7 Reasons to Visit the Cotswolds in September
Planning a visit to the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding of Natural Beauty? If you aren’t sure when to come then look no further than September. The month marks the transition between balmy summer evenings and crisp autumn days characterised by ochre landscapes. It’s also when the kids go back to school, which means the pretty villages and market towns of the Cotswolds are generally quieter. Here are seven great reasons to visit the Cotswolds in September.
1.) Moreton-in-Marsh Show
Gear up for a day of farming traditions, great food and equestrian shows at the Moreton-in-Marsh Show. Held on the first Saturday of September, this is one of the UK’s biggest one-day agricultural events. Expect livestock presentations, show jumping classes with Horse of the Year Show competitors and over 350 trade stands. You can satisfy your appetite with regional treats at the show’s Cotswold Farm Market, and shop for everything from rain boots to a combine harvester.
2.) Broadway Food Festival
The quintessential Cotswold market town of Broadway hosts its annual Broadway Food Festival in mid-September. The festival’s ethos is to celebrate the food and drink on offer at the cafés, restaurants and shops that line Broadway High Street. Keeping with the local theme, all of the stallholders are based within 30 miles of the town. Think bakers, beekeepers and cheesemakers, brewers, distillers and winemakers. There aren’t many better places in the region to dive face first into a Longhorn burger.
3.) Family Fun at Berkeley Castle
Here in the Cotswolds, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to majestic and historic castles. Just a short drive from Stroud you’ll find Berkeley Castle, whose origins date back to medieval times. A tour of the keep, tower, dining hall and dungeon, where King Edward II was murdered, is a journey into 850 years of heritage. The castle gardens are a serene oasis of colourful flowerbeds and lush manicured lawns. They provide the perfect setting for outdoor cinema screenings and open-air theatre productions.
4.) Theatre and Picnic at Painswick Rococo Gardens
Beautiful gardens are another thing in abundance in the Cotswolds. Painswick Rococo Garden is the only surviving complete rococo garden in the entire United Kingdom. The follies, hidden valley and maze are wonderful at any time of the year. Come autumn and fallen leaves create a carpet of orange, red and yellows hues in the woodland. September is also the time for outdoor theatre and picnic, so bring a hamper and blanket, get comfortable and enjoy a performance of Oscar Wilde’s Importance of being Earnest.
5.) Cotswold Way Walks
On a sunny autumn day, there’s nothing better than gathering friends and family for walks over the Cotswolds Hills. The views of the region’s undulating countryside and Cotswold escarpment are at their best at this time of the year. So lace up your favourite walking shoes and head out on the scenic Cotswold Way. You might not have time to complete the entire 102 miles, but luckily this National Trail is split up into manageable sections. Notably picturesque routes are the hike between Chipping Camden and Broadway and the ascent through the estate of Sudeley Castle to the summit of Cleeve Hill.
6.) Autumn Colours and Arboretums
The warm autumn colours that begin to appear in September play their part in creating the postcard-perfect images at the region’s arboretums. A kaleidoscope of red, gold, pinkish and orange hues awaits along the trails that wind around Highgrove Gardens and Batsford Arboretum. With 15,000 tree species spread over 600 acres, you’ll want to come back over and again to see the ever-changing scenery at Westonbirt Arboretum. Kids will love the chance to watch as the story of The Gruffalo comes to life here.
7.) Harvest Time and Fruit Picking
September is the beginning of the harvest season and a time to feast on the fine local produce of the Cotswolds. At Cotswold Farm Park you are invited to get hands-on at the potato patch. Bring the children, roll up your sleeves, grab a trowel and get digging. Be sure to take some spuds home and cook up delicious chips, mash and roasties. All the family will have a blast filling punnets at Primrose Vale Farm. September is the month for blackberries, raspberries and strawberries plus French and runner beans.