Gloucestershire, pronounced Glostershire, is a pretty English county located south west of the English midlands yet not south-west enough to be truly part of the English south-west! The capital of Gloucestershire is the city of Gloucester, and that is where we begin our tour.
The city lies at the foot of the Cotswold Hills on the Severn River at its last point before the river widens and becomes the Severn estuary. There are still docks down on the river, yet today they are mainly used for pleasure and leisure boats. The huge stone warehouses and mills have for the most part been converted into sought after apartments and shops, particularly antique shops. The city is ancient, once Roman named Glevum, and that was by no means its earliest history.
Dominating the skyline is the majestic grey-stone Cathedral. You cannot visit Gloucester without visiting this stunning building. Oddly these days Gloucester is not the biggest town in the county, that honour belongs to nearby Cheltenham, a fast growing bustling town located just a few miles away. Only in England can the city be smaller than the town, but that is how it is here.
Cheltenham is famous for its Regency architecture, outside of the capital second only to Bath in quantity and splendour. The town is also rightly renowned for its National Hunt horse racing meeting, four days in March when half of Ireland seemingly evacuate their blessed isle and trek across the Irish sea to cheer on their favourites to victory (more often than not!) Visit in Cheltenham Gold Cup week and you will be fortunate to find vacant accommodation anywhere within 25 miles of the track. National Hunt racing is for races over jumps, and you won't find a celebration of jump racing anywhere to match the Cheltenham Festival.
Gloucester is a rugby city, rugby and cricket, Cheltenham for the racing and football, for they possess the only professional soccer team in the county.
Journey half an hour's drive north of the twin towns and you will come to Tewkesbury, another ancient town with a rich history. It is situated on a gravel spit just above the flood level close to where the rivers Severn and Avon merge. Particularly heavy rainfall makes the inhabitants nervous, and with good reason.
The Abbey dominates this town, the second senior church in the county, and another must see for those interested in such things. The Abbey was founded at the end of the 11th century. Today Tewkesbury still boasts an impressive array of half-timbered houses. Indeed remove the traffic and you could almost believe you were stepping back in time a century, or two, or three, or four!
Tewkesbury has another grizzly piece of history for which it is remembered. The Battle of Tewkesbury fought south of the town on May 4th 1471, a bloody affair in the War of Roses, Lancastrian against Yorkists, the Crown of England at stake. Edward, the Prince of Wales, son of Henry the Sixth was slain, and the Lancastrian cause was fatally wounded with his passing.
But enough of history, and fearsome battles from long ago. Venture south west of Gloucester and follow the Severn River to the Slimbridge Wild Fowl trust. This is a bird sanctuary where thousands of birds are fed and provided for everyday. It was established by the late Sir Peter Scott and is probably the most famous bird reserve in all of England. If you have any interest in bird watching, no matter how slight, a visit to Slimbridge is a treat in store for you.
Venture further east and south of Gloucester and you must climb the Cotswold Hills, a huge limestone ridge that runs diagonally across England almost from Bristol to Oxford. Take the steep road up to Birdlip and turn right at the Air Balloon pub. Look out for the fantastic views from the right as you journey further up and over. The stone is an easy on the eye cream and gold, and the houses, rarely thatched here, preserve the traditional stone colour throughout the county.
Once over the Cotswolds you descend to Cirencester, another ancient town, known as Corinium in Roman times. You can still follow the ancient perfectly straight Roman road from here all the way southeast to Sarum (Salisbury). Today it is a fast four-lane highway, but somehow you just know the ancient Roman road builders would have approved of the new modern highway that follows their route.
Within the Cotswold district you will find umpteen picture postcard villages and small towns with poetic sounding names, such as Bourton-on-the-water, Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold, and the more oddly named Upper Slaughter, and Lower Slaughter. In summer these towns become crammed with tourists and day-trippers alike. Perhaps you may prefer quieter sleepier places, perhaps explore some of the lesser known and smaller villages, there are plenty to choose from, and all within easy drives.
The Cotswolds is a very pretty area, rolling lush pastures, rich farmland and no surprise then that Royalty choose to live here. Prince Charles and Princess Anne both keep their main residences in Gloucestershire. Gloucester and Cheltenham boast fast road and rail links to London, two to three hours with a following wind, the local produce is fine cheese, excellent meat, and local lush fruit and vegetables.
