Set in between Cheltenham and Broadway, Winchcombe lies on the River Isbourne, surrounded by tranquil countryside and some of the Cotswolds’ best walks. This historic market town mixes Cotswold stone and half-timbered black and white buildings, is known for its independent shops and restaurants, and has a castle fit for a queen. So discover the best things to do in Winchcombe, as well as where to eat, drink and stay, with this insiders’ guide from our local expert Kate.
Winchcombe’s history
Winchcombe means valley (cumb) with a bend (wincel) in Old English
Winchcombe has been occupied since at least the Neolithic period, with pottery fragments dating from 3000 BC and the Belas Knap burial chamber in the hills around the town. There were also Roman villas near Winchcombe, though it’s likely to have only been a small farming village.
By the eighth century, Winchcombe had become an important centre for the Anglo-Saxon Kings of Mercia. King Offa of Mercia founded a nunnery which later became the Benedictine Winchcombe Abbey, though all that’s left of it now is a few stone fragments. Pilgrims flocked to the area to see the tomb of Saint Kenelm, which along with the wool trade made the town very rich.
By the time of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, Winchcombe Abbey was already in decline. People in the town scraped by by growing flax and tobacco in the 17th century. But Winchcombe began to grow again during the Victorian period, with new buildings being built.
When walking around town you’ll see several blue plaques showcasing the history behind some of its buildings, including the birthplace of Christopher Merrett on Gloucester Street. Merrett discovered how to use sugar to add fizz to sparkling wine in 1662 – 30 years before Dom Perignon.
Map of Winchcombe
Things to do in Winchcombe
Winchcombe Museum
Located inside the Victorian Town Hall, the Winchcombe Museum (free entry) takes you through the town’s history – all the way back to 4.6 billion years ago. The museum’s oldest exhibit is a fragment of the Winchcombe meteorite, which landed in the driveway of a house in the town in 2021.
More down-to-earth exhibits focus on Winchcombe’s industries, arts and crafts, and social history. Among them are a rare pair of 15th-century town maces, a harmonium once played in the Winchcombe Workhouse and a collection of police memorabilia. The museum also runs free guided walking tours around the town on Sundays at 11am and 2.30pm from April to October.
Sudeley Castle and Gardens
One of the highlights of visiting Winchcombe is a trip to Sudeley Castle, located on the outskirts of the town. Founded in 1442, Sudeley is the only private castle in England to have a queen buried within its grounds. Katherine Parr – who was Henry VIII’s last and only surviving wife – lived and died at the castle in the 1540s, and is buried in St Mary’s Chapel in the gardens.
The Dent-Brocklehurst family still live in the castle today, but part is open to the public from March to November (entry £22 adults/£10 children aged 3–15). You can see an exhibition of objects from the castle’s 1000-year history or add on a tour of the family’s apartments and art collection. There are also 10 different gardens to explore, and an adventure playground for children.
Sudeley hosts regular events too, including the popular Spectacle of Light trail at Christmas.
St Peter’s Church
Medieval St Peter’s Church in Winchcombe was built in the 1460s, funded by Winchcombe Abbey, Lord Ralph Boteler from Sudeley Castle and the profits from the wool trade. Outside you can see over 40 ‘grotesques’, which are similar to gargoyles but don’t have a water spout.
Half of these ugly stone faces depict demons, and the other half are modelled on local characters from the 15th century – including Ralph Boteler. There’s also one to the east of the porch which is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll to create The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.
You can also see marks on the west end of the church made by musket balls in the Civil War. And a gilded weathercock on the tower which originally came from St Mary Redcliffe Church in Bristol. Inside, look out for the altar frontal stitched by Queen Catherine of Aragon, the medieval stained glass windows, and the stone coffins of Saxon King Kenulf and his son St Kenelm.
Dent’s Terrace Almshouses
Dent’s Terrace Almshouses are a row of pretty cottages built in 1865 by Sir George Gilbert Scott – who also designed St Pancras Station and the Albert Memorial in London. They were founded by the Dent family from Sudeley Castle to provide housing for local people in need, which they still do.
You can see more picturesque cottages on Vineyard Street, which takes its name from the old Winchcombe Abbey vineyard. It was later known as Duck Street after an 18th-century ducking stool which stood where the street crosses the River Isbourne, a tributary of the River Avon.
