Guiting Power

About Guiting Power

Guiting Power sits high on the wolds between Winchcombe and Bourton-on-the-Water, a small triangular green ringed by honey-stone cottages, a Norman church, and two pubs that punch well above the village's weight. The unusual thing about it is who owns it: most of the village is held by the Guiting Manor Amenity Trust, which since 1979 has kept properties in local hands and out of the second-home market.

It's a working community rather than a postcard set — children at the village school, regulars at the bar, horses being trained on the surrounding gallops — and one of the few Cotswold villages that still feels lived-in on a Tuesday in February.

The Cotswold Guide Top Tips

Park considerately on the green or by the church — the lanes leading in are narrow and verges damage easily.
Time a visit around lunch and book a table at one of the two pubs; both fill up at weekends with walkers off the Wardens' Way.

Where to eat & drink

The Hollow Bottom
Famous racing pub on the lane out towards Ford; deeply atmospheric, food well above pub-grub average, rooms above.
The Farmers Arms
Stone-built local on the green; Donnington ales, proper Sunday roasts, a fire in winter.

Getting there

By car
5 miles east of Winchcombe and 5 miles north-west of Bourton, signposted off the B4068. Free parking on the green (limited) or by the church.
By bus
very limited service; treat as a car-only destination.

Best time to visit

Late spring through early autumn for the village at its prettiest. The Guiting Music Festival in late July fills the village hall and church for ten days; the Hollow Bottom is at its busiest on Cheltenham Festival evenings in March.

Upcoming events in Guiting Power

24 Jul – 2 Aug 2026
Guiting Music Festival 2026
Ten days of classical, jazz and blues in the village hall and church at Guiting Power — running for over fifty years.

For events near Guiting Power click here →

Find accommodation near Guiting Power

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

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Attractions near Guiting Power

Within 10 miles, ordered by distance.

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At a glance

Region: North Cotswolds
County: Gloucestershire
Population: ≈ 300
Best time: April–October
Time to allow: An hour, longer with a walk or a pint
Good for: villagequietscenicwalkingpubsdog friendly
Nearby: Winchcombe
Bourton-on-the-Water
Stow-on-the-Wold

Did you know?

Most of Guiting Power is owned by the Guiting Manor Amenity Trust, formed in 1979 by the late Moya Davidson to keep village properties in local hands. Around 80 cottages and the village shop remain in trust ownership and are let only to people with a connection to the village.
The Hollow Bottom pub is one of the most famous racing pubs in England — long associated with the late Nigel Twiston-Davies and his sons, whose stables are nearby. It is traditionally one of the first stops on Cheltenham Festival week.
The Wardens' Way — the 14-mile footpath linking Bourton-on-the-Water to Winchcombe — passes straight through Guiting Power, making it a popular lunch stop for walkers.