GLOUCESTERSHIRE HOLIDAYS   >   SW ENGLAND 


County in South West Englandand comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean.

Principal towns include Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester, and Tewkesbury.

The county town is the city of Gloucester.


cruises, holiday rentals, hotels & inns, tour operators, travel guides, travel to gloucestershire

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Camping & Caravanning

 KeyCamp Holidays
Forest of Dean [ Gloucestershire ]: Bracelands.

  Eurocampings   -   ACSI Camping Guide

Cruises

  Destination Southwest
Destination Southwest is an alliance between 8 ports throughout the Southwest of England - Ilfracombe, Torbay, Dartmouth, Plymouth, Fowey, Falmouth, Penzance and the Isles of Scilly.

Holiday Rentals / Cottages / Self catering

 Hoburne

   -   Holiday Lodges and Holiday Parks Britain
A short break, or weekend, at one of our holiday parks gives you a real getaway, whatever the season. You'll find well-equipped and cosily heated bungalows, lodges, chalets, apartments and caravans in beautiful forest, countryside and coastal surroundings.

  Interhome   -   Holiday homes

  Owlpen Cotswold Holiday Cottages [ Owlpen Manor Estate ]
Owlpen Manor is a mile east of Uley, off the B4066.

  Sudeley Castle Country Cottages
Located on the edge of the estate, midway between the Castle and the historic town of Winchcombe. This small attractive complex of Cotswold stone cottages is set around a central courtyard with landscaped gardens and ample parking. Sudeley Castle Country Cottages are the ideal choice for a walking or touring holiday or simply as an escape into the Cotswold countryside.

Hotels Gloucestershire, Inns and B&B

  Booking.com   -   Hotel Guide Gloucestershire 
In and around Gloucestershire : Cheltenham, Gloucester, Cirencester, Blockley, Tetbury, Moreton in Marsh, Stroud, Wyck Rissington, Tewkesbury, Stow on the Wold, Falfield, Stonehouse

 

  Best Western Hotels   -    
If you're looking for hotel breaks in / near Gloucestershire

 
Hostelbookers.com is one of the worlds largest online booking services for hostels. All hostels you see here are offering realtime prices and availability.

Travel Agencies / Tour Operators

Helpful Holidays  

Superbreak
Superbreak offer leisure hotel breaks and features 2-5 star hotels, with the majority in the 3-4 star+ rating.

 
Widest choice of self-catering holidays / short breaks throughout Britain, Ireland and Europe
A self-catering holiday in one of Hoseasons' holiday lodges and parks brings a new meaning to the word freedom. From the moment you arrive you can revel in the limitless possibilities offered at every resort centre.
And with late availability and last minute booking facilities, you'll soon be experiencing the holiday of your dreams. Enjoy a weekend or short break in beautiful countryside, at some of Europe's finest beaches or forest surroundings.

 
Create your perfect trip to Gloucestershire



Travel Guides Gloucestershire / Related books

The Old Paths of Gloucestershire
Alan S. Pilbeam (Author)
A walk around the old paths of Gloucestershire is, in many ways, a walk through the history of Gloucestershire itself. In this fascinating account, Alan Pilbeam takes us on a tour of the county's pathways and roads, demonstrating how the evolution of Gloucestershire society over time, from the pilgrims of the Middle Ages through the battle-scars of the Civil War and the industrial workers of the Victoria era, is reflected in changes in both the uses and nature of the county's footpaths. Examining each era in detail the author reveals the history lying around each corner and the characters that once enlivened the terrain. Including 100 high-quality photographs, it is also an excellent introduction to walking in Gloucestershire and will prove invaluable to both visitors to the area and locals wanting to know more about the place in which they live. It will hold appeal not only to walkers, but to anyone with an interest in the history of this most beautiful of counties.
Paperback: 160 pages; Publisher: The History Press Ltd; illustrated edition edition (4 Mar 2008); ISBN-10: 0752445405; ISBN-13: 978-0752445403.

