Excursions and day trips
The following are just a few of the many places worthy of a visit within easy reach of home/Churchdown.
Cheltenham:
Cheltenham with its museums, art gallery, parks and gardens, theatres and a newly built cinema, Promenade and High Street shopping make it well worth a visit.
Gloucester:
Discover the historic waterfront city of Gloucester with Roman foundations,Victorian Docklands and magnificent Norman Cathedral rubbing shoulders with a bustling city centre that boasts an incredible range of shops, markets, and buildings some dating back to Medieval times and earlier.
London:
spend the day in London and visit the sights - changing the guard at Buckingham Palace, walk by the lake in St James Park or perhaps take the open top bus tour and visit one of the museums or art galleries. The choice is yours.
Stratford-upon-Avon:
Spend the day exploring the birthplace of Shakespeare, including Mary Arden's House, Anne Hathoway's Cottage, Nash's House, New House and Hall's Croft and walking along the river side.
Berkley Castle:
This beautiful and historic castle begun in 1154 still remains the home of the family and was the scene of the murder of King Edward II in 1327. Also on the site are gardens, a butterfly house and the Edward Jenner House and museum.
Prinknash Abbey and Bird Park:
Prinknash Bird and Deer Park is set in a wooded valley at the centre of a monastic estate between the new Abbey to the North and the old Abbey which was once the hunting lodge of the Abbots of Gloucester and King Henry VIII.
Painswick and the Roccoco Gardens:
Painswick is a small town with many 17th century Cotswold stone houses and winding streets with quaint shops to explore and wonderful views across the valley. The parish Church is famous for it's 100 yew trees. In the Roccoco Gardens you can enjoy strolling in the gardens which are full of wildlife – from newts and dragonflies, to deer and squirrels - or following the nature trails.
Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust:
It is home to an astounding array/variety of wildlife including the world's largest collection of swans, geese, and ducks. Here you will find a year round programme of walks, art, events, workshops, talks and spectacular wildlife encounters.
Cotswold Wildlife Park:
It is set in 160 acres of parkland and gardens around a listed Victorian Manor House. The Park is home to a fascinating and varied collection of mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates from all over the world.
Cotswold Farm Park:
Home to a large variety of rare breed farm animals including Gloucester cattle, Guernsey goats, Cotswold sheep and Crested ducks and many more. It is situated not far from the village of Guiting Power in spectacular countryside.
Tewkesbury:
Tewkesbury is an ancient settlement at the meeting point of the rivers Severn and Avon and is dominated by the 12th-century Abbey. Lying on the riverside, the old town has hardly altered since the middle ages. Tewkesbury presents one of the best medieval townscapes in England with its fine half-timbered Tudor buildings, overhanging upper-storeys and ornately carved doorways.
Stow-on-the-Wold:
Stow-on-the-Wold is a delightful market town standing on a 700 feet high hill. Historically famous for it's annual fairs, at one end of the large Market Square stands the ancient cross, and at the other the town stocks in the shade of an old elm tree. Around the square elegant Cotswold town houses can be seen with many antique shops, Art galleries, gift and craft shops.
Bourton-on-the-Water:
Bourton on the Water is known as "The Venice of the Cotswolds" where many pretty 18th century bridges cross the River Windrush as it flows through the centre of the village. In the garden of The Old New Inn there is a model of the village faithfully reproducing the Cotswold stone houses, the streets, the shops and the River Windrush with its many bridges. Opposite is Birdland, a natural setting with over 500 birds.