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Every May Bank Holiday Monday, Tetbury's steep Gumstool Hill becomes the starting point for one of the Cotswolds' most distinctive annual events – the Woolsack Race.
Competitors haul heavy woolsacks up the punishing slope, with men carrying 60lb loads and women carrying 35lb. It's genuinely demanding, and race day draws crowds onto the streets to watch and cheer. The whole thing has a wonderfully mad energy to it, and it connects directly to Tetbury's heritage as an important wool market town centuries ago.
Beyond race day, Tetbury itself repays a proper explore. The town has kept its traditional Cotswold character intact, and it's gained a real reputation for independent shops – particularly its antique dealers, who are dotted throughout the centre. You'll understand why this place mattered so much to those wool traders when you walk around and get a feel for the town's fabric.
Tetbury makes a sensible base for exploring the southern Cotswolds. Cirencester, often called the Capital of the Cotswolds, is easily accessible, and Malmesbury with its historic abbey is nearby too. Highgrove House, the private residence of King Charles III, sits close at hand. The location means you have plenty of options for spreading out and discovering more of the region without moving your base.
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