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Photo: Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Hailes Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey, in the small village of Hailes, two miles northeast of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England. It was founded in 1246 as a daughter establishment of Beaulieu Abbey in Hampshire. The abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539. Little remains of the abbey. It is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument.
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Historic castle, notable for being amongst other things the final resting place of Henry VIII's sixth wife, Catherine Parr, who is buried in the chapel.
The highest point of the Cotswolds hill range and in the county of Gloucestershire, at 1,083 feet (330 m). It commands a clear view to the west, over Cheltenham and the racecourse, over the River Severn and into Wales; and to the north over Winchcombe.
But only in winter, as (unusually) it's only a jumps-racing course, with frequent fixtures from October-March. The big event is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, held in mid-March.
"The Robins" were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in League Two, the fourth tier. Their home ground is Whaddon Road (sponsored as Jonny-Rocks Stadium), capacity 7000.
Test the waters (and go to concerts) at the Pittville Pump Room.
Laid out in the early 19th century as the centre of the then-new residential area of Pittville. The park is arranged round an artificial lake, with Pittville Pump Room on the hillside at the north-western edge. The Pump Room is open for free visits to see the fine interior and water tasting when it is not being used for events or weddings.