Destination Gloucestershire

The best of city and country living

From shopping to sport and outdoor adventure to cultural history, discover more about what the city of Gloucester has to offer.

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Destination Cheltenham

Have you visited the UK's 'festival town'? Steeped in a vibrant history and home to a huge array of shops, eateries, venues and activities.

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Things to do in Gloucestershire

Hartpury's 360-hectare campus in the heart of Gloucestershire offers the ideal haven for outdoor exploration and adventure. We’re also a stone’s throw from lively multicultural cities and historic sites that enable our students to enjoy the best of rural and urban living.

Gloucester city and Cheltenham town are on your doorstep. With exciting shops, cafés, eateries, bars and night clubs, there’s something for every day of the week. Here are some highlights.

  • Cheltenham Festival: Four days of world-class racing attracting almost 300,000 guests including royalty.
  • Kingsholm Stadium: Home to Gloucester Rugby and a favourite place to watch premiership rugby.
  • Cotswold Wildlife Park: One of the UK’s largest zoological collections, exhibiting over 260 species of animals.
  • Gloucester Cathedral: Built in 1089 - a backdrop in Harry Potter films and currently home to art and events.
  • Cheltenham Town FC/Forest Green Rovers FC: Our county's Football League clubs, for that big match experience.

Student nightlife

Doing something different after dark is an exciting part of university life. From clubs and cocktail bars, to gigs and a night at the cinema, there’s something to suit all tastes.

If you're heading out for dinner with friends, you’ll find world cuisines, pub food, and everything in between at Gloucester Quays – the newly developed dockland and a popular destination for our students – and Brewery Quarter in Cheltenham.

Getting around

Festivals and Events

Gloucestershire attracts famous faces from all over the world. From the internationally acclaimed Cheltenham literature, science and music festivals to the famous 2000trees festival, there’s always something going on.

Our epic student parties and highly anticipated Summer Ball are what students look forward to most each year. Recent acts have included Rak-Su, Sigma, Katy B, Lethal Bizzle, Scouting for Girls, Labrinth, Chase and Status, and BBC Radio One DJs Greg James and Scott Mills.

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Action and adventure

If you’re into adrenaline sports, you can take your pick of activities in the area. Bugsboarding Mountainboard Centre, known as one of the most progressive mountain board centres in the UK, is just next door.

Then there’s Gloucester Ski and Snowboard Centre – if you’re a pro you could give their freestyle club, The Dark Side, a try. There’s also forest adventures, mountain-biking trails for all abilities and the Cotswold Water Park, where you can try almost every watersport activity there is.