Cheltenham

Cheltenham, situated at the foot of Cleeve Hill (the Cotswolds’ highest point) was once Britain’s most popular spa resort, enjoying the patronage of wealthy visitors in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its legacy is a multitude of handsome Regency architecture, broad avenues and fine parks. Today, Cheltenham’s annual festivals (Literature, Music, Science, Food and Jazz), fortnightly farmer’s markets and up-market shops, boutiques, bars and restaurants still draw scores of visitors.

Antarctic explorer Edward Wilson was born in Cheltenham in 1872, and ‘The Planets’ composer, Gustav Holst,  in 1874. Cheltenham is now home to Zara Phillips, the Queen’s eldest granddaughter, and her husband Mike Tindall, Gloucester Rubgy player and England team captain.

Cheltenham is world-famous for its National Hunt horse racing at Prestbury Park. Meetings take place from October through to May, the main event being the much-celebrated Gold Cup National Hunt Festival week in March.

In 2014, The Sunday Times selected Cheltenham as one of the best places to live in Britain, and a 2011 Google Street View Poll voted Cheltenham’s Promenade as one of Britain’s top five shopping streets.

For more information on Cheltenham please visit www.visitcheltenham.com.