One personal story we know of is a racehorse owned by a syndicate of neighbours in tiny village in the West of Ireland who travelled across to Cheltenham. He was not in the famous Gold Cup but it was a race bigger than he had competed in before. Hopes were high and the proud owner’s bets were laid on, but sadly, their boy was pulled up as he swallowed his tongue but as his famous jockey A.P McCoy said he was “travelling well” meaning the horse had been running on well until that point. This story is just one of hundreds that are part of the festival’s melting pot of hard luck stories.

There is style to be had on and off the racecourse with lovely ladies parading their wonderful colourful outfits and hats on Ladies Day in the parade rings and stands while on the course sleek jump-bred racehorses, fit with their coats clipped dance with their necks arched waiting for the start. Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of racing for many small home-bred racehorses and trainers and those from the elite training stables. The festival atmosphere is unique and electrifying and hearts are broken and mended in the space of a couple of races.

The holy grail of jump racing is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is a Grade One National Hunt steeplechase open to horses aged five years and over and is run over a distance of 3 miles and two and a half furlongs with twenty-two formidable fences to be jumped. It is one of the most valuable races with prize money totalling £475,000 and is contested by Irish and English horses. It is the highlight of the week and for horse owners and trainers the culmination of years of worry, joy, blood, sweat and tears. Breeding a thoroughbred is just the start. The horses must have the right stuff of courage, heart and a mighty leap to race and win. They are expertly trained and cared for and tried at local hunt races, point to points and brought up through the grades. It is a proud moment for all connections to see the horse with the glorious Cheltenham turf beneath his feet, a slight sweat on neck and flanks, jockey crouched low over his neck as he soars over the fences. The famous “Cheltenham roar” of the crowd carries the horses and jockeys, spurring them on.

For any visitors to Gloucestershire at this time of year, a trip to the races is a must. There is plenty of hospitality on offer and a trip to this to this famous sporting makes for a splendid day out.

One of the greatest historical sites is the Gloucester Cathedral, which is a tremendous example of medieval architecture, and even has royalty buried within its boundaries. You can see the Norman style of building design, and the Great East Window is known throughout the country for its beauty as well. Also, be sure to take in the Lady Chapel’s collection of glass artwork and crafts which are spectacular to behold. If you would like to attend a service, they also have mass daily.

Another destination for those who love history, is the Gloucester City Museum. It was just renovated, and now has new exhibits for you to see. They have a complete Roman kitchen and medieval street on the ground floor, which you can explore to your heart’s content. Your children will have fun as well, with the interactive displays which are sure to keep their attention!

St. Oswald’s Priory is also a popular attraction, and it was founded by Lady Aethelflaed, who was the daughter of Alfred the Great. Its roots trace back to the tenth century, when the church was built from rocks that were pulled from nearby Roman structures. In fact, during the era of its construction, Viking war parties were a frequent problem, so a building of this magnitude was a great risk to undertake. When the relics of Saint Oswald were laid to rest at the Priory, it began to grow in prominence, as pilgrims starting making the journey to pay their respects. Over the centuries it began to fall into disrepair, and it was damaged in the Siege of Gloucester by cannon shots. Now it is an archaeological destination, and a place to learn about the interesting history of the area in greater detail.

Perhaps you’d like to take in some works of art instead, and if so, you can head over to the Nature in Art Museum located in Wallsworth Hall. Contained within the halls of this beautiful Georgian mansion, is the world’s most varied collection of art which has nature as its subject. The collection itself covers a period of over 1,500 years, and many different styles and materials are included. Whether you enjoy watercolours, sculptures, glass work or even engravings, you will find something to enjoy. The museum also offers programs designed with children in mind, even being so kind as to provide food when the tour is through.

So, if you have time when staying in Cooks Green Holiday Cottage, visiting any one of these sites is well worth the effort. You can learn about history firsthand, and stand in fascinating historical locations. Or, perhaps you’d prefer to enjoy some artwork instead, and see many different pieces which focus on nature. Even better, you can take a day-long trip and see them all, allowing you to become better acquainted with this wonderful city.

