Whats New in The Cotswolds for 2015

www.cotwolds.com
The Great Cotswold Outdoors
Responding to the way in which cycling and walking have become two of the most
searched areas of the www.cotswolds.com, the website has also been updated for 2015 to
give greater profile to these two outdoor pursuits. For further details, visit
http://cotswolds.com/the-great-cotswold-outdoors.
Marking the start (or finish) of the Cotswold Way National Trail
One of the most popular long distance walking paths in the country now has a marker at its
starting - or finishing - point, in Chipping Campden. The 102-mile Cotswold Way
(http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/cotswold-way), which follows the length of the Cotswold
escarpment between Chipping Campden and the World Heritage City of Bath, is walked by
thousands of people every year. Now, a striking hand-carved stone marker is set to appear
at its northern end, in front of Chipping Campdens Market Hall. The marker echoes a
similar one placed at the Cotswold Ways southern end in Bath in 2012. The iconic National
Trail acorn logo is inlaid in brass in the centre of the disc. The names are bounded by a
quote from TS Eliots East Coker a wordsmith who stayed in and drew inspiration from the
town. His words were chosen to most evocatively communicate the experience of walking
the Cotswold Way and the landscape of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Secret Cottage Tours of The Cotswolds
Launched at the back end of 2014, and fully operational from 2015, Secret Cottage Tours
(http://www.cotswoldtourismtours.co.uk) is a newcomer for The Cotswolds - and offers a
tailor-made six-hour guided tour in a private minibus through parts of the north Cotswolds
which are inaccessible via public transport. No two tours are ever the same, and depending on dates - visitors touring The Cotswolds in this way will find themselves visiting
village fetes, farmers markets and duck races! The tours also stop off at a 400-years-old
cottage property, with its own secret garden, where traditional afternoon tea is served.
Rugby World Cup
The 8th Rugby World Cup will take place between September 18th and October 31st, in 2015.
Matches will take place in 13 different venues across 11 host cities in England & Wales including Gloucester. Rugby fans from around the globe are being invited to base
themselves in and around the Cotswolds or Gloucester itself to soak up some of the World
Cup atmosphere and to get up-close-and-personal to the following matches: Tonga v
Europe 1 on September 19th; Scotland v Asia 1 on September 23rd; Argentina v Europe 1
on September 25th; America 2 v Asia 1 on October 11th.

Gloucester services
The ground-breaking Gloucester Services (http://www.gloucesterservices.com) on the M5,
which are already open between Junctions 12 and 11a on the north-bound carriageway, will
also open south-bound during the summer of 2015. Dedicated to local food, farming and the
community, the food served in both the Kitchen and Food to Go areas is all made fresh on
site using quality, local ingredients. A Farmshop also offers travellers a wide selection of
local and artisan products along with a deli and butchery. Over 130 suppliers within 30 miles
of the site are represented in a building designed to compliment the surrounding countryside
- with a seeded roof and landscaped pond and footpath creating a relaxed environment
away from the motorway.
New official Cotswolds phone app
In early 2015 the Cotswolds Tourism Partnership will be launching a new, free destination
phone app in early 2015. It will feature attractions and what to see, major events, where to
stay, about the towns and villages, shopping, food and drink and essential travel information
as well as suggested itineraries.
The spirit of the Cotswolds
Nestled in the Warwickshire countryside, The Cotswolds Distillery
(http://www.cotswoldsdistillery.com) is the first of its kind in the area - as well as the closest
working distillery to London. Surrounded by an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the new
distillery has been built in traditional Cotswolds stone and set in beautifully landscaped
gardens. Its shop and tasting room have been designed with visitors in mind: feeling more
like a home from home in which you can fully immerse yourself in our Cotswolds Distillery
experience. The brainchild of a native New Yorker, Dan Szor who combined a desire to
move to the Cotswolds countryside with a deep-rooted passion for dingle malt whisky, the
new distillery is located in the village of Stourton, near Shipston-on-Stour in the heart of The
Cotswolds. Visitors are welcome, and fully guided tours are also available each month.
New openings include
The Convent
Tucked away in South Woodchester, The Convent (http://www.theconvent.net) is housed in
a gothic building, and turned into a destination in itself featuring a private members club,
restaurant (with a head chef who was formerly at The Ivy and Hix), a boutique hotel and
events venue.
Ebley Wharf, near Stroud
A newly regenerated up-and-coming canalside destination including an open-air piazza, the
kitsch decor of Ks Coffee Bar (serving cocktails on Thursday and Friday nights) and the
Buttercup Kiosk for sandwiches, cakes and drinks. Canal boat trips will run in summer and
there are walks in both directions along the Stroudwater Canal.
Dinner at Six, in Stroud
Dinner at Six (http://www.dinneratsix.co.uk) has popped up in the former Food Emporium
site in the centre of Stroud, perfectly poised to pick up passing trade from the famed
Farmers Market for Saturday breakfasts and with plenty of free parking nearby in the
evening.
For all further tourist information in The Cotswolds, please visit www.cotswolds.com.
Ends
For all media enquiries, please contact:
Sally Graff
Email: sally.graff@cotswold.gov.uk
Tel: 01608 650881