Hotels in Lechlade

Lechlade sits at the point where the Thames stops being a stream and starts being navigable, which makes it the effective start (or end) of the river proper — hence the old boatyards, the marina, and the steady traffic of narrowboats and rowers through summer. It's a small Cotswolds market town, built in the same honey-coloured stone as its more famous neighbours, with a handsome church spire that Shelley wrote a poem about after visiting the churchyard.

There isn't much to actually do here beyond a riverside walk, a pub lunch and browsing a few antique shops — this is a base for exploring rather than a destination in itself, and it can feel very quiet outside the boating season. The Uffington White Horse is a reasonable day-trip from here if you want proper Cotswolds hill country.