The most haunted village is said to be Prestbury and more than twenty-four lost souls haunt its streets. The most famous of these is the Black Abbot whose wanderings occur on three important religious festivals Easter, Christmas, and All Saints. He is seen mostly around the church and occasionally in the High Street! Ghostly horsemen headless and otherwise, have been heard and seen in and around different areas of the village. During the War of the Roses, an enemy archer killed one of Edward IV’s men as he rode back to camp at Tewkesbury. Another ghost is a Cavalier killed by riding into a rope slung across a road and the final horseman riding by is a knight in armour. It seems quite plausible ghostly canters and the thud of hoof beats are seen and heard as only recently a skeleton was dug up during road works with an arrow between his ribs!

Young girls feature and one heart-breakingly plays a spinet at Sundial Cottage. She is heard more than seen these days it seems. The Prestbury House Hotel has the equestrians riding by too and a young girl wanders the gardens. A gaggle of ghostly old women and a white lady are seen around the village too. Beware those visitors to Cleeve Corner near the church; they report feeling as though they are being strangled. Research shows a bride was murdered in her bed there.

Sudeley Castle

If you are still in the mood for ghost hunting, then Sudeley Castle is the place to see. It was once home to Lady Jane Grey and Queen Katherine Parr, after she married Sir Thomas Seymour. Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, and Charles I all stayed here. Its history resonates from the walls. Despite the royal connections, the most famous ghost is Janet a former housekeeper who was devoted to the castle. Seen by several visitors, she wears a long dress and a mobcap.

Owlpen Manor

The queen consort of Henry VI Margaret of Anjou reputedly haunts the romantic Tudor manor house near Dursley. She appears wearing exquisite, beautiful clothes and drifts from room to room in the house. Margaret stayed at the house just before the Battle of Tewkesbury, the defining moment in the War of the Roses. She led the Lancastrian faction in the war and when defeated at Tewkesbury she was imprisoned. She was later ransomed by Louis XI of France her cousin and went o live in France where she died. Her ghost however remained at the place of her army’s defeat and her son’s death.

This is just a taste of the haunted places waiting for discovery in “Ghostly Gloucestershire.” Whether you believe in ghosts or not, chasing spectres, looking at beautiful architecture, revelling in romantic history, and visiting places of interest are a great way to enjoy our wonderful county.

Having filled up for the whole first quarter of the year, April the 28th 2012 is currently the date when our holiday cottage is available again for rent. The holiday cottage is already proving to be really popular for 2012 so if you are looking for a holiday rental in May, June, July, August or September 2012 please do get in touch now to avoid missing out.

A lot of people are choosing to holiday in England at present and so searches for self catering accommodation for summer 2012 are growing rapidly. After all, England is a beautiful place with so many treasures and beautiful views. Our very own countryside landscape along the River Severn in Gloucestershire is no exception and we are lucky enough that our self catering holiday cottage sits right inside some of the most beautiful countryside that this country has to offer.

Get in touch with us now to book your summer 2012 accommodation and explore around our rural retreat.

NB. The availability of our holiday cottage stated was correct at the time of this post.
Our holiday cottage availability page displays the most up to date record of the cottage’s availability.

After the passing on of this great man, his son, Christopher, published different sequences of his works based on the broad notes and unpublished document of Tolkien himself. These included The Sil-mar-illion. The Sil-mar-illion and some others of his works shaped a joined body of poems, invented languages, tales, fictional histories and literary essays on a fantasy planet identified as Arda. Between the years 1951 and 1955, JRR Tolkien integrated the term Legen-arium into a bigger part of some of these writings.

Many writers had written and published fantasy works before Tolkien but the huge success of some of his works were directly connected with a famous renaissance of the genre. This is why Tolkien is universally referred to as the father of the contemporary fantasy literature. In reality, he was actually ranked sixth on a large list of fifty greatest British writers since the year 1945. He was positioned by Forbes as the fifth top earning deceased celebrity in the year 2009.

Looking back at the past of Tolkien, it is discovered that he had his roots in the minor part of Saxony and many of his paternal ancestors were well-known to be craftsmen. The name, Tolkien, which was his real surname, is said to have derived from the German expression ‘tollkühn’, which can be interpreted as foolhardy. JRR Tolkien was born in the land of Bloemfontein to Mabel and Arthur Reuel Tolkien. He contributed enormously to literature and arts throughout his lifetime.

