If you’re looking for a country house hotel or cosy cottage, you’ll be spoilt for choice in the Cotswolds. But what if you fancy something a bit different? Whether you want to spend the night in a historic landmark or prefer an unconventional modern property, our guide to quirky and unusual places to stay in the Cotswolds features some of the area’s most interesting accommodation.
From a 17th-century banqueting hall and a Rapunzel-style tower to a First World War Nissen hut and a 1960s pool pad, each of them has a unique story to tell. So which would you choose?

1. The Jacobean banqueting houses
In 1613, wealthy merchant Sir Baptist Hicks built a grand mansion in Chipping Campden. It was destroyed by fire during the Civil War 30 years later, but its two banqueting houses survived. Once upon a time Sir Baptist and his guests drank fine wines and ate dried fruit and sweetmeats here. But they’ve now been converted into two comfortable cottages by the Landmark Trust.
The West Banqueting House sleeps two, with a living area and kitchen under a vaulted stone ceiling and a bedroom and bathroom upstairs. There’s also a separate Almonry with an extra bedroom. And the East Banqueting House sleeps four, with two bedrooms across three floors. Both are full of historic charm, plus modern comforts like woodburning stoves and underfloor heating.

Things to do nearby: Although they’re surrounded by fields, the Banqueting Houses are just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of Chipping Campden. You can learn about Arts and Crafts design at the Craft Barn Museum and Old Silk Mill. Or take a walk to nearby Dover’s Hill or Broad Campden. It’s also just four miles to the beautiful Hidcote Manor and Kiftsgate Court Gardens.
The details: A three-night weekend stay in June 2025 costs £1146 for the West Banqueting House or £1350 for the East Banqueting House.

2. The treehouse
Perched in the treetops of a secluded valley near Tetbury, The Tree House is the ultimate in wild luxury, and a place where you can’t help but relax. This bespoke treehouse has been skillfully handcrafted from oak and cedar. It sleeps two and is set across two floors, with a wrap-around deck and bifold doors to bring the outdoors in. Guests also get access to the private estate.
Downstairs is an open-plan sitting room with log burner, kitchen and a freestanding bath where you can enjoy the views while you soak. Then up a spiral staircase wrapped around a tree trunk is a mezzanine bedroom. Fluffy towels, Bamford toiletries, a cosy fireplace and Champagne on arrival all add to the luxurious feel, making it perfect for an anniversary or honeymoon.

Things to do nearby: The nearest pub is Hunters Hall Inn in Kingscote, a 20-minute walk from the Tree House. Or it’s five miles to Tetbury, where you’ll find restaurants, shops and pubs as well as Westonburt Arboretum and King Charles’ Highgrove Gardens. You’re also eight miles from Woodchester Valley’s award-winning vineyard and Woodchester Park and Mansion.
The details: A three-night weekend stay at The Tree House in June 2025 costs £1125.

3. The tower
Stay in one of the Cotswolds’ historic landmarks at Beckford’s Tower, a 154-foot-tall neo-classical folly on Lansdown Hill outside Bath. It was built in the 1820s as a retreat for eccentric collector William Beckford. He described the view from the Belvedere at the top of the tower as ‘the finest prospect in Europe’, and guests get access to the spiral staircase to see it for themselves.
A two-bedroom apartment at the foot of the tower is available to rent through the Landmark Trust. Its lavish Scarlet Drawing Room has deep red walls, gilded artworks and beamed ceilings. There are also two bedrooms (one double, one twin), a bathroom and galley kitchen. Though Beckford is buried in Lansdown Graveyard next door, so make sure you’re not easily spooked!

Things to do nearby: You can find out more about the tower’s history in the Beckford Tower Museum. It’s a 30-minute walk downhill (or a short bus ride) into Bath city centre, where there’s plenty to see and do – visit the Roman Baths, have afternoon tea at the Pump Rooms, relax in the Thermae Bath Spa or take a look around some of the city’s fascinating museums.
The details: A three-night weekend stay at Beckford’s Tower in June 2025 costs £1260.

