Cheltenham
Racing and books—but what else is Cheltenham famous for? A smart ladies college and the headquarters of Kraft Foods. Perhaps you remember a rather unsavoury episode in 1992 when the town acquired the sniff of a racist reputation by choosing not to select the very eloquent black barrister John Taylor as its MP? All these things may spring to mind when you hear the word "Cheltenham"—but don't let them. Take a trip there, wander through the elegant Regency streets, and see for yourself.
Photo: Cheltenham Promenade. Photo by courtesy of Andrew Stawarz, published on Flickr in 2008 under a Creative Commons Licence.
The location
Cheltenham isn't too sure where it is. It's in the Midlands, but it's also in the South West. It's in the Cotswolds, but it also feels like the edge of the West Country. Whichever direction you approach from, you're going to pass through some glorious countryside, even though the urban sprawls of Oxford, Gloucester, and Birmingham are just a stone's throw away. Come by rail from Birmingham and you'll pass through the lovely Lickey Hills and down the famous Lickey Incline. To the west there are the Malverns, with Wales beyond. To the south west, you have the Forest of Dean. Cheltenham feels like a bigger than average town as you wander round its streets—almost the size of a small city, in fact. But the elegant Georgian architecture, smart shops, and rolling Cotswold landscape nearby give it a well-heeled, green-welly, Country Life sort of feel. You may be in the town—but you're definitely in the country too!
Things to do
Countryside
There's plenty of excellent walking nearby. Try the National Trust's Sherborne Estate, 1600 hectares (4000 acres) of glorious countryside near the River Windrush with lots of footpath access and plenty of perfect picnic spots.
Attractions
Most people come here for the Cheltenham Festival in March. If that's your reason for visiting, be sure to book your accommodation early! Talking of books, the Cheltenham Literature Festival is another of the town's major draws (in August). Festivals aside, most people who come here are probably visiting the Cotswolds and a day trip to Cheltenham might make a very welcome change from all that honey-coloured stone and relentless rural beauty! If you're staying in Cheltenham itself, you might find a day trip to Birmingham worth your while, with its excellent shops and tourist attractions like Cadbury World, the Bourneville chocolate village (the closest real life ever comes to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and several excellent museums.
If you like historic houses and gardens, you might fancy a trip to
the ruins of 13th-century Hailes
Abbey near the lovely village of Winchcombe. The famous
Lawrence Johnston gardens at Hidcote
Manor, now managed by the National Trust, are not far near Chipping Campden (where
Ronnie Barker decided to run an antiques shop on his retirement). Snowshill
Manor near Broadway is a fascinating arts and crafts manor house
with an unusual collection of 20th century ephemera and a wonderful
organic garden. For some reason, photography is allowed in the house
only "by written arrangement".
Among many glorious Cotswold places worth a visit, a few stand out. Broadway (with its famous tower and wonderful hotel, the 16th-century Lygon Arms) is a favourite stop for many people, as are Upper and Lower Slaughter ("the Slaughters").
Shopping
Much like in Bath, Cheltenham's shops are a mixture of old and new, upmarket and downmarket, traditional and modern. The older smarter shops of The Promenade at the top end of town are a world away from the chain stores in the shopping centres downtown. If you shopping in Cheltenham, you'll want to wander through the modern Regent Arcade centre to catch a glimpse of the famous Kit Williams Wishing Fish clock.
Places to stay
No shortage of great places in the town and the surrounding
countryside. Take a look at the very good Cotswolds
Info website for a wide range of hotels, B&Bs, cottages, and
inns.
Getting here
Pretty easy by car or by train. The town is easily accessible by
road from the M5, running down from Birmingham towards Bristol
The railway station, Cheltenham Spa, is on a main line from Swindon to Reading and London Paddington. Note that the station is a good mile's walk from the town centre so, if you have lots of luggage, a taxi is probably in order. Buses run regularly along this route too.
Map
Here's a map of Cheltenham from Google Images. You can use the "Find businesses" tab and search box to find local businesses, places to stay, and so on.
More information
- Visit Cheltenham: Official guide, includes online accommodation search.
- Cheltenham Online: Official website of Cheltenham Borough Council.
- My Brum: A more informal guide to the city, offering lots of inside, local knowledge on the best places to go.
- Cheltenham: A very good, comprehensive introduction to the city from Wikipedia.
- Cheltenham: See what images people are posting on Flickr.
