Gloucestershire is a beautiful area to visit and live. The Forest of Dean, the Severn Valley and the Cotswolds are all part of this county in South West England. Many members of the Royal Family have chosen to live in the Cotswolds, and the Forest of Dean remains one of the largest ancient woodlands left in the UK.
Principal towns are Gloucester, Cheltenham, Cirencester and Tewkesbury. Gloucestershire was first mentioned in Anglo-Saxon Chronicles in the 10th Century. Many historic buildings are located in the county, including the cathedral at Gloucester, the abbey churches of Tewkesbury, and the abbey near Winchcombe that was founded in 1246. The majority of old towns are home to quaint parishes. Gloucestershire is the ideal county to retire to. For more details on Park Homes for Sale Near me, visit Park Home Life.
Thornbury Castle is a Tudor Country House, and there are also the royal residences Highgrove House and Gatcombe Park. Berkeley Castle is an excellent example of a feudal fortress, and Sudeley Castle was the final resting place of Catherine Parr who was Henry VIII’s sixth wife.
Gloucestershire has appeared on both the small and large screen. Scenes from Harry Potter were filmed at Gloucester Cathedral, and Hot Fuzz as Simon Pegg was originally from the county. Gloucestershire is home to the fictional town of Leadworth where Amy Pond, Rory Williams, and Rory Williams reside in Doctor Who. Johnny Depp was spotted filming in Gloucester and Father Brown’s current series is shot in a fictional Cotswolds village.
As designated in 1966, the Cotswolds is an area of outstanding natural beauty. The Jurassic limestone bedrock creates a rare, grassland habitat which is quarried to produce golden-coloured Cotswold Stone. These unique habitats are the last refuges for many species of plants and animals. There are more than 80 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, five European Special Areas of Conservation and three National Nature Reserves in this area. Park Homes for Sale Near me are available for retirement living in the area.
Other places of interest are Quarwood, a Victorian Gothic House in Stow-on-the-Wold. The 42 acres of parkland includes fish ponds and paddocks. There are also seven cottages. Woodchester Mansion was another unfinished gothic mansion. It was the location of an episode of Most Haunted and still offers nightly ghost tours for those who want to experience something paranormal. Owlpen Manor, near Stroud, is a Tudor-style manor that has been listed as Grade I. If you are looking for natural beauty, history and a lot of it, in Gloucestershire, you will find it.