4. The temple
The most romantic of our unusual places to stay in the Cotswolds has to be The Temple at Stancombe Park near Dursley. This lakeside Doric temple is a luxurious and peaceful escape that’s straight out of a period drama. It dates from the early 19th century and is surrounded by 300 acres of idyllic Grade I-listed gardens, which include hidden tunnels, caves and ice houses.
Inside the Temple is all on one level, with a lounge area and a double bed set into an alcove leading off a pillar-lined hallway. There’s also a separate bathroom and small kitchen – with a welcome basket of Champagne, smoked salmon and local delicacies to get you started. You can BBQ on the terrace, head out on the lake in your rowing boat, or just sit and gaze at the stars.

Things to do nearby: The Temple is just off the Cotswold Way route, which leads to Dursley and Cam Peak in one direction and the Tyndale Monument in the other. It’s also 5 miles to the National Trust country house and gardens at Newark Park. Or it’s 11 miles to Tetbury and Westonbirt.
The details: A three-night weekend stay at The Temple in June 2025 costs £1350.

5. The cowboy cabin
Trade the Cotswolds for the American West with a stay at the Gold Rush Cabin near Frampton Mansell, which channels the frontier spirit in a glamping-style getaway. This octagonal wooden cabin (open April to October) is one of a selection of yurts, cabins and cottages at Westley Farm – a peaceful wildlife habitat covering 70 acres of meadows and ancient woodland.
The Gold Rush Cabin sleeps two in rustic chic style, with creature comforts like an antique wood-burning stove, cow-hide chairs and sheepskin rugs. Outside there’s a large deck with a camp kitchen, a cowboy shower with tin walls and watering-can shower head, and a composting toilet. You also have a hammock, BBQ, fire pit and most importantly your own private wood-fired hot tub.

Things to do nearby: The Crown pub at Frampton Mansell is a 20-minute walk across fields from the cabin. Also within easy reach are The Daneway and The Bell in Sapperton, and the Jolly Nice Farm Shop, which sells tasty local produce. There are also walks (and Winstone’s Ice Cream) on Minchinhampton Common and it’s five miles to Stroud or 10 miles to Cirencester.
The details: A three-night weekend stay at the Gold Rush Cabin in June 2025 costs £615.

6. The church
Old Mission Church on the edge of the village of Paxford looks out onto miles of open countryside. It was built in 1866 as a school but later licenced for church services. After falling out of use in 2018 it was converted into a stunning two-bedroom property sleeping four – the impressive (and complex) conversion featured on George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations on Channel 4.
The property’s open-plan living area has a wow-factor, glass-walled floating mezzanine bedroom above it. And the second bedroom has a freestanding bath, mullion windows and a headboard made from the church’s pulpit. Original features like stained glass and lanterns are combined with a stylish contemporary décor. And the patio outside comes complete with painted pews to sit on.

Things to do nearby: The Churchill Arms in Paxford is currently being renovated and is due to reopen in 2026. Until then the nearest places to eat are The Ebrington Arms, The Baker’s Arms in Broad Campden or the Great Western Arms and Blockley Café in Blockley, all less than three miles away. It’s also three miles to Chipping Campden and five miles to Moreton-in-Marsh.
The details: A three-night weekend stay at Old Mission Church* in June 2025 costs £882.

7. The Nissen hut
Nissen huts were originally designed to house troops during the First World War, but one near Chipping Campden now has a new life as a holiday home. Ledge View sits on the edge of Dover’s Hill – site of the quirky Cotswold Olimpick Games – with miles of unspoilt countryside to explore. It’s been cleverly renovated to create a three-bedroom property which sleeps up to six people.
Downstairs the light and bright living space combines a kitchen, dining area and lounge. In summer you can open doors out onto the patio, or there’s a woodburner and underfloor heating for winter. The ground floor bedroom has an accessible wet room, and there are two more bedrooms upstairs with curving metal roofs and a shared shower room. Up to two dogs are welcome too.

