The residential town of Cheltenham (5mi/8km from Gloucester; pop. 87,200) was made a popular spa resort in 1716 with the assistance of George III and Wellington. Its many trees give it the aspect of a garden city. There is no finer shopping street in England than the Promenade, and there are numerous other handsome streets of the Regency period. The Cheltenham festival of Contemporary Music is held in July.
The Art Gallery and Museum in Clarence Street has a good collection of Dutch masters.
The Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum contains an internationally renowned collection of arts and crafts, furniture, metalwork, paintings and textiles, many inspired by William Morris. It also presents the history of Cheltenham, Britain's most complete Regency town.
Small temporary exhibitions of costumes are frequently mounted.
Address: Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, Clarence Street, Cheltenham GL50 3JT, England
Hours:
May 1 to September 30: 10am-5pm
October 1 to April 30: 10am-4pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Spring Bank Holiday - Britain (last Monday, May ), Summer Bank Holiday - Britain outside Scotland (last Monday, August ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Tips: Donations welcome. Open the third Thursday of each month until 8pm.
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
This week-long festival brings together writers from throughout Europe and North America for open discussions, debates and talks. A children's festival is also held on the sidelines, with plays, films and musical performances.
Address: Cheltenham Tourist Office, 77 The Promenade, Cheltenham GL50 1PP, England
Guiting Power is a small village with ancient cotswold stone buildings. The Guitings are named for their position on the upper reaches of the Windrush in the northern Cotswolds (Gyte means flood). Power was the name of the family who settled the area.
Kemerton is 8mi/12km north of Cheltenham. Kemerton Camp, an Iron Age hill fort, and Kemerton Court, from the late 16th century are a couple of the more notable historic sites. The Kemerton Lake Nature Reserve is an important wildlife site.
Lodge Park is located in the Sherbourne Park Estate that was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1982. The property is an excellent example of a Cotswald estate that would include a village, planted valley and high, bleak land to the south.
During the 17th C it served the deer coursing park, providing excellent views over the course and the parkland.
Address: Lodge Park, Alsdworth, Cheltenham GL54 3PP, England
Hours:
March 14 to November 2: 11am-4pm; Closed: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu
Tips: Estate open all year, free admission. Hours and admission apply to Grandstand.
Parking: Free
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Northleach is located 8mi/15km southeast of Cheltenham. The Church of St Peter and St Paul in Northleach is an impressive building that dates from the 12th century. The town has a cricket club and a tennis club.
Address: Northleach Tourist Office, Cotswold Countryside Collection High Street, Northleach GL54 3JH, England
The Keith Harding Museum contains collections of antique clocks, musical boxes, automata and musical instruments. Winner of 'Come to Britain' award in 1988.
Address: World of Mechanical Music, The Oak House, High Street, Northleach GL54 3ET, England
Hours:
10am-6pm
Always closed on: Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Tips: Group travel discount and evening tours available.
Parking: Free
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Cheltenham's many parks include Pittville Park, which contains a lake, the Pumproom and a museum, and Prestbury Park, famous for the National Hunt steeplechases.
A great arched roof extends over the Regent Arcade while mirrors along the numerous stairs and elevators create an interesting and entertaining environment for shoppers.
Set amongst the lawns of trees of the Imperial Square is the richly adorned town hall of Cheltenham. Its interior is most notable for the three symbols of the oak, books and pigeons, each of which represent a different aspect of the city.
This incredible creation by Kit Williams features a clockface with peeping mice, an egg-laying duck and bubbles that spurt out to the tune of 'Forever Blowing Bubbles'. To catch a bubble means that a wish is to be made, thus the name of the clock.