Continue your journey across the Severn westwards towards Wales, but before you reach there, explore the Forest of Dean that lies between the Rivers Severn and Wye. Hilly and thickly forested it is home to deer and more recently re-introduced wild boar, not to be trifled with, especially when they are chaperoning youngsters.
Then you descend into the Wye Valley, and once you cross the river, you are in a different country, Wales, home of the Celts. The huge ancient castle at Chepstow and another at Monmouth are reminders of wars gone past, and of the very fact that you are leaving Gloucestershire behind.
If you visit Britain for two weeks, and decide to spend one week in London, a second week in the Cotswolds will come as a welcome change. A chance to wind down. To do some walking, contemplating a slower pace of life, and none the worse for that. Enjoy.
You will find more than 6,000 holiday cottages, villas and apartments worldwide on my web site www.pebblebeachmedia.co.uk
David Carter has written hundreds of articles published in a wide variety of publications. His latest work is SPLAM! A 240+ page property letting manual. Check out http://www.splam.co.uk for details. He also runs a holiday cottage website, http://www.splam.co.uk where you can choose from over 6,000 fantastic holiday cottages, apartments and villas throughout the world. You can contact David directly at http://www.splam.co.uk on any matter.
Highland Park shuttle to O'Hare .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareDisney Area Lodging DealsThe Orlando area communities of Lake Buena... Read More
Stand by the shores of Casco Bay on the coast... Read More
Have you ever done something spontaneous? Are you in love... Read More
Bahamas house rental or a hotel? Vacation rentals are becoming... Read More
Cambodia is a land on the mend. From 1977 through... Read More
RV rental vacations aren't cheap, but they do contain loads... Read More
Florida beachfront rentals are a great way to enjoy a... Read More
Today, we as travelers have a ton of options to... Read More
The Algarve, and particularly the areas around Carvoeiro, Albufeira, Praia... Read More
Each year, over two million people find their way to... Read More
You are the owner of a timeshare and have decided... Read More
Lake Tahoe cabin complexes rangein size from small, six-unit, luxury... Read More
What are your chances of getting the vacation of a... Read More
The Costa del Sol has long been one of the... Read More
Real Estate in an area like Punta Cana is hot... Read More
Most of us take vacations for the express purpose of... Read More
Motels became prominent in the United States after the advent... Read More
An Award Winning Vacation, Golf, Tennis and Beach ResortIf you... Read More
Gatlinburg cabin rental options range from old-fashioned rustic "log cabins"... Read More
Traveling with children will be a memorable event ? the... Read More
The largest barrier island on the Atlantic coast between New... Read More
It is a common assumption for most Americans that they... Read More
Did you ever worry when traveling about the weather? Most... Read More
Margarita Island is one of the lesser known Caribbean islands.... Read More
Lake Tahoe is a pristine recreational lake area. With high-stake... Read More
limo O'Hare Glen Ellyn ..The secret treasure of Davenport's and Kissimmee's townhouses.Though usually Orlando... Read More
As beautiful and modern as Cozumel is, visitors must remember... Read More
Everybody knows someone who has been on one and an... Read More
When vacation time rolls around, some people choose to stay... Read More
It has been said that in real estate there are... Read More
Punta Cana Beaches are among the most beautiful in the... Read More
I am in my yearly snit. Now my wife would... Read More
More than one million tourists visit Costa Rica each year.... Read More
Turning your dream to Reality?Buying in the CaribbeanBuying a home... Read More
Work-rate, health and even personal relationships may be affected if... Read More
The first words that come to mind when people think... Read More
The home away from home but a little bit more... Read More
A beautiful and inexpensive place without a tourist in sight.... Read More
Lake Tahoe cabin complexes rangein size from small, six-unit, luxury... Read More
Surrounded by the romantic and beautiful Smoky Mountains, a Gatlinburg... Read More
Plan your next vacation where most people call paradise...the Bahamas... Read More
Disneyland became the very definition of a theme park and... Read More
The Bahamas serve as the perfect relaxation destination. With pristine... Read More
Did you know that staying in a vacation cabin rental... Read More
Traveling is a great way to escape the rat race... Read More
Those looking to invest in real estate should not overlook... Read More
Taking the plunge from average vacationer to vacation property owner... Read More
As our wedding anniversary looms near... and this one will... Read More
South Lake Tahoe vacation rentals are particularly in demand with... Read More
Many people believe that the first thing you should do... Read More
Vacation Rental |