While we’re all in lockdown at the moment to help slow the spread of coronavirus and reduce pressure on the NHS, it means we can’t get out and about in the great British countryside – but it doesn’t mean that you can’t start planning your next cycling holidays in the Cotswolds so you’re ready to get on your bike when the restrictions are eventually lifted.
Making a list of all the places you want to visit could be just the ray of sunshine you need to help you make it through the next few weeks and months, so here are just a couple of the very best attractions to be found as you cycle your way around this delightful part of the world.
Broadway Tower
This is the highest castle in the Cotswolds and certainly well worth a visit. The iconic landmark has stood proud for more than 200 years, once home to the renowned printing press of Sir Thomas Phillips, but also serving as a country retreat for artists Rossetti, Burne-Jones and William Morris.
You’ll find out all about the history of the castle across three floors of museums – and you can also enjoy looking out from the rooftop viewing platform, from which you are able to see up to 16 different counties!
Cotswold Farm Park
If you’re on a family biking holiday, make sure you pop into the Cotswold Farm Park before you head back home again. You can meet more than 50 flocks and herds of all sorts of different farm animals, including Highland cattle and Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs.
Painswick Rococo Gardens
Rococo is the term used to describe a period of art very fashionable across Europe during the 1700s, characterised by asymmetry, pastel colours and ornamental decoration.
At that time in England, the upper middle classes loved displaying their wealth, with their gardens soon becoming a huge part of this… which is clear to see when you visit Painswick. It is the only complete surviving rococo garden to be found in the UK, with a hidden valley, magical follies, a play area and stunning views looking out across the Cotswold countryside.