry, one on the trolley which carries stone from the quarry.
Westington Quarry, Westington, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
Wash house, Barrington, Gloucestershire
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
This is an interesting and unaltered survival of a Georgian wash house. It has two rooms.
Wash house, Barrington, Gloucestershire
Upper Slaughter Manor House, Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire
Period: Tudor (1485 - 1602)
The west front of the manor house with a two-storey porch with pilasters and a segmental pediment above.
Upper Slaughter Manor House, Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire
Union Workhouse, Northleach, Gloucestershire
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
The new Northleach Union workhouse was built at the east end of Northleach in 1836.
Union Workhouse, Northleach, Gloucestershire
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Union Hotel, Northleach, Gloucestershire
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
A group sitting outside the Northleach Union Hotel at the turn of the century.
Threshing in Great Barrington Barn, Great Barrington, Gloucestershire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
A farm worker is about to start threshing by hand using a traditional flail to seperate the grain from the ears of corn.
Threshing in Great Barrington Barn, Great Barrington, Gloucestershire
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