Cheltenham

An elegant Regency town rich in culture and sport

Its stylish Regency architecture and position on the edge of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty make Cheltenham a highly desirable location.

Add to that the fact that the town is always buzzing thanks to a vibrant calendar of festivals throughout the year and you can guarantee there is always something exciting happening in this former spa town.

Cheltenham is famous for The Cheltenham Festival: Four days of horse racing including the world-famous Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Away from the horse racing, Cheltenham also plays host to festivals of Jazz (May), Science (June), Music (July) and the country’s oldest Literature Festival (October). All feature world-class speakers and attract thousands of visitors.

As well as the festivals, culture can be found in the Everyman Theatre with its opulent Victorian interior, a multiplex cinema which includes the VIP Screening Rooms and the Wilson Gallery, an art gallery and museum.

Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham

The influx of visitors to the festivals has given rise to a wealth of good hotels: No. 131, Malmaison, Hotel du Vin to name but a few. The same goes for the wide choice of places to eat and drink: pubs and cafes abound alongside restaurants of note including the renowned, Michelin-starred Le Champignon Sauvage; The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie, an offshoot of the famed London original; Raymond Blanc’s Brasserie Blanc; and The Daffodil, housed in art deco splendour in a former picture house.

Beautiful park walks, Cheltenham

Beautiful park walks, Cheltenham

Cheltenham is fantastic for shopping from the tree-lined Promenade with its big name retailers to independent shops in Montpellier. The town has also just welcomed a flagship John Lewis in the town centre.

Cheltenham’s elegance extends to its beautiful parks: Montpellier Gardens, Pitville Park which includes playgrounds and a boating lake, and Sandford Park which is home to an Art Deco Lido.

Schooling in Cheltenham is first rate with a good choice of primaries rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. Secondary schools of note include Balcarras School (rated Outstanding by Ofsted) and Pate’s Grammar School, recently voted The Sunday Times State Secondary School of the Year 2020 for an incredible second time.

Independent schools include Berkhampstead School, Cheltenham College and Cheltenham Ladies College, St. Edward’s and Dean Close.

Cheltenham lies within easy access to the M5 and Cheltenham Spa train station has direct links to London, Bristol, Birmingham and Cardiff.