His most famous works, made even more colossally so with the recent adaptation to film, are of course those of The Lord of the Rings. So why are we including a piece on J.R.R. here on this blog concerning Cooks Green Holiday Cottage and things related to our humble self catering accommodation? Well, we sit in the heart of the inspiration for his fantasy world, ‘Middle Earth’. -Tolkien actually lived just a few doors down from us after he penned his most famous works. He rented a cottage here in Apperley in order to ‘live in the world he’d created’ and walk in the countryside of which he’d written about. His ‘Misty Mountains’ are actually the Malvern Hills, viewable from here, and so the world of which he wrote is all around our very own Cooks Green Self Catering Holiday Cottage.

Tewkesbury’s Roses Theatre is one of the great theatres around the world. It is dated back to as far as 1974. It was built on the old art deco Sabrina Cinema site. The theatre presents a wide variety of art and entertainment such as drama, opera, comedy, music, children’s theatre and ballet. The theatre also features some special movies. The Rose Theatre is the only autonomous cinema between Birmingham and Bristol. Tragically it is also the venue in which Ernie Wise suffered his third and fatal heart attack after energetically making 6 curtain calls. He dies later at Cheltenham hospital.

Malvern Theatre dates back to as far back as 1884 when it was first instituted. The historic theatre is one of the biggest district Arts Centres in the UK. It is about ten minutes walk from the well known train station which is located at the centre of the town. It features a huge and convenient parking area. It also has about three auditoria. Over the years, Malvern Theatre has been transformed considerably and it remains as famous now as it was in years gone by. The theatre has some of the biggest names and most popular dramas associated with it.

The Playhouse Theatre in Cheltenham UK is known to be a public theatre. The theatre, registered as charity has been run by volunteers since inception in 1957. It began its life as the Montpellier Baths sometimes in 1806. The theatre has been converted to various entertainment venues over the years including a swimming pool and spa. It was later converted into a theatre, and in 1945 the first play was staged. A lot of progress has gone into the development of the theatre to make it what it is today.

Many events in the area are held in the venue in order to boost the name of the event in the market. The different halls in the showground are very large which makes it tremendously flexible. Over the years, the three counties showground has been refurbished and other new buildings have been added making the whole area very striking.

The showground is the home of the Agricultural Society which enjoys the patronage of considerable membership and good relationship with both sponsors and the media. The showground also offers innovative and vibrant events all through the year. It hosts a wide range of business and trade exhibitions, canine shows, fairs, rallies, sales, and equestrian. Over one million visitors come to the showground and it is well known nationally for its natural beauty.

Over one hundred thousand people visit the venue for the Three Counties Show alone, which features owners of livestock competing for various prizes worth about seventy thousand pounds. The show can be traced to the 1790s! In 1894, the momentum for a larger show began to materialise, especially when the Herefordshire Society amalgamated with Worcestershire. With the stages of the counties development, things began to change and other activities were incorporated into the shows.

Today, various entertaining activities take place with people from all over the world coming to watch. In 1996 we saw members of the Dutch and Italian national football teams there as they took a day out from Euro 96!

For people who want to know more about the events taking place at the Three Counties Showground and at what particular time of the year the events hold, you can visit their website. And if you need accommodation while you visit, why we have got the perfect self catering holiday cottage for you!

There are also parish paths that have been used by many generations of church attendees over the years that you can tread. You can rest assured that you are not destroying any element in the environment nor disturbing nature or local people as you enjoy your walk in the Gloucestershire countryside. It is exciting to discover that Gloucestershire has more than 3300 miles of footpaths, byways, and bridleways. You can find all of these routes in Ordinance Survey maps. The routes are also usually sign posted wherever they are.

There are different colored arrows marking the different routes. There is the blue color which marks the bridleway, yellow, marking the footpath, and red, marking byways that are open to traffic. In case you are confused on which particular route to go through, or you discover a challenge on your way, you can get in touch with the Gloucestershire Public Rights of Way Unit of Environmental Department, part of Gloucestershire County Council, at Shire Hall, Gloucester on 01452 425577.

Gloucestershire is home to The Forest of Dean and British Waterways where you can also explore. There are also town trails that you can enjoy. You can explore the Cotswold towns and view the architectural heritage, market halls, wool churches and history weavers’ cottages, and take lovely refreshment in the old inns. You can also enjoy the fresh air by taking a walk round some of the historic cities and towns of Gloucestershire. When you are in Gloucestershire, you can be sure of being well taken care of and there are some organizations that offer guided walks for tourists. Gloucestershire is one of the places in the world where you are closest to nature as you take a walk.

Cooks Green Holiday Cottage is a perfect base for walking in Gloucestershire.