Born and bred in Gloucestershire, I have lots of ideas for quirky date nights and days out as a couple in and around Gloucestershire if you’re looking for something a little more than a standard evening meal in a restaurant!

Read on for lots of fun date activities and romantic spots to take your beau in the home of the Cotswolds.

Picnics and sunsets at Devil’s Chimney

Gloucestershire is blessed with hills all around.  You’re honestly never too far from a hill no matter which of the towns, villages or city you’re in. 

One of the most beautiful views and sunset spots is Devil’s Chimney which can be found on Leckhampton Hill in Cheltenham.  It’s walkable from the town centre if you like a stroll, or there are lots of parking spots and carparks dotted around the hill.

Why not take a picnic or grab a takeaway and take it up to the chimney for amazing views, chat and food on a sunny day?

For a romantic spin, make sure you plan it around the time of the sun setting. The featured image is from a summer evening stroll with my family – isn’t the view stunning?

Rococo Gardens

If gardens and sculptures are your thing then Rococo Gardens in Painswick is a hidden gem.  The best time to visit is when they have an art installation or sculpture show as there’s much more to see, but even if not they are lovely gardens to explore.

If you have time afterwards then wander around Painswick village itself for a taste of Cotswolds architecture, rolling hill views and to see the famous 99 trees of Painswick.  Can you count 99?

Rowing on Pittville Lake

We absolutely love Pittville Park in Cheltenham with the kids, but it’s also a great spot to visit as a couple.

As adults you can walk and talk around the lake and hire a rowing boat from the boathouse!  There are three cafes dotted around the park so you can grab a hot drink, soft drink and light snack or ice-cream and watch the world go by.

Water sports at South Cerney

If you like a little adrenaline then plan a day at Cotswold Water Park.  There are various lakes with different water activities you can book in advance from kayaking to paddle boarding and windsurfing to wakeboarding.  There are also lakes to walk around, cafes and even a beach!

Helicopter ride at Gloucestershire Airport

For the ultimate Gloucestershire dating experience, treat yourself and your date to a helicopter ride to see Gloucestershire from the skies.  Some packages for two even offer a free glass of bubbly once back on the ground to truly finish off your special date!

There’s a pub on the grounds too serving standard pub grub, but the best seats are the picnic benches outside where you can enjoy a refreshment or two and watch the planes and helicopters take off and land.

It’s sure to be a date neither of you will ever forget!

Cheese rolling festival

If you time your date right (last bank holiday in May) then you could catch the famous cheese rolling festival in Brockworth, Gloucestershire.

It’s a quirky and unusual tradition that draws crowds of thousands from around the world to witness the madness of the cheese roll – essentially crazy people racing down an almost vertical hill to try and catch a giant cheese that is rolled down from the top.

You can’t appreciate the steepness of the hill until you are actually there.  People tumble down causing themselves all sorts of injuries and they even return year after year to do it again!

It was recently featured as the first episode in We Are The Champions on Netflix.

Even if you can’t make the exact date, Coopers Hill makes for a great walk.  It’s part of Cotswold Way and from the hill you can loop round to Great Witcombe Roman Villa, another perfect picnic spot.

Pub grub and sunsets at The Rising Sun

For amazing sunsets whilst you eat, try The Rising Sun pub on Cleeve Hill in Cheltenham.  Located just off the road as you climb the hill, it offers spectacular views over Cheltenham, meaning you can enjoy your meal with amazing sunset views in the evening.

Tubing or skiing at the outdoor ski-slope

I quite often forget, but Gloucester has an outdoor ski slope!  They offer ski lessons or competent skiers can free ski.

For a date with a difference then book a tubing session! 

It’s exhilarating and something you’re sure to talk about for weeks to come as you’ll have so much fun.  You sit in large rubber rings and get pushed down a ski slope by one of their instructors!

Visit the forest

Gloucestershire is home to the Forest of Dean, made up of 20 million trees!  The forest is full of amazing date ideas and things to do as couples.  There are beautiful lakes and walking trails throughout, as well as many attractions such as Clearwell Caves, Puzzlewood and The Secret Forest.

The forest is also home to two Go Ape centres where you can fuel your adrenaline and take to the heights of the trees for a sky high obstacle course.

Close to the forest is the very picturesque May Hill which is covered with bluebells in the spring, has wild horses roaming free and is crowned with a unique cluster of pine trees at its summit.

Take the steam train

A heritage railway with a steam train that travels a scenic route from Gloucestershire to Warwckshire which stops at Broadway, Toddington, Winchcombe and Cheltenham Racecourse.

They host different events such as a chip shop night on the train!

A feast for the eyes at Sudeley Castle

Is there anything more romantic than castles?  Take a stroll around Sudeley Castle with its beautiful grounds, but for a real treat, go during November to January when they host their incredible Spectacle of Light event.  The grounds are adorned with stunning light displays for magical and festive feels.

There are so many amazing places to see and visit within Gloucestershire, home to the Forest of Dean, as well as the famous Cotswolds, an area of outstanding natural beauty.  From Gloucester Docks to the weekend markets of Stroud, there are so many things to see and do, many, many more than I have had time to explore in this single post. Happy dating and exploring in Gloucestershire!