Cheltenham & the Cotswolds
Cheltenham & the Cotswolds
The relaxation of the countryside with the culture and feel of a city destination
- Cheltenham’s festivals of literature, music, jazz and science are world-leaders in their genre, with past participants including Sir David Attenborough, Hilary Clinton, Gregory Porter and Brian Cox.
- Each year, the town hosts the Cheltenham Festival – the pinnacle of the horse racing calendar and one of the UK’s biggest annual sporting events.
- Home to the Government’s Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Cheltenham has one of the largest concentrations of cyber and digital businesses anywhere in the country.
- Cheltenham is an ideal base to explore nearby Cotswold's villages set in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- Historic residents include Edward Jenner, the British physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines including creating the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine.
Getting here
Cheltenham has direct rail connections from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff plus easy access from the M5 motorway. Cheltenham is a great base to explore the iconic Cotswolds region.
BY PLANE
Weston Aviation flies groups by chartered planes directly to and from Gloucestershire Airport, located just 10 minutes from Cheltenham town centre.
Bristol and Birmingham's international airports are a little over an hour’s drive or short train direct to Cheltenham. Heathrow International Airport is less than a two hour drive.
BY TRAIN
Cheltenham Spa station provides regular connections from London, Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff.
Regular trains from London Paddington to Cheltenham takes just over two hours. Trains from central Birmingham and Bristol is only 40 minutes.
BY CAR
Cheltenham is easily reached from the M5 motorway, making it easily accessible from all areas of the country. Cheltenham and the Cotswolds is less than two hours drive from London and under an hour from Bristol and Birmingham, while Oxford sits on the doorstep of the Cotswolds.
Expertise
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CyberCheltenham’s key growth sector is cyber. With 11 times the national average, Cheltenham has one of the highest densities of cyber and digital businesses anywhere in the country outside of London. Home to the GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) and the National Cyber Security Centre, Cheltenham has a long established and thriving cyber ecosystem and has attracted some of the world’s leading names such as Microsoft, Apple and IBM, which now rub shoulders with innovators, start-ups and the UK’s brightest academic minds. The emerging £400 million Golden Valley Development – home of Cyber Central UK, which is planned for the west of the town -will only strengthen Cheltenham’s position as the UK’s cyber-tech capital.
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Agri-techGloucestershire boasts the UK’s largest network of agri-tech SMEs, alongside some of the world’s most recognised names in the agri-food sector like Campden BRI, plus the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester and Hartpury University in Gloucester, making Cheltenham and the surrounding Cotswold area the first choice for prominent agri-tech businesses, research and innovation. Hartpury’s new Agri-Tech Centre, with its ‘Tech to Plate’ concept, gives farmers and agricultural companies access to state-of-the-art biosecurity and livestock handling units, where they can live-test the latest commercial technology in a real farm environment. |
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RenewablesGloucestershire’s ambition is to become the greenest place to live and work in Britain. It’s already home to leading green companies such as Ecotricity, McKerrow Engineering, Tidal Lagoon Power and Green Fuels and aims to be a carbon neutral county by 2050. |
Where to stay
Cheltenham and the Cotswolds can accommodate overt 2,000 bedrooms, from large hotels to self-catering apartments and quaint bed & breakfasts.
| 5* hotels | 61 bedrooms |
| 4* hotels | 572 bedrooms |
| 3* and under properties | 797 bedrooms |
| Other (student accommodation / home sharing) | 374 bedrooms |
Venues
From regency architecture and academic excellence, to world-class stadia and hotels, Cheltenham and the surrounding Cotswolds offers a choice of stunning venues, with something to suit every taste and budget.
Incentives
From country sports to gourmet experiences, Cheltenham opens its regency doors to some superb incentive options.
Meet Cheltenham
Working with over 20 hotels, unique venues and event suppliers in Cheltenham and the surrounding area, Meet in Cheltenham provides a free-to-use venue-finding service and specialises in providing competitive venue options and practical destination support.
