A view of the Cotswolds village of Naunton.
Here in California where I live—and also back in Western Canada where I grew up—the terms village and hamlet aren’t part of everyday vocabulary when it comes to describing different settlement sizes. But in England, these terms—along with town and city—carry very specific distinctions. I didn’t fully appreciate these differences myself until I began exploring, and eventually guiding others through, the Cotswolds—an officially recognized Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty just two hours northwest of London.
Curious what each of these designations means? Let’s dive in…
A thatched cottage on the edge of Broadway in the Cotswolds.
Hamlet
A hamlet is typically a very small cluster of houses or farms, usually without community services such as a church, school, or shop. These tiny settlements are often just a scattering of homes nestled into the landscape. Some of the hamlets we pass through on my Women’s Walking Retreats include Stanway, Hailes, and Widford—peaceful, quiet corners of the English countryside that I absolutely love.
Village
A village is larger than a hamlet and traditionally includes a church. You’ll often also find a pub, a school, a shop, and perhaps a village green. Populations usually number under 10,000, and villages often have a parish council. Some of my favorite Cotswolds villages include Lower and Upper Slaughter, Stanton, Naunton, Snowshill, and Winchcombe.
Then there are the iconic, postcard-worthy villages like Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, and Castle Combe, which tend to attract busloads of tourists. While they’re undeniably beautiful, I generally avoid them on my retreats to preserve the tranquility of the experience. If you do want to visit these gems, I recommend going in the evening—once the crowds have dispersed and the day has quieted down.
The River Eye meandering through the Cotswolds village of Lower Slaughter.
Town
A town is a larger settlement that, historically, would have included a market and often features a range of shops, services, and churches, as well as a local council or governing body. In the Cotswolds, classic market towns like Cirencester, Tetbury, Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Campden, Broadway, Moreton-in-Marsh, Burford, and Chipping Norton are rich in character and history.
I particularly enjoy beginning my Cotswolds adventures in Stow-on-the-Wold—the highest market town in the region—and wrapping them up in Broadway, affectionately known as the “Jewel of the Cotswolds.”
City
A city in England was traditionally defined by the presence of a cathedral, though today, city status is granted by royal charter from the monarch. The only city officially within the Cotswolds boundary is Bath (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), though even its historic center lies just outside the region’s formal borders.
Gloucester—with its stunning cathedral that’s long been on my personal bucket list—is culturally connected to the Cotswolds, but like Bath, it sits beyond the area’s official boundaries. Interestingly, Cirencester—often called the “Capital of the Cotswolds” and once the second-most important Roman settlement after London—is still considered a town, not a city, despite its historical significance and size.
A quiet morning on the square in the Cotswolds market town of Stow-on-the-Wold.
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