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What's new
There's so many exciting, new things to shout about, but here are just a few highlights of what’s new in the Cotswolds.
For a full list please download What’s New in the Cotswolds, 2021 and beyond!
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Kingfisher Trail - In 2021, Cotswolds National Landscape will host the Kingfisher Trail. 21 kingfisher sculptures painted by talented artists will be located in towns and villages connected to our rivers, not only within the Cotswolds but reaching into surrounding towns and cities. A fantastic arts trail that will be popular with residents and visitors alike, it will bring businesses, arts and local communities together
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Tewkesbury Abbey 2021 – Celebrating 900 years. The year 2021 is an exceptional year for the market town of Tewkesbury, as it marks the 900th anniversary of the consecration of Tewkesbury Abbey together with the 550 years since the Battle of Tewkesbury, the most decisive in the Wars of the Roses. Celebrations will take place between 2 May until 24 October 2021 with a range of events including Armour at the Abbey, a Procession of Knights on horseback, the world famous “Medieval Festival” & Son et Lumiere” a spectacular week long light show leading up to a the 900th anniversary on 23rd October
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Larkswold is an exciting new crafting destination for those who wish to experience a craft workshop in a relaxing and restorative environment. The Larkswold marquee is beautifully decorated, and overlooks a wildflower meadow: we fling the doors open and let the light flood in. Long tables allow plenty of space, and the coffee is always on to enjoy with our homemade cakes. Bespoke group gatherings perfect for family celebrations, hen parties or corporate events.
Bloomery at the Potting Shed near Broadway, is now running interactive floristry workshops where you can get creative, have a wonderful time and take home your very own handmade arrangement. The workshops are suitable for all from absolute beginners to the more experienced flower arranger. All equipment is supplied from notebooks and scissors to refreshments and cakes. Private bespoke workshops can also be requested.
The Old Bakehouse Cookery School offers a wide range of exciting full-day or half-day experiences for anyone looking to spend special time with their friends or family; from hen parties with a difference, girlie get togethers, reuniting friends, parent/child bonding, partner participation and sibling celebrations to creating a traditional roast or afternoon tea, all to be enjoyed in the surroundings of a beautiful Cotswolds home.
Gluts & Gluttony Join local chef Kathy Slack at her beautiful 18th century Cotswold-stone house and after tea, coffee and cake you’ll start learning all the tips of her trade. Kathy will demonstrate recipes, all inspired by the produce from her own kitchen garden and local producers. Menus are determined by what’s in season in the veg patch. No foams or tuilles, just delicious, home-grown ingredients from the allotment.
Cotswold Reindeer Herd Experience – Meet and interact with real reindeer on a Cotswold farm near Cirencester on a personal guided tour of the herd. Feed them treats and learn how to handle them as well as hearing about the natural history of the reindeer and their association with the festive season.
Tewkesbury Battlefield Walks - On Saturday 4th May 1471 the 'Wars of the Roses' came to a head at Tewkesbury. The outcome crushed the hope that the heir of the House of Lancaster would again take the throne of England. Tewkesbury Battlefield Society offer guided walks of the Battlefield which last 2 hours and are free.
The Sherborne Park Estate will open new pathways in April 2020. The Estate is a thriving home to wildlife including farmland birds, as well as raptors including kestrels, red kites and barn owls. As well as great numbers of birds you can also spot butterflies and insects, and there are signs of water voles and otters. The new pathways will open up a circular walking route through the watermeadows – the real wildlife haven of the estate. It’s a great place to take a tranquil walk through the Cotswold countryside and spot the wildlife.
Project BlackJack - Rebellion and Mystery By September 2021 bronze statues of St. John the Baptist and The Virgin Mary will be in place on the huge tower of Cirencester Parish Church. Learn more about how the tower was originally built in early 15th Century and why the statues were taken down in 1963. A guided walk "Rebellion and Mystery" takes about 45 minutes and is held every Saturday at 10.30am.
Cotswold Walks - We are excited to introduce our one-day small group guided walks in collaboration with our sister company, Hikes and Bikes. Andrew Guppy, the owner of Cotswold Walks and an expert local guide, will be leading the walks to uncover the hidden treasures of the Cotswolds, starting from the beautiful towns of Chipping Campden, Moreton-in-Marsh and the village of Broadway.
The Cotswold Way@50 - This year marks the Cotswold Way’s 50th Anniversary – the 102 mile long distance walking trail from Bath to Chipping Campden. The trail follows the dramatic Cotswold escarpment, punctuated by some of the region’s most beautiful towns and villages. Cotswolds National Landscape will be celebrating the trails 50th year in April 2021 with events and a sponsored walk with our partners and friends.
