With festivals, open gardens, sporting events and, of course, the lovely long Jubilee weekend, the summer months are a fabulous time to visit TP. If you can tear yourself away from your deckchair, here are our top tips of places to go and things to see nearby this summer.

4^th June, 11am – 3:30pm – Vintage Jubilee Party, Tewkesbury Baptist Church

There’s a whole host of jubilee events taking place in the villages surrounding Tewkesbury over the bank holiday weekend, but we wanted to mention this vintage party just down the road from TP. With vintage-themed stalls, crazy golf course, Argentine tango showcase, ice cream & vintage tea room, comedy show and live music, it sounds like they’ve got all bases covered.

For tickets, click here.

3^rd – 5^th June – Gloucester Tall Ships Festival, Gloucester Docks

Set in the historic Gloucester docks, the Tall Ships Festival returns for 2022 with performers, entertainers, live music, stalls and live battle re-enactments. The event’s free to attend; you’ll just need to buy yourself a boarding pass if you’d like to hop aboard any of the tall ships or vessels.

For more info, visit the Gloucester Tall Ships website.

11^th & 12^th June, 1-6pm – Open Gardens, Ashton Under Hill

This pretty Worcestershire village, nestled at the foot of Bredon Hill in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, will be opening 24 of its stunning gardens for its 43^rd Open Gardens event.

With a Champagne bar, ice creams and plenty of freshly-baked scones, you’ll be well fuelled for your adventure. Oh, and if you’d rather not walk too far, there’s a minibus running through the village to whisk you between gardens.

For tickets and to pre-order food options, visit: www.ashtonopengardens.co.uk

17^th – 19^th June – Royal 3 Counties Show, Malvern Three Counties Showground

Celebrating the countryside and rural life across the three counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire & Herefordshire, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the show. Organisers have curated over 150 activities and events, with a food & drink festival; farming village with over 120 different breeds of animals; a forestry area; plant & flower show; equine village; fur, feather & farm area, and not forgetting a mini pony show at the countryside arena.

For more info and to buy tickets, visit the three counties website.

1^st – 3^rd July – (Almost) Treasure Island, Victoria Gardens, Tewkesbury

Our local theatre, The Roses Theatre, is putting on a family-friendly, fun-tastic summer panto by the river, with pop-up refreshment tent serving snacks & soft drinks and various tipples. They’re also planning a treasure hunt around the town and will be awarding prizes for the best-dressed pirate.

Victoria Gardens is a stunning setting, on the banks of the Mill Avon. There will be 5 showings over 3 days: 1^st July 7pm; 2^nd July 3pm & 7pm; 3^rd July 1pm & 4pm

For tickets, visit: (Almost) Treasure Island | Live | The Roses Theatre

9th & 10th July – Tewkesbury Medieval Festival

Just at the bottom of our drive lies Bloody Meadow – the site of one of the most decisive battles in the War of the Roses back in 1471. Tewkesbury Medieval Festival was first held here in 1984, and since then thousands of re-enactors descend upon the town each summer to re-enact this defining battle between the houses of York and Lancaster.

Free to enter, it’s a great day out for all of the family, whether you’re keen to find out more about how people lived their daily lives, what they ate and drank, how things were made, how they danced, made music or shopped. There’s fighting, dancing, parades, processions, jesters, giants, fools, tumblers, parades, processions, market stalls, food & drink, all topped off with the battle re-enactment each day.

For more info, visit: https://www.tewkesburymedievalfestival.org/

19^th July – 2^nd August – Cheltenham Cricket Festival, Cheltenham College

If you know your doosra from your googly and your gully from your fine leg, this may well be the event for you. The Cheltenham Cricket Festival will be celebrating its 150^th anniversary this year, making it the longest-running cricket festival in the world.

For more info and to buy tickets, visit the Cricket Festival website

24^th July, 8:30am – 5pm Midland Hill Climb Championships, Prescott Hill Climb

Prescott Speed Hill Climb was founded in 1938 by the Bugatti Owners’ Club and has been one of the highlights of the hill climb competition calendar ever since. Comprising 1127 yards of exquisite tarmac, this quintessentially English motorsport hill has welcomed the likes of Sir Stirling Moss, Norman Wisdom, Richard Hammond and pretty much every petrolhead in between over the years.

To buy tickets for this championship event, visit the Prescott Hill Climb website.

2nd – 12th August – Open Air Theatre Festival, Tuckwell Amphitheatre, Cheltenham

With classic plays, live music, cinema nights & family theatre, the open air theatre festival takes place in the idyllic Tuckwell Amphitheatre. Tucked away behind mature trees, this magical setting attracts some of the best touring open air theatre acts in the UK.

For more info and to purchase tickets, visit the Bacon Theatre website.

26th – 28th August – The Big Feastival, Kingham

Whether you’re a music fan or an absolute foodie…or perhaps both, you’ll be well catered for at the UK’s biggest family festival, held at the Cotswold Farm or Blur bassist, Alex James. With a great line up of music (this year’s acts include the Human League, Anne-Marie, Sterephonics, Basement Jazz), alfresco feasting, live cooking demos and a vintage fairground, there’s something for everyone.

There’s camping tickets available, but it’s under an hour from TP, so why not go for a day ticket and head back to your ever-so-comfy Hypnos bed for a sound night’s sleep?

For tickets, head to the Big Feastival website.