Cotswolds and Forest of Dean
This is the English countryside of the imagination. Dotted amongst gentle hills, meandering rivers and ancient woodland you'll find iconic country houses and traditional gardens along with some of the most picturesque villages in England - famous for their honey coloured cottages and churches.
Walkers will be in their element in this spectacular countryside with plenty of rustic pubs to stumble across. The magical Forest of Dean's unspoiled views and tree lined pathways make it great for exploring by bike or on foot, and great attractions from steam trains rides to wildlife reserves will keep everyone entertained.
Cheltenham town with its regency architecture and the City of Gloucester with its spectacular Cathedral and historic docklands make great bases from which explore this beautiful area.
Take some inspiration from the ideas on this page or for detailed information go to the official Cotswolds and Forest of Dean websites.
What you can do in:
What's happening?
cotswolds.com and
visitforestofdean.co.uk
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Must Sees
Gloucester Cathedral
Worship has taken place in this magnificent Cathedral for over 900 years. The cloisters also feature in the Harry Potter films!
Picturesque Villages
The Cotswolds is home to some of the most unspoilt, historic and famous towns and villages in England!
Beautiful villages such as Snowshill and Painswick nestle in the Cotswold Hills, sure to delight any visitor. And Historical market towns such as Tetbury, Stroud and Cirencester offer excellent local shopping with thriving markets bursting with local produce.
Family Fun in the Forest
The Forest of Dean has some magical attractions geared to entertaining kids of all ages!
Take your little ones for a ride on a steam train, discover ancient caves, explore themed mazes, visit a butterfly zoo, meet birds of prey, have a go at pottery, follow a sculpture trail through the forest, plus loads more!
Regency Cheltenham Spa
The Spa town of Cheltenham is renowned for its Regency architecture, stylish shopping, colourful parks and floral displays, horseracing, music and literature festivals.
Fine hotels and a wide variety of restaurants make it a good touring base for the Cotswolds.
Westonbirt Arboretum
Explore this magical tree garden with some of the oldest, rarest and biggest trees in the world. Set in a 600-acre historic landscape there are 16,000 trees and shrubs and 17 miles of easily accessible paths.
Special events run throughout the year - from hugely popular summer concerts to the Festival of the Tree and Enchanted Christmas illuminated trail.
Few areas of Britain are covered with as many fantastic walking trails as the Cotswolds. Lead along Roman routes, ancient salt ways and through medieval villages - you'll benefit from gentle hillsides, pubs and plenty of top quality places to stay.
Hidden Gems
Painswick Rococo Garden
Hidden away in a charming valley with splendid views, England's only remaining Rococo Garden features fascinating architecture, a maze, woodland walks, herbaceous boarders and large kitchen garden to explore.
WWT Slimbridge Wetlands Centre
An astounding array of wildlife: from water voles to waders, hares to dragonflies - WWT Slimbridge is home to the world's largest collection of swans, geese, ducks and flamingos.
The Cotswolds Way
This National Trail winds for 102 miles through picturesque villages and close to historic sites such as the Roman heritage at Bath, the Neolithic burial chamber at Belas Knap, Sudeley Castle, Hailes Abbey and many beautiful churches and historic houses.
But you don't have to walk the whole thing - simply pick a section and experience an afternoon of rambling along this national treasure.
Pubs & Inns
For quintessentially English pubs the Cotswolds is the place to go. Complete with old wooden beams and ancient, golden colour limestone buildings - these are perfect places to hole up for a cosy afternoon sampling local ales and delicious pub grub.
Shopping
There are a surprising amount of shopping options in the area catering for all tastes and budgets. Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet boasts an outstanding mix of high street and designer labels and is located by the city's historic docks.
Cheltenham has delightful chic shopping whilst Tewkesbury antique shops are a bargain hunters delight. Stroud has a great concentration of artists, craftspeople and makers with some terrific galleries.