Hot Air Balloon Rides over Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire brims with delights from the 800 square miles of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the spa town of Cheltenham The Cathedral city of Gloucester lies to the west of the Cotswold Hills in the lush Severn Valley with the beautiful Forest of Dean further west. Market towns and stately homes sprinkled all over and make excellent balloon launch sites.
The majority of passenger balloon flights are made over the Cotswolds, an area of gentle hills and landscape, criss-crossed by stonewalls, hidden river valleys and with a unique architectural style of limestone buildings with stone mullions and dormer windows and steeply pitched roofs. The word Cotswold comes from the Anglo Saxon words for sheep pen and in the Middle Ages this was the key to its commercial success. The proceeds from this industry were put to building the magnificent manor houses and churches which balloons fly over today.
Virgin Balloon Flights flies from the pretty town of Tewkesbury, just on the edge of the Cotswolds itself. Tewkesbury hot air balloon rides offer the best of both worlds, with the picturesque Cotswolds to the east and the equally beautiful Malvern Hills to the west.
Another site they fly from is Cheltenham, famous for its miracle springs discovered in 1715 and also home to the Cheltenham Gold Cup horse racing event. Or try the market town of Cirencester in the east of the region with history dating back to the Roman times underlined by the Fosse Way Roman Road. Other sites they may fly from are Stroud and Tetbury, a delightful Cotswold classic close to the Prince of Wales estate at Highbury.
Here are some things to do in Gloucestershire, UK:
Visit the Cotswolds: This picturesque area of rolling hills and quaint villages offers plenty of opportunities for hiking, cycling, and sightseeing.
Visit the Gloucester Cathedral: This historic cathedral is known for its impressive architecture and beautiful stained-glass windows.
Explore the Forest of Dean: This ancient forest is a great spot for hiking, cycling, and wildlife watching.
Visit Berkeley Castle: This medieval castle offers a glimpse into the history of the region and the lives of the people who lived there.
Visit the Tewkesbury Abbey: This historic abbey is known for its impressive architecture and beautiful stained-glass windows.
Take a trip on the Gloucester-Sharpness Canal: this offers a chance to explore the beautiful countryside and to see the locks and other engineering features of the canal.
Visit the Cheltenham Racecourse: This famous horse racing venue is the home of the Cheltenham Festival, one of the biggest events in the horse racing calendar.
Visit the Cotswold Farm Park: This farm park offers a chance to see a wide variety of farm animals, as well as to learn about farming and rural life.
Visit the The Gloucester Waterways Museum: This museum offers a glimpse into the history of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, including the working boats, locks, and other features of the canal.
Visit the Slimbridge Wetland Centre: it is a great place to see a wide variety of waterfowl and other wetland birds, as well as to learn about conservation and the importance of wetlands.