The district also includes the towns of Chipping Campden, Fairford, Lechlade, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold and Tetbury, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

The district covers nearly 450 square miles (1,200 km2), with some 80% of the land located within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

[2][3] The much larger area referred to as the Cotswolds encompasses nearly 800 square miles, spanning five counties: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire.

[7] The neighbouring districts are South Gloucestershire, Stroud, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Wychavon, Stratford-on-Avon, West Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, Swindon and Wiltshire.

[12] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

[23] The building was built in 1837 as the Cirencester Union Workhouse, later serving as Watermoor Hospital following the creation of the National Health Service in 1948.

After the hospital closed the building was converted to become the council's headquarters, being formally opened by Prince Charles on 21 May 1981.