Category
4 articles
You don't need a car to do the Cotswolds properly — you need a decent pair of boots, a bit of timetable homework and a base in Stow. Here's how locals would plan a car-free weekend, from the train at Kingham to the footpaths beyond the square.
Most visitors see Stow as a square, a few shopfronts and a coffee stop. This slower micro-walk treats the village's ginnels, date stones and quiet courtyards as the main event, with a less-visited tea room at the end.
Saturday gets the coach parties and the queue for the car park. Tuesday gets the shopkeepers who have time to chat. Here's how to plan a slower midweek break in Stow-on-the-Wold, from parking to pub lunches.
Stow is tiny, the Square is not a car park, and the coach parties arrive just as you do. Here is the honest 2026 local plan for parking in Stow-on-the-Wold, from the main car park off Sheep Street to the walk-in routes that dodge the worst of the crowds.