R

egency spa town. Posh heart of England’s fading debutante country. Cutting edge festival destination. Inevitably, there is much more to Cheltenham than initially appears, making it the perfect place to base yourself during your Cotswold sojourn.

Like nearby Bath, spring waters first made Cheltenham’s name but it took an ailing monarch’s visit to truly put the place on the map. George III ‘took the waters’ here in 1788, and his patronage meant it soon became a must-visit destination for the smart-set of the day.

Two hundred off years later, Cheltenham again finds itself at a very fashionable point in its history. This is thanks in the main to a forward-thinking festival program that really does cover pretty much every base and means visitors can enjoy modern entertainments in the grandest of settings.

Savvy visitors should choose the festival that suits them and plan their trip accordingly. If you want to experience the Cheltenham George III probably knew and back a few winners into the bargain, the Cheltenham Festival is the only choice.

Arts and music lovers will also find much to stimulate their synapses at the music, jazz, literary and science festivals held each summer.

And once you’ve exhausted yourself with all that culture, remember that Cheltenham is also one of the best places in the region for shopping and locally sourced food. Nourishment for the mind and body? That George III was certainly on to something.