Winchcombe Tourist Information and TravelGuide

Descending Cleeve Hil from the Cheltenham direction, you will arrive at Winchcombe. St. Peters church is guarded by forty of the country's finest grotesque gargoyles.

The church has an unusually fine weather cock measuring nearly 6 feet from beak to tail. Originally at the Church of St. Mary, Redcliffe in Bristol, it came to Winchcombe in 1872.

Walking Route 5 Miles approx 2.5 hours

Stride past Sudeley Castle then up and around the valley for elevated views across to Cleeve
Common and Charlton Abbots. Walk through tranquil countryside full of wildlife and flowers. For comprehensive guide see - www.escapetothecotswolds.org.uk/userfiles/file/walks/jubilee/
winchcombe-and-the-sudeley-valley.pdf.

Sudeley Castle

Sudeley Castle's most famous resident was Queen Catherine Parr (1512-1548) the sixth wife of King Henry VIII. She only survived the king by a year, dying after giving birth to her only daughter Mary and is buried in the chapel. The castle has fine gardens laid out by Emma Dent who came to Sudeley in 1852 and set about restoring the house and gardens which are now one of the premier tourist attractions in the north Cotswolds.

Award winning gardens and medieval ruins surround the Castle, which sits nestled in the Cotswold Hills on the edge of the historic town of Winchcombe.  The extensive gardens have been lovingly restored and designed to reflect the Castle’s fascinating past and enhance the historic moments and romantic stories held by the building’s old stones.  The Queens Garden is amongst the finest rose gardens in England and sits on the original Tudor Parterre.  Sudeley has welcomed Sir Roddy Llewellyn as Garden Design Consultant for 2011 and this summer will see the launch of a new Herbal Healing Garden.

Sudeley has played host to many royal figures throughout history and was famously the former home of  Katherine Parr, who is buried in St Mary’s Chapel within the grounds. Fascinating exhibitions explore Sudeley’s history and new for 2011 is the story of ‘Brock The Badger’ once the family pet to the Dent-Brocklehurst family.  Tours of the family’s private apartments are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays only.  The children’s play area boasts a giant wooden play fort and family picnic area.

A visit to the Cotswolds is not complete without seeing one of the finest Castles and gardens in the country.

Sudeley is open from April to end of October.
Daily from 10.30am to 5.00pm
Adults £7.20
Concessions: £6.20
Children 5-15yrs: £4.20
Children under 5: Free
Family Ticket (2 Adults, 2 Children): £20.80
Members & Friends of the Historic Houses Association: Free

www.sudeleycastle.co.uk
Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, nr. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5JD

Visitor Centre: 01242 604244
Estate Office: 01242 602308
enquiries@sudeley.org.uk