Hoar frost and snow near Dursley, Gloucestershire

© Peter Adams/Getty Image

Cold in the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds are a well-known summer getaway, with weekends spent rambling through rolling fields, woods, market towns and charming villages while sampling delicious local produce. But in winter, this rural landscape is equally endearing, when snow blankets the countryside.

Some visitors take several days to hike all 102 miles of the Cotswold Way, the trail that leads from Chipping Campden in the north, over hills and valleys, through villages and towns like Dursley, near the spot where this photo was taken, and finally to the city of Bath in the south, a World Heritage Site famous for its Roman baths. The whole stretch has year-round appeal - especially if you include stops at cosy cafes and pubs en route. It's no wonder the Cotswolds are the UK’s largest designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.