Gloucestershire from the Air    -   Jason Hawkes (Author)
Historic Gloucestershire is often regarded as the epitome of the English countryside. Covering 3150 square kilometers, the county includes the greater part of the Cotswold Hills, a significant stretch of the broad Severn Valley and the Forest of Dean. Its towns and villages were by and large not heavily industrialized in the modern sense - although the Forest of Dean was notable for its coal mines until quite recent times - but the county has played a key role through the centuries in the growing of wool and the manufacture of cloth.
Money from these sources helped to fund the building of many attractive and now mellow country houses and some of the most spectacular churches in England. Towering above them all, of course, being the great cathedral at Gloucester and the abbey at Tewkesbury. From the late eighteenth century Gloucestershire developed its own rival to Bath with the growth of Cheltenham Spa, its terraces and houses being some of the best examples of Regency architecture anywhere in Britain. Today Cheltenham is also renowned both for its racecourse and the brooding presence of GCHQ.
But Gloucestershire was and remains a predominantly pastoral scene. Celebrated in music by Vaughan Williams, Holst and Howells, who were all born here, and in words by Laurie Lee, Winifred Foley and Edward Thomas, the county has one of the strongest traditions of living landscape, its hills and valleys, woods and rivers, market towns and gentle villages, being what so many think of as the true soul of England.
Hardcover: 144 pages; Publisher: Halsgrove (10 Jun 2010); ISBN-10: 0857040022; ISBN-13: 978-0857040022. 

Transport / How do I travel to Gloucestershire

  Bristol Airport   -   Bristol International Airport 
  Exeter Airport   -   Home of Flybe
  Newquay Airport 

 
Book cheap flights to Southwest England at ebookers and benefit from discounted airfares. View their latest offers and book your flights, accommodation, car hire and insurance online

  Airline Tickets /  Bargain Flights 
Flight tickets Gloucester [ Bristol & Exeter ]

 
thetrainline is the fully impartial rail ticketing website owned by the Virgin Group, Virgin Rail Group and National Express Group, providing the cheaper way to buy train tickets online. thetrainline provides fast, easy and secure access to timetables, tickets and fares for all National Rail journeys across the UK.

National Express 
Travel by bus or coach to Gloucertershire.


Links

  Gloucestershire County Council

  Visitgloucester.info   -   Information on visiting Gloucester

  Gloucester City Council

  Visit Southwest of England
Accommodation,  Essential Travel Information,  Destinations to Visit,  Attractions,  Events,  Holiday Inspiration,   Business Tourism etc.

  Cheltenham   -   Cheltenham Borough Council
  Cotswold   -   Cotswold District Council 
  Forest of Dean   -   Forest of Dean District Council
The Royal Forest of Dean lies in the western part of Gloucestershire between the Rivers Wye and Severn and on the borders of Wales and Herefordshire. It is one of the most distinctive areas of Britain having a seductive charm and character that is uniquely its own. Its range of stunning landscapes and spectacular scenery has inspired artists, craftspeople, inventors, poets and playwrights, as well as the many visitors who return to the area year after year.
  Forest of Dean Tourism
A magical place where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy beautiful and extraordinary surroundings. The Forest of Dean, the 'Queen of Forests', has something for everyone - fascinating heritage, spectacular and varied landscapes, plus warm and friendly hospitality.
This enchanted place became Britain's first National Forest Park in 1938 and is England's largest oak forest. Tucked away between the rivers Wye, Leadon and Severn in Western Gloucestershire, the Forest of Dean is a world apart from the rest.
  Gloucester   -   Gloucester City Council 
  South Gloucestershire (Unitary)  -   South Gloucestershire Council
  Stroud   -   Stroud District Council
The district is mixed and consists of part of the Cotswolds and an area of the flat, fertile valley of the River Severn. The area is rich in Iron Age and Roman remnants and is of particular interest to archaeologists for its Neolithic burial grounds. Much of the landscape in this area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
  Tewkesbury   -   Tewkesbury Borough Council 

  Cheltenham   -   Visitcheltenham.info
Information on visiting Cheltenham
  Cirencester   -   market town in east Gloucestershire
The town lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in Cotswold District. The town's Corinium Museum is well-known for its extensive Roman collection. See Cirencester Town Council
  Stroud   -   main town in Stroud District.
Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys. The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounds the town, and the Cotswold Way path passes by it to the west. See Stroud Town Council and Stroud District Tourism Site
  Tewkesbury   -   Visitcotswoldsandsevernvale.gov.uk
Information on visiting Tewkesbury.

