Cowley Manor
Local restaurants
Cheltenham: Le Champignon Sauvage on Suffolk Road in Cheltenham (+44 (0)1242 573449) serves excellent English and French cuisine; the Daffodil on Suffolk Parade (+44 (0)1242 700055) serves Mod Med in art deco surrounds.
Local bars
Montpellier Wine Bar at Bayshill Lodge in regency Cheltenham has a lively atmosphere. The Hare and Hounds in Fosse Cross (+44 (0)1285 720288) for delicious gastro food. The Fossebridge Inn near Northleach (+44 (0)1285 720721) is ideal for Sunday lunch: book ahead. The 17th-century Lamb Inn at Great Rissington (+44 (0)1451 820388) has a great garden.
Worth getting out of bed for
Hot-air ballooning at Balloon Flights, Cheltenham (01242 675003; www.hot-air-ballooning.ltd.uk). Boutique shopping in Cheltenham’s Montpellier. Cheltenham races, 40 minutes away (01242 537642; www.cheltenham.co.uk). Antiques fair at the racecourse, last Sunday of every month. Clay-pigeon shooting at Chatcombe Estate Shooting School (01242 870391).
Diary
March Cheltenham Festival starts Britain’s horse-racing calendar, and hosts the Gold Cup (01242 537642; www.cheltenham.co.uk). July Cheltenham’s Music and Fringe Festival features music concerts, street entertainment, comedy and fireworks; the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford (01285 713300; www.airtattoo.com).
