Chedworth

Chedworth is a scattered village in a deep combe on the high wolds between Cirencester and Northleach, best known for the Roman villa that lies in the woods above the valley. Chedworth Roman Villa, managed by the National Trust, is one of the largest and most complete Romano-British rural villas in the country. Discovered in 1864, it contains remarkable examples of mosaic flooring, hypocaust underfloor heating systems and the remains of bathhouses that reveal the sophisticated lifestyle of its fourth-century inhabitants.

The village itself is strung along the valley side in a loose series of hamlets, with the Church of St Andrew at the centre. The surrounding woodland is ancient — much of it coppiced for centuries to provide charcoal for local industries — and gives the valley a deeply enclosed character quite different from the open wolds above. The Seven Tuns pub has been serving ale since the seventeenth century and remains one of the better country pubs in this part of the Cotswolds.

The walks from Chedworth through the Roman villa woods and across the wolds to Yanworth, Stowell Park and the Coln valley are among the best in the east Cotswolds. The combination of Roman archaeology, ancient woodland and classic Cotswold landscape makes the village one of the most rewarding places in the region, particularly for those with an interest in the deep history of the area.