Photogenic Landscapes and Historic Sites in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire (including the unitary authority of South Gloucestershire) extends from north Bristol in the south to Tewkesbury in the north, and from the River Wye in the west, bordering Wales, to the Cotswolds in the east. Major geographic areas include the eastern half of the Wye Valley, the Forest of Dean, the Vale of Berkeley alongside the River Severn, and, the largest, the Cotswolds themselves, over half of which is within this county.

There are no outstandingly scenic places and no truly wild, undeveloped areas, but plenty of pleasant landscapes, of rolling hills, riparian valleys, ancient woodlands, and estuarine environments along the River Severn. The river becomes a sea around the village of Severn Beach, near the southwest corner of Gloucestershire, though the riversides are coastal in appearance for up to ten miles upstream, however most is bordered by mud flats and grassland, with just a few more photogenic, rocky places such as the cliffs at Aust. Over 60 sites in Gloucestershire are protected as nature reserves, and about half of these contain scenic landscapes in addition to the interesting flora and fauna.


Notable ancient sites are somewhat fewer in number than for adjacent counties like Somerset and Monmouthshire. There are plenty of country houses, still used as residences, and three major medieval churches, at Cirencester, Gloucester and Tewkesbury, together with many smaller religious buildings. Perhaps the best of the small number of ruined places is Hailes Abbey near Winchcombe; nearly all of the other monastic buildings from this period have been incorporated into current buildings, or are no longer visible. Similarly, of the 30 or so castles in the county, all are either completely disappeared, evident only from low earthworks, or are intact and still occupied; Berkeley Castle is the most famous location.