Now lying in ruins 3 miles northeast of Winchcombe, this 13th-century Cistercian abbey was once, thanks to a long-running medieval scam, one of England’s main pilgrimage centres. The abbey was said – by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales, among others – to possess a vial of Christ’s blood. Until that was denounced during the Reformation as containing no more than coloured water, thousands of pilgrims contributed to the abbey’s wealth. Free audio guides lead visitors around.
Hailes Abbey
The Cotswolds
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.88 MILES
Founded in 1068 by William the Conqueror, stunningly preserved Warwick Castle is Warwick's main attraction.
25.8 MILES
One of the greatest stately homes in Britain, and a Unesco World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace is a monumental baroque fantasy, designed by Sir John…
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19.55 MILES
Morgan has been handcrafting elegant sports cars since 1909. You can see the mechanics at work on two-hour guided tours of the unassuming shedlike…
15.34 MILES
Gloucester’s spectacular cathedral is among the first and finest examples of the English Perpendicular Gothic style. Benedictine monks built a Norman…
17.97 MILES
When Shakespeare retired, he swapped the bright lights of London for a comfortable town house at New Place, where he died of unknown causes in April 1616…
18.13 MILES
Start your Shakespeare quest at the house where the renowned playwright was born in 1564 and spent his childhood days. John Shakespeare owned the house…
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15.1 MILES
Bibury's most famous attraction, this ravishing row of rustic cottages – as seen in movies like Stardust – was originally a 14th-century wool store,…
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17.51 MILES
Most of this wonderful modern museum is, of course, dedicated to Cirencester’s Roman past; reconstructed rooms, videos and interactive displays bring the…
Nearby The Cotswolds attractions
1.57 MILES
There's little more to the pretty village of Stanway than a few thatched-roofed cottages, a church and this magnificent Jacobean mansion, concealed behind…
1.88 MILES
During its thousand-year history, this magnificent castle has welcomed many a monarch, including Richard III, Henry VIII and Charles I. Half a mile…
2.06 MILES
Winchcombe’s much-restored, 15th-century Perpendicular St Peter’s church is worth a visit for its majestic tower, arcaded interior and the series of…
3.43 MILES
Dating from around 3000 BC, Belas Knap is one of the country’s best-preserved neolithic burial chambers, complete with ‘false’ portal leading nowhere. The…
3.76 MILES
Once home to eccentric poet and architect Charles Paget Wade (1883–1956), this wonderful medieval mansion stands just over 2 miles south of Broadway. It…
4.44 MILES
Owned by TV presenter Adam Henson, Cotswold Farm Park sets out to introduce little ones to the world of farm animals, while also preserving rare breeds,…
4.81 MILES
It’s well worth taking the time to wander down to lovely 12th-century St Eadburgha’s Church, a signposted 1-mile walk south of Broadway.
5.44 MILES
Built in 1798 to resemble an imaginary Saxon fort, this turreted Gothic folly looks down on Broadway from atop the escarpment, 1 mile southeast. William…