Things To Do
Gloucester Cathedral
The cathedral features stained glass windows depicting the earliest images of the game of golf anywhere in the world! If this hasn't gotten those heartbeats racing, the cloisters were also featured in the 1st, 2nd and (after a 3-film hiatus!) 6th Harry Potter films!!
Gloucester Docks
Gloucester docks is apparently England's most inland port and home to 15 Victorian-era dock buildings! No way. More interestingly though, they're home to an abundance of cafes, restaurants and bars. (I wouldn't actually go here unless you really need to kill some time the morning of the big day - Gloucester is just a little light on the attraction-front).
Bourton-on-the-Water
The Cotswolds are famous for their rolling hills, honey-coloured stone and quintessentially english villages. Bourton-on-the-Water is (supposedly - neither of us have actually been here) one of its prettiest with its attractive little bridges crossing the River Windrush that meanders its way through the village centre. Located about 30mins drive from Gloucester or 40mins from the wedding venue itself.
Castle Combe
Often described as the prettiest village in the Cotswolds, if not the whole of England. This one is for all Downtown Abbey fans, having been featured on the show, and its claim to fame is that no new houses have been built in this tiny village since the 1600s! This gem is located a 50min drive south of the venue, or 25mins from the city of Bath!
Painswick
Our 3rd and final favourite Cotswold town that we've never visited. This one is described as a historic wool town, sitting on top of a hill surrounded by picturesque countryside. For those of us Tom Hall's age or older - it features England's oldest bowling green! For the younger folk - we'd recommend a walk to Painswick Beacon for some great views! Located just a 15minute drive from Gloucester.
Bath
The city is a world heritage site, famous for its Roman-built baths. And we've actually been here too! Tons of stuff to see and worth a couple of days - check out the Abbey, the Royal Crescent, Thermae Bath spa and of course, the Roman Baths. There are lots of restaurants and pubs - the Raven (pies), Opium (cocktails) and Sotto Sotto (Italian) would be our top picks! We'll also happily provide key university nostalgia attractions such as XL, the orange bus stop and that place Ally slept underneath a car after locking himself out his apartment. Please reach out for more details and we'll happily provide! Bath is located 1hr south of Gloucester, easily accessible via train for those without a car!
Oxford
Located almost exactly half-way between London and our venue near Gloucester, Oxford is well worth a visit. Check out Britain's oldest public museum, tour the university's colleges to understand where Ally could have gone to school if he was actually smart, or go for a punt down through the backwater canals.
London
Spending a couple of days in London is a must for anyone travelling across the pond, and will be the host city of our Thursday evening welcome event! There is no shortage of things to do, but essential must sees include: Portobello Rd, Borough Market, Columbia Road Flower Market (Sundays only), Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, the Natural History Museum & Covent Garden! For places to stay, we'd suggest staying centrally or west so you'll be closer to Heathrow Airport, Thursday evening's festivities in Parsons Green and Paddington train station for the train to the wedding! There are a HUGE amount of food and pub options - you really can't go wrong - but a few of our faves include Bone Daddies (ramen), Kiln (thai), Bao (Taiwanese), Dishoom (indian + good brunch), Barrafina (tapas), The Wolseley (brunch, book-ahead), the Pig and Butcher (sunday roast), Hereford Road (sunday roast), Blacklock (meat!), Goodman Steakhouse (steak), Crisp (pizza), Kricket (Sri Lankan), Poppies (fish & chips)!