From Rivermead, you are within easy reach of some of the most rewarding towns and villages in England — Georgian market towns on the Avon, Cotswolds villages in golden stone, and a cathedral city that wears its history lightly.Here is our guide to the places worth exploring.
Distance: 2 miles: 10 minutes by car or bicycle
Rivermead's nearest town is one of the county's finest — a quiet, unhurried Georgian market town strung along the River Avon. Pershore has a twice-weekly market, a good range of independent shops and cafes, and the magnificent Norman tower of Pershore Abbey rising above the rooftops. The riverside park and Abbey Gardens are ideal for a morning walk.
Distance: 6 miles: 15 minutes by car
Set at a sweeping meander of the River Avon, Evesham is the market town at the heart of the Vale — the area's rich growing land has made it a hub for farm produce, and the Tuesday and Friday market reflects that. The riverside meadows and Abbey grounds are lovely in any season, and blossom season each April and May transforms the surrounding countryside.
Distance: Approx 20 minutes by car
A compact cathedral city on the River Severn, Worcester is well worth the short drive north. The cathedral — where King John is buried — dominates the skyline, and the old city has enough independent character to make an afternoon here genuinely enjoyable. County cricket at New Road, the Commandery Civil War museum, the Guildhall, and a lively restaurant and cafe scene round out the offer.
Distance: 30 minutes by car
A small riverside town with outsized character — a Tudor pepperpot tower, a string of waterfront pubs, and a calendar of music festivals that give it a lively, slightly bohemian atmosphere in summer. The Upton Jazz Festival and Upton Folk Festival both draw visitors from across the country.
The southern edge of the Cotswolds is just 20–30 minutes by car from Rivermead — some of England’s most visited and most beautiful countryside, best seen at a slower pace than the tour bus routes allow.
Distance: approximately 25 minutes by car
Often called the 'show village' of the Cotswolds, Broadway is undeniably beautiful — a broad, tree-lined high street flanked by honey-stone houses and independent shops. Gordon Russell's design legacy is celebrated at the local museum, and Broadway Tower above the village offers views across thirteen counties on a clear day.
Distance: approximately 35 minutes by car
Sitting high on the wolds at a crossroads of ancient roads, Stow has been a market town for over a thousand years. Today it is best known for its antique dealers — there are more per square metre here than almost anywhere else in England — and for the famous biannual horse fair that has drawn traders to the market square since 1476.
Distance: approximately 30 minutes by car
The finest of the Cotswold wool towns — Chipping Campden's High Street is one of the most complete medieval streetscapes in England. The old market hall, the wool merchants' houses, and the Church of St James together tell the story of a town that grew wealthy on the medieval wool trade and has preserved its character ever since.
Distance: approximately 30 minutes by car
A practical, unpretentious Cotswolds town with a working high street and a large weekly market every Tuesday. Moreton makes a good base for walking in the northern Cotswolds, and the Batsford Arboretum nearby is outstanding in spring and autumn.
Distance: approximately 35 minutes by car
The most visited village in the Cotswolds, and for good reason — the shallow River Windrush runs through the centre, crossed by a series of low stone bridges, giving the village its distinctive character. Best visited on a weekday morning to appreciate it without the summer crowds.