Gloucestershire–Warwickshire Steam Railway
Nostalgia lovers will enjoy a trip on the Gloucestershire–Warwickshire Steam Railway, which calls at Winchcombe on its 14-mile journey between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway. This volunteer-run heritage railway uses a mix of steam and diesel engines. And their beautifully maintained stations feature plenty of period details, including the 1950s-style Coffee Pot tea room.
A £28 rover ticket (£13 children aged 5–15) lets you travel on the line all day, and there are events throughout the year, including The Santa Express at Christmas. Winchcombe station also has a model railway and a Discovery Coach where you can learn about the railway’s history.
Winchcombe Pottery
Pottery has been made in Greet just north of Winchcombe since the 1800s. The original Greet Potteries closed down at the start of the First World War, but potter Michael Cardew opened a new Winchcombe Pottery on the site in 1926. It produced a type of pottery known as slipware, which was thrown by hand using the local red Winchcombe clay and wood-fired in a bottle kiln.
Today the pottery makes more hardwearing stoneware, still using some of Michael Cardew’s original designs. It’s open to visitors and has a shop where you can buy their products.
St Kenelm’s Well
On a quiet hillside a mile outside of Winchcombe is St Kenelm’s Well, dedicated to an Anglo-Saxon saint. After Mercian king Kenelm was murdered on the orders of his jealous sister, his body was taken to Winchcombe Abbey for burial. When the exhausted monks carrying the body stopped to rest, legend has it a spring burst out the ground, refreshing them to finish their journey.
St Kenelm’s Well marks the spot, and was a popular pilgrimage site. The current well house was built in 1887 on the site of an older chapel for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. If you want to visit the well, it’s on the route of our 3.7-mile circular Winchcombe and Sudeley Castle walk.
Belas Knap Long Barrow
Also just outside Winchcombe is an even older monument – Belas Knap Long Barrow. This long mound was built as a communal burial chamber around 3000 BC. When it was excavated in the 19th century, 31 Bronze Age skeletons were discovered inside. You can see an unusual false entrance at the front which was built to disguise the real entrance at the side and deter grave robbers.
There’s a car park about half a mile away from Belas Knap (location here). Or you can walk there on a 5.25-mile circular walk from Winchcombe along a stretch of the Cotswold Way.
Walks from Winchcombe
Winchcombe is known as the ‘Walking capital of the Cotswolds’ and hosts an annual Walking Festival each May. So there’s no shortage of walking routes around the town.
Winchcombe is on the route of several long-distance trails, including the Cotswold Way. If you want to walk just a short stretch of it, you can head north to Stanton (8 miles) or Broadway (12 miles), go south to Cleeve Hill (5.6 miles) or do a circular walk to Belas Knap (5.25 miles).
There’s also the Winchcombe Way, a 42-mile figure-of-eight route centred on Winchcombe. You can follow the Wardens’ Way or Windrush Way from Winchcombe to Bourton-on-the-Water (14 miles each). Or walk the Isbourne Way (14 miles) or part of the Gloucestershire Way (100 miles).
There are several shorter circular walks from Winchcombe too, including the 3.7-mile route to Sudeley Castle and St Kenelm’s Well (find more on the Winchcombe Welcomes Walkers website).
Things to do near Winchcombe
Three miles north of Winchcombe, Hailes Abbey was one of the most renowned shrines in medieval England. It’s now in ruins but is an atmospheric place to walk around, with a museum about its history. You can also pick your own fruit or buy local produce at Hayles Fruit Farm.
In the nearby village of Prescott (4 miles), you’ll find the Prescott Hill Climb motor racing circuit and The Bugatti Trust, who run a museum dedicated to the sports cars. Also close by are stately homes Stanway House (4 miles), a beautiful Jacobean manor famed for the highest gravity fountain in the world, and Snowshill Manor (9 miles), with its quirky mix of collections.
Winchcombe is also within easy reach of the family-friendly Cotswold Farm Park (8 miles), the village of Broadway and the Broadway Tower (10 miles). And it’s eight miles to Cheltenham, which has a busy calendar of festivals, horse-racing and great shops and restaurants.
