Gloucestershire is a county in the South West of England, and stands astride the River Severn. To the west of the county lies the Forest of Dean, a royal hunting forest (originally William the Conqueror’s) used by English monarchs for centuries for sport, and declared a National Forest Park in 1938. At over 27,000 acres it is one of England’s largest forests, and is home to some of the country’s most prized ancient trees. Gloucestershire is also home to the renowned Cotswold area, which covers over half of the county. The western edges of Gloucestershire, like the county of Monmouthshire in Wales with which Gloucestershire shares a border, established its wealth during the 19th Century through the mining of coal and iron ore, although these industries have sadly now declined. The northwestern edges of Gloucestershire border with Herefordshire and Worcestershire; this part of the county is largely agricultural and is interspersed with historic market towns such as Tewkesbury and Newent.

The River Severn houses many small ports across it, and one of the most renowned of these is that of the Gloucester port. Gloucester was the UK’s largest inland port, and for over 200 years it thrived as a one of the UK’s most vibrant ports. However, Gloucester Docks fell into disrepair, but were revived in the 1980s and now offer exceptional retail, commercial and leisure facilities.

Just 6 miles inland from Gloucester is the striking town of Cheltenham, one of England’s most beautifully preserved Regency towns, with distinctive architecture from the period. Cheltenham has a sophisticated, cosmopolitan ambience, and is one of the South West’s wealthiest towns, due in part to its history of horseracing – most notably the Cheltenham Festival and Gold Cup.

The eastern half of Gloucestershire rolls into the delightful gentle hills of the Cotswolds, an area of exceptional natural beauty characterized by its pleasant scenery, its charming villages hewn from honey gold limestone, and its unmistakably English feel.

The county known as Avon was designated in 1974, incorporating the cities of Bristol and Bath and the town of Weston-super-Mare. More recently Avon has become largely a redundant county, and has been divided into the unitary regions of North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire.