From beer festivals to high-octane motor racing, there’s all sorts to do in and around the Cotswolds this weekend. Here are five suggestions for what to do from us to you.
June 27 | Charlbury
The Charlbury Beer Festival returns this year for another day of good beer and good fun, all for a good cause. There will be 50 beers and real ales to sample, as well as live music, talks, drop-in workshops and the Aunt Sally World Championship. This year the festival will be celebrating the signing of the Magna Carta, sourcing beers from along the length of the river Thames (including Runnymede, where a draft of the historic document was first presented to King John). Proceeds from the event will go to the local primary school, as well as to community projects in the local area and the developing world. For more information, visit the website. For more beer, cider and wine festivals around the Cotswolds, read our round-up article.
Tewkesbury Food and Drink Festival
June 27-28 | Tewkesbury
The popular Tewkesbury Food & Drink Festival returns this June, once again held in the beautiful Tewkesbury Abbey grounds. The weekend of fun and foodie delights will feature a Food & Drink marquee with over 60 stalls offering a wealth of local produce including award-winning cheeses, locally reared meat, homemade cakes and pastries, local wine, beer and cider plus much more. The event will also include a cookery theatre with live demonstrations from local chefs and experts, as well as food competitions and plenty of entertainment, games and activities for the kids. For more information, visit: http://www.visittewkesbury.info/tewkesburyevents.html and for more food and drink festivals around the Cotswolds, read our round-up article.
Walk 4 Wildlife on Robinswood Hill
June 28 | Robinswood, Gloucester
Ancient hedgerows marked on tithe maps of the 1790s, a medieval well that supplied Gloucester with water, a pre-1600s ridge and furrow agricultural system, traditional hay meadows, an old orchard planted in the 1800s and an oak which started growing when King Henry VIII was on the throne. These are all en route during this year’s Walk 4 Wildlife on Sunday June 28 which takes you on a 3.5 mile exploration of Robinswood Hill, Gloucester. The top of the Hill also provides a 360 degree view around the Severn Vale, the Cotswold escarpment and the welsh hills, which is one of the reasons we included it in our round-up of top picnic spots in the Cotswolds. Plus you’ll be raising money at the same time to help the Trust protect the regions beautiful yet vulnerable wildlife. Dogs are welcome, so bring your canine companion along for its daily exercise! The walk will finish at the ‘Go Wild’ family fun day on the Hill where you can refuel at the food and drink stalls, listen to live music or try a range of activities such as archery, bush craft, kite making, circus skills workshops, face painting, the climbing wall and Gloucester Rugby Club’s agility course. To book your place, visit the website: www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/how-you-can-help/raise-money-us
Midsummer Speed Fest at Prescott Speed Hill Climb
June 27-28 | Near Cheltenham
This weekend, Prescott Speed Hill Climb will once again open its doors to racing enthusiasts at the Midsummer Speed Fest. The weekend of motoring will include the sixth round of the 2015 Midland Hill Climb Championship; and the second round of The Prescott Gold Cup. Plus visitors will be able to watch and cheer on as the Bugatti Car Handicap, the SBD Motorsport HSA Speed Championship, Service Hydraulics Speed Championship and the Precott ‘B’ Lisence Championship all get underway. There will also be plenty of classic cars to faun over and tasty refreshments, all adding up to a great two-day racing event! For tickets and further details, visit the website: www.prescott-hillclimb.com/mid-summer-speed-fest.aspx
June 20-July 19 | Cheltenham
The 46th annual Art in the Park in Cheltenham began on June 20 and runs for 4 weeks, until Sunday July 19, with different artists exhibiting their work in the Imperial Gardens each week. The format of the event allows the art on offer to be highly affordable. The event is organised and run by the artists themselves, and admission to the public is free, so everybody can browse until their heart’s content. The event is open from 10am to 7.30pm daily, and there’s a seating area in front of the open air bar allowing visitors to relax and enjoy a peaceful drink whilst at the exhibition. For more information, visit: www.cheltenham-art.com/COAAE.htm
