The county of Gloucestershire is located in the South West region of England, and boarders with the city of Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, Wiltshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Monmouthshire in Wales (previously Gwent).

The River Severn winds its way through the county, since  recovering from a flood in 2007 large sums of money have been invested in attracting tourists to visit the many sites and diverse range of shops in the area.

Gloucestershire is split up into 7 districts. The city of Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Cotswold, Stroud, Forest of Dean and lately South Gloucestershire.  All these districts offer a vast amount of countryside with a number of cultural and natural beauty spots, as well activities such as rock climbing and mountain biking. The towns itself like Cheltenham and Gloucester provide a varied selection of entertainment activities and attractions such as sporting activities, shopping venues, museums, and restaurants. 

Other towns and villages such as Tetbury, Tewkesbury and Westonbirt are regarded as being traditionally British, due to their old fashioned way of life and their links to Royalty. Tetbury is home to Prince Charles and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, where if you’re lucky, you may bump into them in the local pub.

Gloucestershire is home to the Cotswolds, which is blessed with some of the most beautiful quaint villages in England, with honey coloured buildings and perfect surrounding countryside. The Cotswolds provides a beautiful fusion of nature and beauty, offering beautiful pathways to explore, as well as a large boating lake to sail on. The Cotswolds are a popular retreat for those who are looking to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. 

Like the Cotswolds, The Forest of Dean too is an enchanting place, with tree lined pathways and heavenly views.  The Forest of Dean is best experienced on bike or foot, giving you an opportunity to experience the full beauty of the forest.

Weather

The weather in Gloucestershire is generally quite good. The summers are usually warm, and as the land is flat there are usually no clouds in the sky. During the winter months, the county attracts a lot of frost and rain.

Statistics can be found at www.weatherbase.com

Getting There

By Air

Gloucestershire has its own small airport located in between Gloucester and Chetenham. There are only two destinations served from this airport,  the Isle of Man and Jersey. The closest International airport to Gloucestershire is Bristol Airport, where there are links all over Europe and some selected destinations internationally including USA. Also, Cardiff Airport is only an hours drive away.

By Road

The M5 motorway runs through Gloucestershire which has links to Birmingham to the North and Exeter to the South. Only a short journey South and you will come across the Almondsbury interchange near Bristol, where the M5 meets the M4 motorway. This again offers great links to Cardiff to the West via the two Severn Bridges and London to the East.

By Train

Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa and Bristol Parkway in South Gloucestershire are the main train stations in Gloucestershire. These stations are on the main line travelling North towards Birmingham and Manchester.

England Holiday and Travel Guide

Located in the South-West region of Great Britain, Cornwall lies off the Atlantic Ocean to the West and the English Channel to the South. The county only shares its borders with Devon but has islands lying off the coast called the Isles of Scilly. The Isles of Scilly lie 28 miles off Britain’s most southerly point Lands End.

During the Middle Ages and the nineteenth century tin and copper mining were the main economic sources. But during the mid to late nineteenth century, however, the tin and copper trades entered a period of decline. This led to fishing and agriculture, which was already a popular trade, expanding as the counties lead source of revenue. The growth of the railways during the 20th century led to a welcome influx of tourism to help the local economy and is still today heavily relied upon than the other industries.

Cornwall has long been one of the most popular UK holiday destinations. Cornwall is renowned for having the most beautiful beaches in Britain, regarded for their splendour and variety. Beach towns such as Perranporth, Polzeath and Newquay are best known for offering excellent surfing beaches which is suitable for all skills and abilities. Along the coast of Cornwall are some of the most charming fishing villages and harbours; Port Isaac famous for being the setting for ITV’s Doc Martin, Cadgwith , Looe, Portloe, Mevagissey, Tintageland Zennor are but a few.

After exploring the many different places of Cornwall, why not try sampling the locally produced food and drink on offer in the area?  There is a large variety of restaurants and bars offering locally produced dishes and drink, providing something for everyone. TV Chef Rick Stein lives in Padstow, Cornwall where many of his cooking inspirations come from.

Cornwall is mainly famous for the Cornish pasty, as it was designed for the miners who worked in the county. The reason behind the big crust on the Cornish pasty is that when the miners stopped for lunch, they were very dirty, so they would hold the thick crust and only eat the rest of the pasty.

Weather

Due to Cornwall’s south westerly location, it is lucky that regular temperatures are higher than the rest of mainland Britain. Although famed for its mild climate, it is very difficult to predict the weather pattern at any given time. Things can be quite different on the north coast to the south coast in Cornwall.

Statistics can be found at www.weatherbase.com

Getting Here

By Air

Newquay Cornwall Airport receives flights from the UK and Ireland including London Gatwick, Manchester, Dublin and Edinburgh to name a few. Destinations in Europe are restricted to Dusseldorf and Zurich. For more choices of flights across Europe and beyond the closest airports are Exeter and Bristol.

By Train

There is great selection of train routes that connect to the small towns along the coast of Cornwall, as well as the major cities across the UK including London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads.

By Road

The M5 motorway only goes as far as Exeter in Devon. From there only A and B roads are available to take you into Cornwall and the towns and villages within.

England Holiday and Travel Guide