Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire is a county in south-west England. It comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean. The county seat is Gloucester and other principal towns include Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester, and Tewkesbury.

Cities, towns and villages

Map of Gloucestershire

Cities

• Gloucester – cathedral city and county town of Gloucestershire

Towns

• Amberley
• Cheltenham
• Chipping Campden
• Chipping Sodbury – a market town
• Cirencester – main town of the Cotswolds
• Nailsworth
• Stow-on-the-Wold
• Stonehouse
• Stroud
• Tetbury
• Tewkesbury
• Thornbury – has medieval castle and a popular high street, also known for its churches, pubs and former railway station
• Wotton-under-Edge
• Yate

Villages

• Berkeley – village, home to Berkeley Castle, a magnificent medieval fortress and scene of the gruesome murder of King Edward II in 1327
• Lower Slaughter – a quintessential English village nestled in the Cotswolds. The dour name refers to the wetlands and the River Eye which flows through the village. From here, you can walk to Upper Slaughter – a similarly beautiful village – in a matter of minutes.
• Bourton-on-the-Water – a large Cotswold village known for its picturesque beauty. Still features some interesting, independent shops.
• Burford
• Fairford
• Kemble
• Minchinhampton
• Moreton-in-Marsh

Other destinations

• Cotswolds
• Forest of Dean

Get in

The M5 motorway and M4 motorway both cross the region. The Severn Bridges are themselves major landmarks.

See

• The Severn Bridge. Originally built in 1966 and was a major part of the M4 motorway, now part of the M48 motorway. Its sister bridge the Second Severn Crossing also helps bring lots of trade and tourism between England and Wales. 

Stay safe

• In emergencies call 999 or 112, in non-emergencies call 101 for police assistance.

Go next

• Bristol