Things to do nearby: The Seagrave Arms pub is less than a mile away in the village of Weston Subedge. Or it’s 1.4 miles (or a 30-minute walk) into Chipping Campden, which has lots of places to eat, drink and shop. Broadway is a 10-minute drive away, or you could walk there along a stretch of the Cotswold Way long-distance walking route, which is right on your doorstep.
The details: A three-night weekend stay at Ledge View* in June 2025 costs £850.

8. The castle gatehouse
Spend the night in a miniature castle in the grounds of a much bigger one at the Sudeley Castle Gatehouse. This two-bedroom property on the edge of Winchcombe was once the home of the castle’s gatekeeper, but it’s been converted into a characterful cottage for four people.
It’s split into two separate wings, which gives it a unusual layout. A door on one side of the courtyard leads to an en-suite bedroom. And the opposite door takes you into a downstairs kitchen, with a lounge and second en-suite bedroom upstairs. There’s a private garden each side of the gatehouse, with a terrace between where you can soak up the countryside views with a sunset drink.

Things to do nearby: Guests get free entry to Sudeley Castle and Gardens (normally open March to November). Winchcombe’s shops, restaurants and pubs are 10 minutes’ walk away, and there are scenic walks to Belas Knap and St Kenelm’s Well. Also within a few miles’ drive are Hailes Abbey, Jacobean Stanway House and the Gloucestershire–Warwickshire Steam Railway.
The details: A three-night weekend stay at Sudeley Castle Gatehouse* in May 2025 costs £860.

9. The 1960s pool pad
Take a trip back in time to the 1960s at The Pool House in Rodborough, which could have come straight out of Austin Powers. The house was built in the late 1960s using glass, timber and Cotswold stone. And its interiors feature a colourful, carefully curated collection of mid-century furniture, artworks and accessories – shag pile carpets and kitsch posters included.
The Pool House sleeps four, plus up to two dogs. There’s a big open-plan living and dining space along with a bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, and a second bedroom downstairs. Large windows look out onto the patio – the perfect spot for that early evening glass of Babycham. There’s also a wood-fired hot tub and a heated swimming pool (available May to October).

Things to do nearby: Rodborough is on the edge of Stroud, which has a fantastic farmers’ market on Saturday mornings and regular live music, comedy and theatre at the Sub Rooms. There are lots of walking routes on nearby Minchinhampton and Rodborough Commons or along the Stroudwater Canal. The town of Painswick and its Rococo Garden are also under five miles away.
The details: A three-night weekend stay at The Pool House in June 2025 costs £783.

10. The clock tower
You can’t get a much more central location in Stow-on-the-Wold than The Clock Tower on Sheep Street, overlooking the market square. The clock tower of a Methodist church dating back to 1814 has been transformed into a stylish penthouse apartment sleeping up to five people.
Head up two flights of stairs and you emerge into a light and airy open-plan living area with oval church windows, wooden beams and exposed stonework. There are two en-suite bedrooms, both with kingsize/twin beds and one with an optional third bed. And nods to the building’s history include a wooden pew filled with board games and a ‘hymn book’ of information.

Things to do nearby: Stow is right outside the door, with St Edward’s Church and its famous Yew Tree Door, art and antique shops, pubs and restaurants. You can also take a 4.2-mile walk to Bourton-on-the-Water via Lower Slaughter. Or the gardens at Batsford Arboretum, Sezincote House and Bourton House as well as the Cotswold Farm Park are all less than six miles away.
The details: A three-night weekend stay at The Clock Tower Stow* in July 2025 costs £1312.

Save for later

Lois
Thursday 16th of January 2025
What a treasure trove of interesting places to stay! Thank you
Lucy Dodsworth
Friday 17th of January 2025
Thanks Lois, I really enjoyed putting it together, there are some brilliant places!
Richard Ford Peagler
Thursday 16th of January 2025
I have enjoyed your newsletters so far. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Arizona, USA
Lucy Dodsworth
Friday 17th of January 2025
Thanks Richard, that's great to hear!