The Cotswold Guide
Arlington Row in Bibury
Central Cotswolds · Gloucestershire

Bibury

'The most beautiful village in England'

Arlington Row seen from across the Coln, with the watermeadow of Rack Isle in the foreground
A row of gabled Cotswold cottages in Bibury with well-tended front gardens in early summer
Hawthorn blossom and a drystone wall in the foreground, Bibury cottages and chimneys beyond

About Bibury

When William Morris called Bibury 'the most beautiful village in England' in the 1880s, he was looking at a single terrace of 14th-century weavers' cottages overlooking a watermeadow and the trout-filled River Coln. So famous, Arlington Row is now an embossed image inside British passports.

Bibury is genuinely tiny — best treated as a walk, not a town. Park once, wander the row, cross the bridge, loop back along the river, and you have seen the village.

The Cotswold Guide view

Bibury is a victim of its own beauty. Yes there is a row of old cottages and there is a nice village, but really there's not a lot here. During most of the year there are also huge numbers of tourists. Go if you must but don't say we didn't warn you! At quieter times, it's a nice village to walk around.

The Cotswold Guide Top Tips

  • Bibury is overwhelmed by coach trade in summer — arrive before 9am or after 5pm to see Arlington Row uncrowded.
  • The Trout Farm at the south end is a working hatchery with feeding and self-catch options; the Swan Hotel does a generous afternoon tea.

Where to eat & drink

  • Swan Hotel

    Riverside terrace and a smart restaurant; the bar lunch is the best-value way in.

  • Bibury Trout Farm Café

    Smoked-trout sandwiches, fish-and-chips, eat by the water.

  • The Catherine Wheel

    A traditional 15th-century friendly country pub, just steps from Arlington Row.

  • Eleven Bibury

    Café, gallery and shop with great homemade cakes and meals.

Getting there

  • By car

    1h45 from London via A40 / B4425. Parking in Bibury is limited and can get very crowded during peak season. Do not park in front of Arlington Row. You can use limited free roadside parking along 'The Street' (near the river) and the car park opposite the Bibury Trout Farm. Arrive early in the day to secure a spot. No useful train connection — use a taxi from Kemble.

Best time to visit

Bibury photographs beautifully in winter mist and frost; in spring the watermeadow turns green and Belted Galloways are turned out. Avoid summer weekends — the lane becomes impassable.

Find accommodation near Bibury

Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering cottages within easy reach of Bibury — browse availability for your dates on Booking.com.

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Attractions near Bibury

Within 10 miles, ordered by distance.

  1. 1

    Church · 4.1 mi · Fairford

    St Mary's Church, Fairford

    The only English parish church to hold a complete set of medieval stained glass — twenty-eight windows, made between 1500 and 1517 and never broken up.

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  2. 2

    Church · 5.2 mi · Northleach

    Church of St Peter & St Paul

    Built between 1340 and 1490 by wool merchants. The brasses of John Fortey and other clothiers, set into the chancel floor, are among the finest in England.

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  3. 3

    Museum · 5.2 mi · Northleach

    Mechanical Music Museum

    Several rooms of working barrel-organs, music boxes, automata and self-playing pianos — demonstrated by a knowledgeable curator.

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  4. 4

    Museum · 5.2 mi · Northleach

    Old House of Correction

    A 1791 country prison built by the local magistrate Sir Onesiphorus Paul; now a small museum of rural life.

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  5. 5

    Museum · 5.5 mi · Yanworth, between Cirencester and Northleach

    Chedworth Roman Villa

    One of the largest Roman villas in Britain, hidden in a wooded combe between Cirencester and Northleach — with mosaics rediscovered as recently as 2017.

    Read more →

Gallery

  • Arlington Row seen from across the Coln, with the watermeadow of Rack Isle in the foreground
  • A row of gabled Cotswold cottages in Bibury with well-tended front gardens in early summer
  • Hawthorn blossom and a drystone wall in the foreground, Bibury cottages and chimneys beyond
  • The medieval stone bridge over the River Coln, with road signs on the approach
  • The wooden footbridge across the Coln, with willows on the bank
  • The Galleries — a row of stone shops alongside the River Coln in Bibury
  • The Swan Hotel and adjoining cottages along the main road through Bibury
  • A Cotswold-stone cottage in Bibury behind a row of espaliered trees
  • St Mary's Church, Bibury — tower with clock face, seen across the churchyard
  • The painted Village Hall sign and door on Bibury's main street, hung with bunting

Continue reading

Castle Combe

A village from the 17th century

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Illustrative image