The quaint, unspoilt village of Winchcombe lies within the glorious Cotswolds, just 13 kilometres north-east of Cheltenham in the ‘Heart of England’. It is a small village, full of independent shops, tea rooms, traditional half-timbered houses and stone cottages, and home to just over 4,000 lucky residents. Winchcombe lies in a hollow and is surrounded on three sides by the gently rolling Cotswold Hills which are covered by rich agricultural land and dotted with trees.
Winchcombe is a charming village and visitors travel here to enjoy its rural location and its local attractions. These include the well known 16th century Sudeley Castle and gardens - Winchcombe Museum which displays the history of the village over the last 5,000 years - the local pottery showroom and workshop which are open to the public – the ruins of Hailes Abbey, a Cistercian monastery which was once a major pilgrimage site as it held a phial of blood supposedly belonging to Christ – the Belas Knap long barrow which was constructed over 3,000 years ago, it is 54 metres long, 18 metres wide and 4.3 metres high, and is considered to be the finest long barrow in Gloucestershire – and the Winchcombe Railway Museum and Garden. The village is also fortunate to be located on the renovated Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, which is a heritage steam railway that operates over the summer months and provides nostalgic rides for interested parties.
Winchcombe also makes an ideal base for walking as it stands at the intersection of several long distanced walking tracks including the Cotswold Way, Gloucestershire Way, Wardens Way, Windrush Way, Wychavon Way and the unofficial St Kenelm's Way.
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