Winchcombe

By car

From Cheltenham, Winchcombe is a drive along the B4632.

By bus

Marchant's buses run the W1 and W2 from the Royal Well bus station in Cheltenham to Winchcombe and are reasonably frequent.
W1 and W2 (Marchant's) – Cheltenham → Prestbury → Southam → Bishop's Cleeve → Winchcombe → Prestbury → Cheltenham

By train

The nearest train station is Cheltenham Spa in Cheltenham, which has connections to London Paddington, Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway.
Evesham station in Evesham is also nearby, which has connections to London Paddington, Oxford and Worcester.

By car

Parking is available around the town and isn't expensive.

• Back Lane car park

  address: Back Ln, GL54 5PZ
  Only a few minutes' walk from the High Street.

• Bull Lane car park

  address: Bull Ln, GL54 5HX
  Also close to the High Street.

• Belas Knap

  address: GL54 5AL
  A Neolithic barrow dating back to around 3,000 BC, making it one of the oldest structures in the UK.

• Hailes Abbey

  phone: +44 1242 602398
  address: Hailes, GL54 5PB

• St. Peter's Church

  phone: +44 1242 602067
  address: Gloucester St, GL54 5LU

• Stanway House and Gardens

  phone: +44 1386 584469
  address: Stanway, GL54 5PQ
  Jacobean manor house with gardens and a fantastic fountain, which is the tallest in Britain.

• Sudeley Castle

  phone: +44 1242 602308
  address: GL54 5JD
  Historic fortified house/castle with a long and turbulent history. Visitors can visit parts of the castle itself which hosts many exhibits (including a display of all of Henry VIII's wives) or work their way around the extensive grounds surrounding it. Afterwards they can visit the cafe/restaurant or purchase a souvenir from the gift shop.

• A structure was built on what would later be called Sudeley Castle as far back as the Anglo-Saxon Princess Goda (1004-1027).
• The castle itself and many surrounding buildings such as the chapel was constructed in 1442 by Ralph Boteler, when he acquired the title Baron Sudeley from King Stephen. Unfortunately Boteler had allegiance to the Lancastrians, which meant Sudeley Castle was requisitioned by King Edward IV and given to his brother Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester and later King Richard III to plan for the Battle of Tewkesbury (which they'd later win). Henry VII, Richard III's successor inherited the property and gave it to his uncle Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford. Then Henry VIII and his then wife Anne Boleyn visited Sudeley Castle in 1535. His 6th and final wife, Catherine Parr died in the castle and was buried in the chapel, which is unusual for any monarch.
• In more recent times Sudeley Castle was owned by the Dent family, a glove magnate from nearby Worcester whose clientele include the royal family and the actors Daniel Craig and Jack Nicholson. Since 1972 the current owners are Lady Ashcombe (the widow of the late Mark Dent-Brocklehurst) and her family. A 2007 BBC documentary Crisis at the Castle suggested there was a family feud over whether Lady Ashcombe should have moved out to the dowry house on the estate.

Winchecombe Museum

address: The Old Town Hall, High St, GL54 5LJ

• Hayles Fruit Farm

  phone: +44 1242 602123
  address: GL54 5PB
  Pick your own fruit in the summer (usually June or July), follow the Nature Trail (from Easter-October), do a spot of fishing or some clay pigeon shooting.

• Gloucestershire Warwickshire Heritage Railway

  phone: +44 1242 621405
  address: 10 The Chesils, Greet, GL54 5NW
  The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Heritage Railway (or GSWR) operates out of Winchcombe station in nearby Greet. The line runs through Toddington, Hayles Abbey Halt, Gotherington and the Cheltenham Race Course.

Walks

Winchcombe is surrounded by beautiful Gloucestershire countryside, with many walking trails passing through it.

• The Cotswold WayA trail from Bath to Chipping Campden.

• The Gloucestershire WayA trail passing from Chepstow in Wales to Tewkesbury.

• The Wychavon Way

• St Kenelm's Trail

• St Kenelm's Way

• The Warden's Way

• The Windrush Way

Being a small Cotswold town, Winchcombe's shops are mostly convenience stores such as The Co-operative or independently owned businesses. The nearest large supermarket is the Tesco's in Bishop's Cleeve.

• Farm Shop

  address: Hayles Fruit Farm, GL54 5PB
  Sells locally sourced produce including apple juice and cider that is made on-site.

• Winchcombe Pottery

  phone: +44 1242 602462
  address: Broadway Rd, Greet, GL54 5NU
  One of the oldest craft potteries in the country.

Budget

• Orchard Tea Room

  phone: +44 1242 602123
  address: Hayles Fruit Farm, GL54 5PB
  A small cafe. Booking isn't essential unless you are travelling as a group of 6 or more.

Splurge

• 5 North Street

  phone: +44 1242 604566
  address: 5 North St, GL54 5LH
  1 Michelin starred restaurant.

• Wesley House

  phone: +44 1242 602366
  address: High St, GL54 5LJ

Winchcombe has a few pubs and inns.
The town has its own brewery, Goffs Brewery; serving brews named after medieval military units such as Goffs Jouster (though this brand seems to have had a lukewarm reception ) due to the town's proximity to Sudeley Castle.

• The Lion Inn

  phone: +44 1242 603300
  address: 37 North St, GL54 5PS
  Inn with eight bedrooms.

• The Plaisterers Arms

  phone: +44 1242 602358
  address: Abbey Terrace, GL54 5LL

Winchcombe primarily offers B&Bs and rooms within pubs. However there are also self-catering cottages dotted around the town.

Budget

• Hayles Fruit Farm

  address: GL54 5PB
  Hayles Fruit Farm offer a campsite for tents, caravans and motorhomes. There is a showerblock and chemical waste disposal facilities.

Mid-range

• The Lion Inn

  phone: +44 1242 603300
  address: 37 North St, GL54 5PS
  Inn with eight bedrooms.

• Wesley House

  phone: +44 1242 602366
  address: High St, GL54 5LJ

Splurge

• Sudeley Castle CottagesSudeley Castle rents out 15 cottages in the area. All offer free Wi-Fi and complimentary entry tickets to Sudeley Castle in the price.

• Sudeley Castle Country Cottage

  phone: +44 1242 602308
  address: Castle St, GL54 5JA
  A large cottage with accommodation for 6 guests.

Winchcombe has its own community-funded FM radio station. Radio Winchcombe broadcasts at 107.1 MHz and can also be streamed online via services such as TuneIn.
Despite being part of the Tewkesbury district, Winchcombe uses Cheltenham's telephone area code of 01242 (or +44 1242). After the area code, most phone numbers have a prefix of 602.

• Winchcombe Library

  phone: +44 1242 602772
  address: Back Lane, GL54 5PZ
  Public library with free Wi-Fi and access to computers.

North

• Broadway – – another Cotswold town, known for it's tall tower and the nearby Snowshill Manor
• Evesham – – town

East

• Burford – – another Cotswold town, known for its garden centre and antique shops
• Stow-on-the-Wold – – another Cotswold town, known for its antique shops and market
• Oxford – – city, known for its university and museums

West

• Tewkesbury – – town, known for its abbey and its eponymous battle in 1471

South

• Cheltenham – – spa town, known for its racecourse (particularly the gold cup) and its festivals
• Cirencester – – town, known for its Roman heritage