Things to Do
There are many beautiful spots in and around the Cotswolds to lay your blanket down and enjoy a good old fashioned picnic! Here are a few of the best…
Views of the surrounding Cotswolds, especially during sunrise and sunset.
But beware - spooky goings-on lie beneath Leckhampton Hill! Legend has it that evil lies deep underground beneath The Devil's Chimney, a quirky limestone rock formation that peaks over the hill. Visitors used to leave a coin on top of the rocks as payment to keep the Devil underground. Still, putting aside the folklore, Leckhampton is one of the prettiest picnic spots on Cheltenham's landscape.
Blenheim Palace Park, Oxfordshire
The impressive Blenheim Palace is surrounded by 2000 acres of parkland, some of which is freely accessible to the public for walks or picnics.
You can enjoy the wide open fields, the grand oaks, the great lake and the classical bridge which straddles it, as well as views of the historical palace of course.
A grade II listed ornamental park, Pitville is an oasis of green tucked away from Cheltenham's busy town centre.
Aside from pleasant open fields, a recently renovated children's playground and a lake, the park also boats its own aviary as well as rabbits, tennis courts and includes the Pitville Pump Room, an 18th century listed building designed to utilise Cheltenham's spa waters. There's also a chance to grab an ice-cream after your picnic!
With panoramic views over the Severn Vale and Forest of Dean, Coaley Peak is an ideal picnic site in rural Gloucestershire with twelve acres of grassland, picnic tables and car parking. It's incorporated into the Cotswold Way national trail, and makes a perfect walk in the spring and summer months with flower-rich grassland and beautiful butterflies.
Hidcote Manor Garden, near Chipping Campden
Located in the village of Hidcote.
The hill, which slopes gently to an elevation of 300ft, provides views of five counties and is an idyllic spot to have a picnic.
Batrim near Chipping Campden, Hidcote Manor Garden is an immaculately maintained National Trust property with impressive manicured gardens designed by Lawrence Johnston and open to the public.
The Arts and Crafts garden offers many a pretty corner ideal for a picnic, though the best spot is the the nibbles you've packed!
Charlecote Park, Stratford-upon-Avon
Overlooking the River Avon on the edge of Shakespeare's Stratford, Charlecote's park and gardens are open seven days a week for visitors to come and enjoy. Picnickers are welcome and there's plenty of room to run around or fly a kite, or just watch the swans and ducks on the river.
If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the fallow deer herd that has called Charlecote home for centuries; legend has it that a young William Shakespeare was caught poaching at Charlecote.
Broadway Tower is a folly on Broadway Hill, near the large village of Broadway, in the English county of Worcestershire, at the second-highest point of the Cotswolds. Broadway Tower's base is 1,024 feet above sea level. The tower itself stands 65 feet higBourton-on-the-Water is a village in the rural Cotswolds area of south central England. Straddling the River Windrush, it’s known for its low bridges and traditional stone houses. The Cotswold Motoring Museum features vintage cars and a toy collection. Birdland is home to species including parrots, owls and king penguins, plus life-size model dinosaurs. The Model Village is a 1930s scale replica of the village.
Bourton-on-the-Water is a village in the rural Cotswolds area of south central England. Straddling the River Windrush, it’s known for its low bridges and traditional stone houses. The Cotswold Motoring Museum features vintage cars and a toy collection. Birdland is home to species including parrots, owls and king penguins, plus life-size model dinosaurs. The Model Village is a 1930s scale replica of the village
