The Cotswold Show – A Grand Affair
The annual Cotswold Show at Cirencester Park has been variously described and eulogised as a “showcase of countryside culture”; a “beacon of rural tradition; and a “vibrant tapestry of rural life”.
No matter how many superlatives journalists ascribe to it, there is little doubt that this event deserves its place as one of the most popular events on the UK’s country show calendar.
So, if you’re looking for something exciting and exceptional to do during the first weekend of July (Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th), start planning your visit to the Cotswolds to take in the grand show and explore the chocolate-box charm of this part of the world – including our Edgemoor Inn with its spectacular views of the Painswick Valley.
Town Meets Country at the Cotswold Show
The greatest show in Gloucester takes place across 100 acres of parkland less than half an hour away by car, via the A417, from our village of Edge.
It’s become an eagerly anticipated annual event since it was started by Earl Bathurst in 1989, who opened up his ancestral Cirencester Park estate to host a show which he billed as a place “where town meets country”. Since then the country venue has become overrun by “townies” as the reputation and size of the show has grown apace – this year around 30,000 visitors are expected to enjoy hundreds of attractions.
So packed has the programme become that the Cotswold Show as a whole now has simultaneous spin-off special happenings going on. For instance there is a truly scrumptious food festival – complete with a cookery theatre featuring chefs from some of the Cotswolds’ best hotels and restaurants.
There’s also an area designated “The World of Dogs” where our furry friends can compete in various dog shows, terrier and lurcher racing, gun dog scurries, agility displays and more.
Shopping, Monster Trucks and Mountain Biking
Heart of the Cotswold Show is the Bathurst Arena, where you can thrill to the crushing antics of Big Pete and the Grim Reaper Monster Truck Team; marvel at the spell-binding Hawkeye Falconry displays; marvel at the skill of ponies and carriages as they Scurry around a timed obstacle course, and so much more.
If you’re addicted to shopping then you ought to get a high from the hundreds of trade stands purveying everything from bird seed and country crafts to Wellington boots, garden benches and leather handbags.
Of course, this is a country show so – besides the dogs and horses already mentioned – there’s plenty of pursuits to try like clay pigeon shooting and archery; also animals to admire from sheep being sheared to ferrets racing and ducks being herded by sheep-dogs.
The kids (and the young at heart) will be in their seventh heaven with activities like go-karting, tree-climbing, bouncy castles and slides, and an old time funfair.
A Great Day Out
It all adds up to a great summer day out, and if you come for the weekend you’ll have a day to spare seeing some of the other fantastic attractions in Cirencester and further afield the surrounding Cotswolds villages.
It’s a great place for celebrity spotting, too, because as you probably know this part of the world is home to many notable people from all walks of life, including Royalty. There’s a good chance that someone of significance may well be strolling around Earl Bathurst’s pleasant Park.
Buy show tickets online at a 20% discount, or full price at the gate on the day at Cirencester Park, Saturday 6th or Sunday 7th July 2024 (9am to 5pm).
Here’s how to get to Cirencester Park and find the two entrances to the show grounds.
There’s free onsite parking and dogs are allowed as long as they are on leads.
Enjoy the 2024 Cotswold Show, and don’t forget to pop in to the Edgemoor Inn for a pint of the local brew, or a home-cooked meal, and tell us all about it.
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