Wild Carrot - The business has now just expanded into The Barn on the famous Chavenage Estate, near Tetbury to be the base for Wild Carrot cycling experiences, but you can now stay too in new accommodation. Glampers can stay in a Bell Tent for safari style glamping or a Shepherds Hut for pure rural escapism. The site also has a cafe, Sundowners Bar and Bike workshop. The business is committed to sustainable eco-tourism and offers extraordinary experiences and unique stays in the grounds of the glorious Chavenage House.
Quadquest is an Electric Quadbiking Adventure around a beautifully located farm which guarantees experience like no other. Our instructor will take you for a few miles ride around the farm, with twists, turns, humps, bumps and ditches, guaranteeing you will not get bored! Along the way you will get immersed in the wonderful, natural surroundings of Notgrove. Suitable for all ages.
Notgrove - New Outdoor Activities & Corporate Days The range of new activities will include bushcraft, foraging adventures, falconry experiences, photography workshops, guided walking and cycling tours. Private or group yoga, Pilates or cardio classes are also on offer.
The Double Red Duke at Clanfield (formally the Plough) will reopen its doors, after an extensive refurbishment and extension to the original hotel, in February 2021. From the interiors, the music, the food, the service to the art and everything small detail that makes up a lovely place to stay, eat or just while away the hours.
The Wild Duck at Ewen Refurbishment - This popular pub recently purchased by The Lucky Onion Group is presently undergoing extensive refurbishment, there will be new boutique bedrooms , an alfresco terrace and new dining spaces ready for reopening in the summer.
Thornbury Castle Refurbishment - This will result in a luxurious and sophisticated castle hotel experience, with reference to the history and traditions of Thornbury’s most famous owner; King Henry VIII. The full-scale refurbishment will cover all of the hotel’s 27 bedchambers. Each will be beautifully re-designed, encompassing traditional materials and artisan design, in order to maximise the unique regal ambience.
Savouring Bath - In 2021, culinary experience experts Savouring Bath will be launching a new range of tours designed to connect visitors with agricultural producers! Gastro Tours will be full and half day experiences including a passionate culinary tour guide and private transportation for small groups of 2 or more. Featuring visits to dairies, fruit, veg, herb, and oil farms, cider presses, vineyards and much more and there’ll be samples at every stop.
The Old Stocks Inn - Foodie Trails. From artisan cheese makers and organic farm delis, to local gin distilleries, coffee shops, vineyard tours, breweries and so much more, the Cotswolds region really is a food-lover’s dream. The trails range from mid-week half day adventures with four to five stop-offs, through to full day trails for the weekend, spanning further distances for a real foodie-focused adventure.
Living Crafts is a new event to Cirencester Park and will take place in May 2021. Living Crafts is an immersive, hands-on family day out, which gives visitors the unique opportunity to have-a-go at crafts, trying new skills or developing existing ones. It is also a rare shopping experience bringing together talented British designers and makers from across the Cotswolds and the UK to share their stories with customers and offer beautiful, unusual items for sale or commission.
Work has begun on transforming Kelmscott Manor - the Cotswolds home of the father of the arts and crafts movement, William Morris. The Society of Antiquaries plan to double visitor numbers to the former Cotswold retreat of William Morris, improving facilities, reinterpreting the house and wider estate and undertaking vital conservation work.
Corinium Museum - Stone Age to Corinium: Discover the Archaeology of the Cotswolds’ project is continuing and due for completion soon. The new look museum will aim to be more relevant to today’s communities, and include new stone, bronze, iron age and early Roman interactive galleries.
EXCITING NEWS FOR 2022 - COMING SOON
Mullins Motor Museum – Enstone The £150-million car museum dreamt up by American collector Peter Mullin for the UK will hopefully be nearing completion by the end of 2022.
Eynsham Hall – At present undergoing an extensive refurbishment programme which includes building a new East Wing. The new building will be in a style sympathetic to the existing property and is a hugely exciting project for the team. The Hall we be reopening in the Summer of 2022
Designer Outlet Cotswolds – A new designer outlet planned for near the M5 in Gloucestershire will bring thousands of shoppers to the area and transform the region when it opens in Autumn 2022. The six acre new retail and leisure destination will be built just off the A46 near Ashchurch and the M5 Junction 9 for Tewkesbury.