Where to eat in Winchcombe
Cafés and delis
North’s Bakery on North Street has been baking bread in Winchcombe for over 60 years. They still use traditional methods to make their breads, with a mix of standard and flavoured varieties (the cheese and Marmite combo is fantastic). You can also pick up locally sourced picnic supplies like cheeses, pies, quiches and Scotch eggs at William’s of Winchcombe delicatessen.
The Old Bakery Coffee & Wine Bar is a friendly, relaxed café, serving breakfast sandwiches followed by soups and snacks. Then on Thursday to Saturday evenings it stays open later for Broadway Wine Company wines, beers and ciders plus cheese and charcuterie boards.
Or The Tipsy Egg on Hailes Street does a great eggs on toast. Also on their all-day breakfast and lunch menu are build-your-own sandwiches, toasties and jacket potatoes, as well as homemade cakes – with gluten-free and vegan options. They also do a monthly Sunday lunch.
Restaurants and pubs
If you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion, Winchcombe has its very own Michelin-starred chef. Marcus (Gus) Ashenford and his wife Kate run 5 North Street, which combines classical French cooking techniques with top-quality produce from the Cotswolds. They offer five- and seven-course tasting menus based on what’s in season. But book well ahead as space is limited.
Winchcombe also has a selection of traditional pubs. The Lion Inn is run by Butcombe Brewery, and serves their ales plus breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dishes include risottos, steaks and pies, using regional produce like Hobbs House sourdough and Severn & Wye Smokery fish.
The Corner Cupboard was built in 1550 using stone from Winchcombe Abbey. It’s full of character with oak beams and open fires, and a warm and friendly welcome. On the menu are homemade pub classics like beef and ale stew, fish and chips, and a ‘Sudeley Chicken’ (cooked in cider and cream). Just watch out for the ghost of a young girl who’s said to haunt the pub!
The Plaisterers Arms is another historic pub, this time dating from the 15th century. They serve hearty pub grub and real ales, and have a shady beer garden for summer, with dogs welcome.
Where to stay in Winchcombe
The Lion Inn* is a 15th-century coaching inn with nine en-suite bedrooms. Each room is different, and they range from the smallest Cosy Classic rooms to Indulgence rooms with seating areas and roll-top baths. All the rooms are dog-friendly too if you want to bring your pooch.
Blair House is a family-run bed and breakfast in two converted Georgian cottages. It has three cosy, country-style bedrooms – an en-suite double and a single and twin each with private bathrooms. There’s also a guest sitting room to relax in and a cooked breakfast is included.
If you’d prefer self-catering, Sudeley Castle has 17 properties to rent spread around their estate. Cottages sleep from 3 to 14 people and are a mix of new and converted buildings, including a paper mill and an old forge. Each gives you free entry to the castle and grounds. Our pick is the historic Castle Gatehouse* which sleeps four in two separate wings with plenty of character.
You can also stay on picturesque Vineyard Street. No 14 Vineyard Street* is another Sudeley Castle property, which sleeps up to seven in four bedrooms. It’s spread across three floors and has a separate annex. Or 5 Vineyard Street sleeps four in two refurbished double bedrooms.
How to get to Winchcombe
Winchcombe by car
Winchcombe is seven miles northeast of Cheltenham via the B4632, or a 15-minute drive from Junction 9 (Tewkesbury) of the M5. There are two main car parks in the town centre. Back Lane car park (GL54 5PZ) is the biggest and cheapest, charging £1 all day. Or the smaller Bull Lane car park (GL54 5HX) costs £1 for an hour, £2 for up to three hours or £4 for over three hours.
Winchcombe by public transport
If you’re travelling to Winchcombe by public transport, the nearest train station is in Cheltenham. The Stagecoach W and Pulhams 606 buses run from Pittville Street in Cheltenham to Winchcombe (excluding Sundays). The W runs around once an hour and takes 25 minutes. The 606 takes 50 minutes, and connects on to Broadway and Chipping Campden two–three times a day.
You could also use the Gloucestershire–Warwickshire Steam Railway to travel to Winchcombe from Cheltenham Racecourse or Broadway in style (though it only runs on certain dates). The GWSR station is on the edge of the village of Greet, a 25-minute walk into Winchcombe.
* This site contains affiliate links, where I get a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.
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