The glorious, honey-coloured towns and villages of the Cotswolds look as if they have strayed into the 21st century from another era. The area is characterised by a vibrant energy: with lively galleries, interesting festivals and a sprinkling of fascinating museums, as well as a calendar of horse races that are well worth traveling to enjoy! Covering five counties (Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire) this region of 'wolds', or rolling hills, is the biggest of the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales, of which there are 38 in total. Each county has its own character and there are reasons to explore the 'wolds' or gently rolling hills during every season.
Book a spring adventure to see lambs and wild daffodils and endless bluebell woods. Visit in summer for magical sunrises and sunsets and the longest days to explore historical properties such as Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the Rococco Gardens in Painswick, or Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe. Choose autumn for a quieter atmosphere and richly painted woodland especially at the two great arboreta, Westonbirt and Batsford. Crowd-free winters are ideal for bracing walks and well deserved fire-side afternoon teas - and quite possibly lower prices!
Please contact your Destination Specialist for more information on +44 (0) 1993 824198
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temperature Avg | |||||||||||||
| Precipitation Avg | |||||||||||||
| Precipitation (Avg Days) | 14 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 146 |
The weather is as unpredictable as with the rest of the UK and it is possible to see elements of all four seasons in one day. Read More
January - New Year’s Day Races, Cheltenham Racecourse
February - Carpets of Snowdrops, Painswick Rococo, Colesbourne and Newark Park Gardens
March - Cheltenham Gold Cup Week
March - Made by Hand - The Contemporary Craft Festival, Cheltenham
May - Badminton Horse Trials
May - Cheltenham Jazz Festival
May - Cheese Rolling at Cooper’s Hill near Gloucester
May - The Tetbury Woolsack Races
May - September - Gifford’s Circus tours the Cotswolds
June - September - Longborough Festival Opera
June - Burford Festival
June - Gloucestershire Festival of Polo at Beaufort Polo Club
June - Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival
June / July - ‘Fresh Air’ biannual sculpture exhibition, a celebration of contemporary sculpture, Quenington
July - Cornbury Festival, The Great Tew Park
July - The Cotswold Show, Cirencester
July - Battle of the Proms, Blenheim Palace
July - Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford
July - Broadway Car Show including one day of modern supercars and one day of Classic Cars
July - WOMAD Festival, Charlton Park Malmesbury
August - Wilderness Festival, Chipping Norton
August - The Big Feastival, Kingham
October - Cheltenham Literature Festival
October - Westonbirt Arboretum - Autumn Colour Spectacular
October - Batsford Arboretum - Autumn Colour Spectacular
December - Christmas markets in various Cotswolds towns
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