  List of Places in Gloucestershire

  Berkeley Castle   -   example of a feudal stronghold
Berkeley Castle is one of the most remarkable buildings in Britain and possibly the most outstanding example of Mediaeval domestic architecture in the country.
Where other Castles were romanticised or "modernised" by the Georgians or the Victorians, Berkeley quietly survived as what it is: a Norman fortress with an enclosing curtain wall, built and enlarged through the mediaeval period and beyond into a secure, comfortable, substantial home.
  Beverston Castle   -   see Wikipedia
Originally constructed as a medieval stone fortress. Situated in the village of Beverston.
  Gloucester Cathedral 
  Hailes Abbey   -   two miles northeast of Winchcombe
The abbey was founded in 1245 or 1246 by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, called "King of the Romans" and the younger brother of King Henry III of England. See Pastscape [ national monuments record ]
  Owlpen Manor
Owlpen Manor is a Tudor Grade I listed manor house of the Mander family, situated in the village of Owlpen in the Stroud district and widely recognised as one of the most romantic early manor houses in England. The Tudor manor (1450-1616) stands with its early formal garden of magnificent yews at the centre of a clutch of medieval landmark buildings. Many are now adapted as quite exceptional award-winning Cotswold holiday cottages. See Owlpen.com. 
  Sudeley Castle
Sudeley Castle is a castle located near Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England. It dates from the 10th century, but the inhabited portion is chiefly Elizabethan.
Sudeley's glorious gardens are amongst the very best in England, from the centrepiece Queens' Garden, billowing with hundreds of varieties of old fashioned roses, to the Herbal Healing Garden which is being introduced for the 2010 season. See Sudeleycastle.co.uk. 
  Tewkesbury Abbey [ Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary ]
Lying at the southern edge of the old town, the Abbey [ a former Benedictine monastery ] quietly dominates the land and skyline with its long nave and "probably the largest and finest Romanesque tower in England" (Pevsner). See Tewkesburyabbey.org.uk. See also Founders' and benefectors' book of Tewkesbury Abbey, in Latin England, Tewkesbury; 16th century, first quarter. 
  Tyndale Monument
The Tyndale Monument is a tower built on a hill at North Nibley, Gloucestershire, England. It was built in honour of William Tyndale, a translator of the New Testament, who is believed to have been born at North Nibley. See for more Wikipedia.
  Wildfowl and Wetland Trust [ Slimbridge ]
Slimbridge is home to an astounding array of wildlife including the world's largest collection of swans, geese, and ducks.
A year round programme of walks, arts, events, workshops, talks and spectacular wildlife encounters are a fantastic way for everyone to connect to their natural surroundings.

  Quedgeley Parish Council  
  Council Direct 
  Cotswolds.com   -   Information on visiting the Cotswolds
  Visitthecotswolds.org.uk  -   Information on visiting Stroud

  Education   -   Gloucestershire College of Arts & Technology
  Education   -   Royal Agricultural College [ Cirencester ]
Oldest agricultural college in the English-speaking world [ founded in 1840 ].
  News   -   This is Gloucestershire   -   At the heart of the things local
  News from Gloucestershire   -   BBB Gloucestershire 
  University of Gloucestershire  

Cuisine  -  Gastronomy

Gloucester squab pie,

  Healthy recipes from The Cotswold Chef™ 

Traditional Gloucestershire Recipes 
Merlin Price (Author)
Paperback: 48 pages; Publisher: Minimax Books Ltd (Jun 1988); ISBN-10: 0906791529; ISBN-13: 978-0906791523.

History Gloucestershire

  Living Gloucester
Living Gloucester is Gloucester City Council's million- piece, four-dimensional jigsaw of the city.

  Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum
The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum portrays the history of two famous regiments, The Gloucestershire Regiment [ The Glorious Glosters ] and The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. 

Historic Gardens of Gloucestershire
Timothy Mowl (Author)
Paperback: 176 pages; Publisher: NPI Media Group; illustrated edition edition (1 Mar 2002); ISBN-10: 0752419560; ISBN-13: 978-0752419565.

Music, Art & Culture, Events & Entertainment

  Gloucester City Museum & Art Gallery
The museum's fascinating displays are housed in a fine Victorian Building in the heart of the City and contains many items of national and international importance. Among the spectacular collection are the archaeological finds, fine and decorative arts, and natural history specimens representing Gloucester's rich heritage.
  Gloucester Folk Museum
Gloucester Folk Museum is one of the oldest-established museums dedicated to social history. The collections have been drawn together through mainly gifts from the entire county of Gloucestershire, and represent one of the most fascinating collections of such material.
From treen [ small wooden items ], to the intriguing story of the river Severn fisheries, from historic costume to the life of the dairy; from the reconstructed Victorian classroom to the original pin factory - all of these plus hundreds of other elements of our local history are to be found here.
  Libraries in Gloucestershire

  Three Choirs festival 
An international classical music festival presented in August each year by rotation in the cathedral cities of Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester.
Choral & orchestral music at its exhilarating and uplifting best, in a quintessentially English setting.
  Stroud Festival Fortnight    -   Stroud Food & Drink and Walking Festivals

  SoGlos.com   -   What's on in Gloucestershire
Find out what's on in Gloucestershire with the county's leading online magazine SoGlos.com, including upcoming Gloucestershire events and the very best interviews, reviews and features.

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