There’s a mystical lost world waiting to be explored at Mr Mulligan’s Cheltenham, home to an incredible 36-hole crazy golf course that’s full of surprises. Or how about catching a ride on a tractor, bottle-feeding lambs, meeting 50 breeds of farm animals, and riding zipwires at the Cotswold Farm Park?
Enjoy messy, creative fun at The Paint it Yourself Pottery Co. Then visit the unmissable Pittville Park, complete with boating lake, skate park, tennis courts, golf putting green, wildlife lake, animals, playground, and the Pittville Pump Rooms, with café, playroom, ballroom and spa.
Catch family-friendly films at Cineworld Cheltenham. Take the Cheltenham Montpellier self-guided themed treasure trail and learn some fascinating snippets of local history along the way. Or get lost in the willow maze at Sudeley Castle and explore the wooden fort and adventure playpark.
Head to Birdland to see one of the largest collections of exotic birds in the UK, with free-flying displays, feeding sessions and talks, as well as the England’s only breeding colony of king penguins. Or meet more birds and feed the deer, goats and donkeys at Prinknash.
Plenty of good walking round these parts. Get started at the crooked and twisted Devil’s Chimney at the top of Leckhampton Hill. From here, they say the Devil would hurl stones at Sunday churchgoers. Now he uses the stones as his chimney to let free the smokes of hell. Take the stiff walk and find out for yourself.
Clean your boots and go again for Sudeley Castle and Salter’s Hill, Cleeve Hill, Hailes Abbey, Broadway Tower and Eckington Wharf. Spot the 40 gargoyles at St Peter’s Church in Winchcombe or get a unique insight into Roman Britain at Chedworth Villa and Spoonley Wood.
You don’t need to love horses to love a day out at Cheltenham Races, a cradle of nerve-jangling adrenaline in the shadow of the Cotswold hills. Visit gorgeous Tewkesbury Abbey and watch out for the 15th-century stained glass and unique roof bosses, or catch a little culture at the Playhouse Theatre.
Love shopping? You’ll love Cheltenham’s Promenade and Montpellier Arcade, with household names and quirky independents embedded in gorgeous Regency buildings. Pick from four distinct quarters. Stay in town and get your glad rags on for The Ivy, cocktails at Soho Bar, or a booze-free night at The Sober Parrot.
