Gloucestershire is a county in south-west England. It comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean. The county seat is Gloucester and other principal towns include Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester, and Tewkesbury.

Cities, towns and villages

Map of Gloucestershire

Cities

• 1 Gloucester – cathedral city and county town of Gloucestershire

Towns

• 2 Cheltenham – spa town and home of the Cheltenham Racecourse.
• 3 Chipping Campden
• 4 Cirencester – main town of the Cotswolds
• 5 Lydney
• 6 Moreton-in-Marsh
• 7 Patchway
• 8 Stow-on-the-Wold
• 9 Stroud and the Five Valley villages such as Nailsworth and Minchinhampton
• 10 Tetbury
• 11 Tewkesbury – historic town famed for its role in the War of the Roses.
• 12 Thornbury – has medieval castle and a popular high street, also known for its churches, pubs and former railway station
• 13 Winchcombe – a small Cotswold town, home to Sudeley Castle and Hailes Abbey
• 14 Wotton-under-Edge
• 15 Yate and Chipping Sodbury

Villages

Chastleton House, near Moreton-in-Marsh

• 16 Berkeley – village, home to Berkeley Castle, a magnificent medieval fortress and scene of the gruesome murder of King Edward II in 1327
• 17 Bourton-on-the-Water – a large Cotswold village known for its picturesque beauty. Still features some interesting, independent shops.
• 18 Chedworth – a village known for its Roman villa.
• 19 Fairford
• 20 Kemble
• 21 Lower Slaughter – a quintessential English village nestled in the Cotswolds. The dour name refers to the wetlands and the River Eye which flows through the village. From here, you can walk to Upper Slaughter – a similarly beautiful village – in a matter of minutes.
• 22 Severn Beach and the Severn Bridge

Other destinations

• 1 Cotswolds – an affluent and picturesque area between Cheltenham and Oxford
• 2 Forest of Dean

Get in

By car

The M5 motorway and M4 motorway both cross the region. The Severn Bridges are themselves major landmarks. The A40 is a significant road that connects the county from west to east.

By plane

Gloucestershire itself has 1 Gloucestershire Airport (GLO ^IATA) in Staverton and while small in size, there are numerous flights available.

Alternatively there is 2 Bristol Airport (BRS ^IATA), as well as 3 Birmingham Airport (BHX ^IATA), 4 Gatwick Airport (LGW ^IATA) and 5 Heathrow Airport (LHR ^IATA) via car or public transport.

Eat

Gloucestershire is known for several food stuffs, including its own breed of pig, the Gloucestershire Old Spot:

• Tewkesbury mustard. (updated Feb 2018)
• Gloucester cheese. (updated Feb 2018)
• Stinking Bishop cheese. (updated Feb 2018)
• Gloucestershire squab pie. (updated Feb 2018)

Stay safe

• In emergencies call 999 or 112, in non-emergencies call 101 for police assistance.

Go next

• Bristol