9 Best Sights in Bath and the Cotswolds, England

In the center of Gloucester, magnificent Gloucester Cathedral, with its soaring, elegant exterior, was originally a Norman abbey church, consecrated in 1100. Reflecting different periods, the cathedral mirrors perfectly the slow growth of ecclesiastical taste and the development of the Perpendicular style. The interior has largely been spared the sterilizing attentions of modern architects and is almost completely Norman, with the massive pillars of the nave left untouched since their completion. The fan-vaulted roof of the 14th-century cloisters is the finest in Europe, and the cloisters enclose a peaceful garden (used in the filming of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone).

Don't miss the Whispering Gallery, which has a permanent exhibition devoted to the splendid, 14th-century stained glass of the Great East Window. Tours of the tower (269 steps up; £8) are available, as are guided tours (£5.50). Gloucester is 13 miles southwest of Cheltenham and reachable from there on frequent buses and trains.

Although now a fraction of its original size, Malmesbury Abbey is still the defining feature of the entire town. There has been an abbey on this site since 1180; the current abbey is the third. During the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was used as a wool store and many parts were destroyed. But during the 16th century, the magnificent building became the parish church of Malmesbury, which it has remained since. The breathtaking Norman porch and its ornate carved figures depict the story of Creation through the death of Christ; it is considered one of the best examples of such in Europe. In the northern section of the building is King Athelstan's tomb; Athelstan was crowned king of Wessex in 925 and united England by 927. Malmesbury Abbey is also famed for its stained-glass windows; the Luce window is by Burne-Jones.

Dominating Bath's center, this 15th-century edifice of golden, glowing stone has a splendid west front, with carved figures of angels ascending ladders on either side. Notice, too, the miter, olive tree, and crown motif, a play on the name of the building's founder, Bishop Oliver King. More than 50 stained-glass windows fill about 80% of the building's wall space, giving the interior an impression of lightness. The abbey was built in the Perpendicular (English late-Gothic) style on the site of a Saxon abbey, and the nave and side aisles contain superb fan-vaulted ceilings. Look for the 21st-century expressively carved angels on the choir screens. The building's heating comes from the adjacent Roman baths. There are four services on Sunday, including choral evensong at 3 pm. Tower tours (45 minutes; Monday through Saturday; £10) allow close-up views of the massive bells and panoramic cityscapes from the roof; the 212 dizzying steps demand a level of fitness.

The soaring pinnacled tower of St. James, a prime example of a Cotswold wool church (it was rebuilt in the 15th century with money from wool merchants), announces Chipping Campden from a distance; it's worth stepping inside to see the lofty, light-filled nave. The church recalls the old saying, which became popular because of the vast numbers of houses of worship in the Cotswolds, "As sure as God's in Gloucestershire."

At the top of Market Place is this magnificent Gothic parish church, known as the cathedral of the "woolgothic" style. Its gleaming, elaborate, three-tier, three-bay south porch is the largest in England and once served as the town hall. The chantry chapels and many coats of arms bear witness to the importance of the wool merchants as benefactors of the church. A rare example of a delicate 15th-century wineglass pulpit sits in the nave. Tower tours (£5) are available on Saturdays in summer; check the website for dates and times.

Hidden away at the end of a lane at the bottom of High Street is the splendid parish church of St. John the Baptist, its interior a warren of arches, chapels, and shrines. The church was remodeled in the 15th century from Norman beginnings. Among the monuments is one dedicated to Henry VIII's barber, Edmund Harman, that depicts four Amazonian Indians; it's said to be the first depiction of native people from the Americas in Britain. Also look for the elaborate Tanfield monument and the grave of Christopher Kempster, master mason to Christopher Wren during the rebuilding of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

This church, a fine example of 18th-century neo-Gothic style, has a galleried interior with pews and fine slender pillars. The entrance porch has a striking contemporary mural of the Annunciation. The churchyard is a wildflower haven with around 300 species of native wildflowers including snowdrops, cyclamen, bluebells, and more. Donations are welcome.

Besides its soaring pillars and clerestory windows, this 15th-century light-filled church, known as the cathedral of the Cotswolds, contains notable memorial brasses, monuments to the merchants who endowed the church. Each merchant has a wool sack and sheep at his feet.

Almost 40 outlandish gargoyles adorn this mid-15th-century Perpendicular-style building, a typical Cotswold wool church full of light. The interior displays an embroidered altar frontal said to have been worked by Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII. Look for the Winchcombe Imp, an unusual figure for a rood screen, now at the back of the church.