Car Hire Stow On The Wold

Positioned at the convergence of major Cotswold routes, including the A429 Fosse Way, A424 and A436, Stow-on-the-Wold offers exceptional accessibility for your driving adventures. This historic market town, home to approximately 2,000 residents, sits majestically atop an 800-foot hill where you’ll experience delightful seasonal variations. Summer brings comfortable temperatures averaging 20°C, accompanied by pleasant sunshine, while the winter months see cooler conditions around 8°C, with increased rainfall. The town’s elevated position ensures you’ll encounter stunning panoramic views regardless of the season you choose to visit.

Stow-on-the-Wold serves as the antiques capital of the Cotswolds, featuring over 60 antique dealers clustered around the historic market square where sheep fairs have been held since 1107. The town offers excellent amenities including traditional coaching inns, independent restaurants, galleries and boutique shops, whilst nearby attractions encompass numerous National Trust properties, quintessential honey-coloured villages and direct access to the Cotswold Way National Trail.

Attractions In Stow On The Wold

Explore historic market square and Cotswolds attractions, featuring antique shops around the famous marketplace, traditional coaching inns, art galleries and excellent access to surrounding villages through ancient trading routes.

Birdland Park & Gardens

Located on Rissington Road in nearby Bourton-on-the-Water, this exceptional wildlife sanctuary operates daily from 10 AM to 5 PM, maintaining its status as the region’s premier attraction with an outstanding 4.5-star rating from over 4,500 visitors. You’ll discover an impressive collection of global bird species, with the penguin enclosure proving particularly captivating as underwater viewing areas reveal these charming creatures’ aquatic prowess. The facility maintains excellent accessibility throughout, ensuring comfortable navigation for all visitors.

Cotswold Farm Park

We recommend driving to Guiting Power to experience this outstanding farm attraction, which has earned an excellent 4.6-star rating from over 3,000 satisfied visitors. You’ll encounter diverse livestock breeds, including rare varieties of goats and cattle, while the beautifully maintained wildflower areas provide spectacular seasonal displays. The reasonably flat terrain accommodates easy exploration, complemented by numerous picnic areas and quality refreshment options throughout the grounds.

Greystones Farm Nature Reserve

Greystones Farm Nature Reserve is a 66-hectare wildlife haven managed by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, situated just outside the picturesque village of Bourton-on-the-Water. The reserve’s wildflower-rich meadows are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and support an extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna, including rare species such as water voles and otters along the Rivers Dikler and Eye. The site is also home to Salmonsbury Camp, an important meeting place during Neolithic and Iron Age periods and a Scheduled Monument.

Batsford Arboretum And Garden Centre

Drive to this magnificent tree sanctuary in Moreton-in-Marsh, welcoming visitors Monday through Saturday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM and Sundays from 10 AM to 5 PM. With an impressive 4.6-star average from over 1,000 reviews, you’ll appreciate the extensive collection of trees displaying spectacular seasonal colours along well-maintained paved pathways. We particularly value the ample parking facilities and partial dog-friendly policies that accommodate various visitor needs.

Lower Slaughter Museum

Your drive to this enchanting village on Mill Lane reveals why it’s considered among England’s most picturesque settlements. You’ll discover a millennium of local history preserved along the gentle River Eye, where the restored 19th-century water mill and delicate stone bridges create an atmosphere of timeless tranquillity. The village’s authentic preservation offers exceptional photography opportunities and peaceful riverside walking.

Fosse Gallery

Situated prominently in The Square of Stow-on-the-Wold, this distinguished gallery operates Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 AM until 5 PM. You’ll appreciate the prime town centre location and the knowledgeable proprietor’s passion for contemporary exhibitions and featured artists. The gallery represents an excellent cultural complement to your Cotswolds driving tour, showcasing regional artistic talent within beautifully appointed spaces.

Your car will allow you to visit some other locations as well:

• Bourton on the Water
• Moreton in Marsh
• Sherborne
• Stanway
• Southam
• Barnsley
• Teddington
• Cheltenham

National Trust – Chastleton House

Chastleton House is a remarkable Jacobean country house managed by the National Trust, situated near Moreton-in-Marsh on the Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire border. Built between 1607 and 1612 for Walter Jones, who had made his fortune from the law, this Grade I listed building has remained largely unchanged for over 400 years, creating an atmospheric time capsule of English country house life. The house was owned by the same family for nearly 400 years until its acquisition by the Trust in 1991 and the National Trust has pursued a policy of conservation rather than restoration, preserving its authentic character. The property features nationally significant textiles, rare Jacobite glass and a magnificent Long Gallery, whilst the intimate gardens include croquet lawns where the rules of modern croquet were codified in 1865.

Stow-On-The-Wold Fountain

The Stow-on-the-Wold Fountain, also known as the Old Fountain, is a historic landmark situated in The Triangle at the top of the High Street in this charming Cotswold market town. Dating back to 1896, the fountain was donated to the town by Piers Thursby to serve as the first source of clean water for the residents of Stow. The Victorian structure also functioned as a horse trough, providing water for the many animals that passed through this important market town during its heyday as one of England’s premier sheep trading centres.

Historic Village Stocks

The Historic Village Stocks in Stow-on-the-Wold are medieval wooden stocks with iron strapping situated on a small village green in the town’s Market Square. Dating back to the 15th century, these penal stocks were used to publicly humiliate and penalise the unruly, with a 1351 statute making it a legal requirement that every town had a set. Once a centrepiece where wrongdoers would be restrained by their ankles whilst townspeople threw rotten fruit and other items at them, the stocks now sit beneath a large shady tree surrounded by bench seats.

Our Lady & St Kenelm R C Church

Your visit to this Catholic church on Back Walls offers you an opportunity to experience Stow’s living religious community alongside its architectural heritage. You’ll discover a welcoming spiritual atmosphere that has sustained local worship traditions, whilst the building’s design reflects the enduring Catholic presence within this predominantly Anglican region of the Cotswolds.

St Edward’s Church

Positioned prominently in The Square, this ancient parish church serves as Stow’s spiritual heart and architectural centrepiece. You can explore the building’s medieval origins and appreciate its role in local history, including its temporary use as a Civil War prison. We particularly admire the church’s integration within the market square’s historic layout, demonstrating the traditional relationship between commerce and faith.

Doors Of Durin

At this remarkable church entrance in The Square, you’ll encounter the legendary doors believed to have inspired Tolkien’s literary imagination. The extraordinary sight of ancient trees growing through the doorway creates a mystical atmosphere that transcends ordinary architectural experience. You can appreciate how these seemingly millennium-old doors represent the enduring connection between natural growth and human craftsmanship across countless generations.

The Old Mill – By The Cotswold Farm

Complete your driving tour at this exceptional establishment on Mill Lane in Lower Slaughter, operating daily from 10 AM to 5 PM. You’ll discover a sophisticated combination of museum, boutique retail and riverside café within this beautifully preserved mill building. We particularly recommend the outdoor seating area overlooking the river where the original mill wheel once generated power, providing a perfect conclusion to your Cotswolds exploration.