Regency Cheltenham lies in the heart of the world famous Cotswolds. With beautiful surrounding countryside and traditional English villages, such as Stow-on the-Wold,  Bourton-on-the-Water and Chipping Campden nearby, Cheltenham is a magnet for tourists from all over the world, making it one of the most visited areas in England. Cirencester and the Stroud valley are also very nearby.

There are a wealth of events and permanent attractions throughout the year. Cheltenham has a range of world renowned festivals from April to October each year. The season starts with the Cheltenham Jazz festival at the end of April. This is followed by the highly acclaimed Times Cheltenham Science festival in June. In July it’s the Cheltenham music festival followed by possibly the most famous of all: the Times Cheltenham Literature festival. Along with the Jazz festival comes the Jazz Fringe festival with the vast majority of artists coming from within a 50 mile radius of Cheltenham. This gives a fantastic diverse line-up with music in over 20 venues. In 2009 the music festival which now incorporates seventy events celebrated its sixty fifth year. The Cheltenham Literature festival was attended by numerous celebrities including Dame Judi Dench and Stephen Fry the actor.

One of the key attractions is the Cheltenham Gold Cup.  In the  2010 gold cup festival over 7 million pounds was placed in bets in one day alone.  The race is the most prestigious National Hunt races.  It is a race  every jockey and trainer dreams of winning. Running over a distance of 3 miles and 2.5 furlongs (5,331 metres) , the race which takes place in March each year on the new course at Cheltenham and is open to horses aged five years or over. It is an immensily  important event for Cheltenham hotels, b&bs, bars and restaurants in Cheltenham, helping to boost the local economy of Regency Cheltenham in the heart of the Cotswolds.

Year round attractions include the Pittville pump room which dates back to when Cheltenham was famous as a spa town; and visitors came to take the water, believing in its healing and medicinal properties. Also the historic Cheltenham Everyman theatre, the Playhouse theatre and Bacon theatre provides year round entertainment from concerts to comedy.

Many people know of Cheltenham for the world famous Cheltenham Ladies College which is an independent school founded in 1853 and has an international reputation for excellent education. It is also a vibrant student town with over 2000 students based at the University of Gloucestershire campuses in Cheltenham.

Regency Cheltenham is a prime shopping town for the Cotswolds. Shops range from high quality privately owned shops to national and  international chain stores. A short walk from the centre of Cheltenham is Montepellier with its high quality individual clothes shops and bars. These include specialist cooking shops, babywear and hairdressers. There are also pavement cafes and bars which are extremely popular in the summer sunshine. As well as finding antique shops in Montpellier there is a monthly Antiques and Collectors fair at Cheltenham racecourse.

Cheltenham farmers market is held on the second and last Friday of each month held on the Promenade near the Cheltenham Tourist information office. With over thirty stalls there is a wide selection of high quality produce including meat, cheese and vegetables. There is also a Farmers market in nearby Stroud held every Saturday morning with a real feeling of Charm and culture.

Cheltenham Spa offers a fantastic range of eating out experiences to suit every taste and every budget. Cheltenham has a long tradition of high quality restaurants which in recent years has grown to suit everyone from residents to local students to visitors.

One of the most stylish Cheltenham restaurants is Brassiere Blanc owned by the renowned Raymond Blanc. The atmosphere is relaxed with high quality food and attentive service. It is an excellent place to relax and enjoy French cuisine without formality. The Curry Corner is also one of Cheltenham’s favourite restaurants. It is a multi award winning restaurant with awards including Taste of the West Gold 2009.

Nearby to Cheltenham there are historic places to visit for great days out such as Sudley Castle, near Winchcombe, which makes an excellent wedding venue with its historic backdrop. Snowshill Manor near Broadway is also another visitor favourite with Hidcote Manor near Chipping Campden.

The Cotswold Water Parks near Cirencester offer an unusual area of over 140 lakes where there is lakes for water skiing, sailing, cycling, Keynes country park for leisure activities, luxury hotel and Spa and an area ideal for relaxing county walks.

If you’re looking for property in Cheltenham there are around 40 estate agents in Cheltenham dealing with a wide and diverse range of properties fom manor houses to cottages and eco houses.

Whether you’re a resident or a visitor to Cheltenham and the Cotswolds the area offers great scenery in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

For more information about Cheltenham please visit Activ Cheltenham!

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