Holly Cottage

A little more information on Cheltenham

Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds, was originally an Iron Age Fort and is a perfect example of traditional English life. Since the 12th century, this historic marketplace has hosted a variety of fairs, including the biennial Gypsy Horse Fair, numerous craft fairs, and a weekly Farmers' market. The village stocks stand at one end of the large market square, while antique stores, tea rooms, traditional pubs, award-winning restaurants, and a cricket museum line the other side. The Macmillan Way, Heart of England Way, Gloucestershire, and Monarch's Way all pass through or near Stow, making it a convenient starting point for hikes and bike excursions through the picturesque Cotswolds countryside. Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Bourton-on-the-Water is one of the most visited settlements in the Cotswolds due to its picturesque setting on the banks of the River Windrush. Moreton-in-Marsh, a Saxon market town, and Broadway, the typical English village, are both easily accessible and make for a lovely day trip. 20 miles away in Cheltenham is England's most fully realised Regency town. Famous for its horse-racing season in March that culminates in the Gold Cup steeplechase, this spa town also boasts an astonishing selection of shops, cinemas, theatres, restaurants, and bars. Festivals of literature, jazz, classical music, science, and food and drink are held there at different periods of the year. Oxford is the oldest university city in England and is also known as "The City of Dreaming Spires" due to its abundance of illustrious attractions such as the university's 38 colleges (half of which were founded before 1600), the oldest university teaching room, the Bodleian Library, Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, and Botanic Gardens. Stow-on-the-Wold is conveniently located for day trips to nearby Stratford upon Avon, Bath, Worcester, and the port city of Gloucester.