Visit the city of Gloucester and the 1000-year-old Norman Cathedral, whose role in history embraces the mediaeval tomb of Edward the II through to its 21st-century use as a location for Harry Potter Films (Hogwarts) and Dr Who.
A little further up the M5 is the fine Regency Spa town of Cheltenham. Here you’ll be spoiled for choice of restaurants and cultural experiences. Cheltenham is a festival town with major UK music, literature, jazz and folk events. To see Cheltenham from the air, a balloon flight over the city has to be one of the best ways to travel. There are festivals aplenty in Gloucestershire, attracting visitors from all over the world. In addition to the many festivals held throughout the year in Cheltenham, the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival is also a crowd-puller. It features the largest annual medieval battle in the UK - a re-enactment of the 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury. The festival is fought by thousands of people and witnessed by many more. See it!
Many quaint traditional events, such as the Cheese Rolling every May at Coopers Hill, are worth a weekend break. Here men, women and children take it in turns to run hurly-burly down a steep hill in Brockworth near Gloucester chasing a large circular cheese. You have to see it to believe it!
Talking of cheese, locally grown produce isn’t hard to find in the County with its plethora of excellent delicatessens and farmers’ markets. If you’re staying in a self-catering holiday cottage, this will ensure you feast like Royalty every evening during your holiday. You can work off dinner the following day at a choice of adrenalin-filled activity centres, such as kayaking in the Cotswold Water Park or The High Ropes Centre in the Forest of Dean. Putting food to one side, if you stop off at the Thames Head Inn, you’ll be sitting right next to the source of the River Thames.
The Forest of Dean, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty bordering the picturesque Wye Valley, is well worth visiting. It offers miles of footpaths and cycle trails through beautiful woodland. Walk the inspirational sculpture trail or view it from the carriage window of a steam train courtesy of Dean Forest Rail, whose 8 miles of track take you through the forest near Lydney. You can even travel along trails through the Forest of Dean by Segway near Parkend.
If you have a penchant for chocolate villages, tea rooms, antique shops and historic architecture, then you will love the Cotswolds. A large part of Gloucestershire is Cotswold Country, where visitors can choose beautifully restored and furnished holiday cottages. Here there are walks a plenty, such as the Stanton, Snowshill and Edge Walk – 6 miles over hills and down wooded dales with 3’ chocolate box’ villages and a choice of tea rooms.
Spend a day or two enjoying the selection of activities at The Cotswold Country Park & Beach near Cirencester – a water park with swimming, water zorbing, adventure playgrounds, kayaking and lovely lakeside walks. A string of cosy villages and small towns hug the banks of The River Servern, such as Tewkesbury, where the ancient Tewkesbury Abbey is open to the public, and Upton-on-Severn hosts some notable music festivals during the summer.
The River Severn offers excellent opportunities for fishermen and those happy to spend an hour or so on the water by hiring a boat. While on the watery theme, visitors will enjoy a day at the Slimbridge Wild Life Water Park, a UK Visitor Attraction of the Year. Lakes, pools, and ponds bristle with a spectacular variety of wetland birds: ducks, geese, swans and even flamingos. Some are resident all year round, while others arrive for the summer or winter. Walk around or take a canoe safari.
As you can see, a short break or more extended self-catering holiday in Gloucestershire will give you, your friends and your family a memorable and relaxing experience, whichever part of the County you choose to call your home during your stay.
Endless Esther, A Large Gloucestershire Holiday Let in the Severn Valley.