Planning a race‑week getaway for a group of friends, family, colleagues or clients?
We know that finding a house big enough for everyone which is close to Cheltenham Festival but with room to breathe can be a challenge. Bowldown solves that problem.
The Vernon Family invite you to stay at our eight‑bedroom Cotswold farmhouse, which sits within easy reach of Cheltenham Racecourse and Bristol Airport.
Each March, Cheltenham becomes the beating heart of jump racing. Over four days, 10 to 13 March 2026, more than 200,000 racegoers gather at Prestbury Park for a celebration of sport and spectacle. Gates open at 10:30 and the first race goes off at 13:20, building towards the day’s feature event before the last runners come home around 17:20.
Champion Day (Tuesday 10 March) launches the meet with seven races culminating in the Unibet Champion Hurdle, a Grade 1 contest over two miles.
Ladies Day (Wednesday 11 March) features the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, where the fastest chasers in training tackle Cheltenham’s testing fences at 16:00.
St Patrick’s Thursday (Thursday 12 March) mixes Irish flair with top‑class racing; highlights include the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase.
Gold Cup Day (Friday 13 March) brings the festival to a crescendo with the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, a three‑and‑a‑quarter‑mile Grade 1 chase that crowns jump racing’s champion at 16:00.
Racing in Cheltenham has deep roots. The first organised flat races were held in 1815 on Nottingham Hill, with crowds of 30,000 flocking to Cleeve Hill a decade later.
In 1831 the meetings relocated to Prestbury Park, the course we know today. Jump racing’s modern era began in 1924, when the Cheltenham Gold Cup was introduced as a conditions race for the best steeplechasers. Today the festival spans 28 races across four themed days and is famed for its opening‑day “Cheltenham Roar,” the surge of noise that greets the first runners and sets the tone for the week.
Whether you’re drawn by the sport, the pageantry or simply the atmosphere, the Cheltenham Festival offers an experience like no other. Bowldown gives you the space and privacy to enjoy it fully, returning each evening to a farmhouse where everything is taken care of so you can relive the day’s highlights with the people who matter most.
Space for gatherings
Bowldown sleeps up to 14 guests with eight bedrooms and six bathrooms. Whether entertaining clients at the races or enjoying the festival with family, Bowldown is the perfect space to celebrate.
Warm and welcoming interiors
With open fires and thoughtful details, our farmhouse has an understated elegance that invites you to relax and warm up by the hearth after a day at the races.
Exclusive use
When you stay at Bowldown it’s just you, your favourite people or that imporant client you want to really spoil. The house is offered for private hire only, ensuring complete privacy.
Perfect for you
Whether wanting to impress your clients or colleagues, spoil your family or celebrate in style with friends, Bowldown gives you room to gather, unwind and make memories together.
When Cheltenham is the focus of your trip, you’ll want a base that makes it effortless to be there for the roar and home again in time for supper. Bowldown sits about forty minutes’ drive from the racecourse, close enough to ensure you never miss a start, yet tucked away in the peace of the Cotswold countryside. It’s also roughly halfway between Bristol Airport and Cheltenham, making fly-drive journeys wonderfully simple.
Cheltenham itself is a beautiful Regency spa town, known for its independent shops, elegant streets and relaxed cafés, an easy way to spend the day if someone in your party prefers a gentler pace while the rest enjoy the races.
For those arriving in style, our private airstrip can accommodate helicopter landings, allowing you to fly straight in and be settling by the fire within minutes.
And when the racing ends for the day, the Cotswolds begin: Tetbury’s antique shops and markets, the tree-lined avenues of Westonbirt Arboretum and the Beaufort Polo Club are all just a short hop away.
Back at Bowldown, you’ll be welcomed with the small spoils that set our house apart: warm homemade biscuits, a crackling fire and the feeling of having your own country retreat to return to.
We believe true luxury lies in being able to stay in the moment with the people you care about.
Return home to Bowldown from the Cheltenham Festival and let the day’s excitement melt away. Our self‑catering Cotswold home is all about time together: lighting the fire and sharing stories from the Cheltenham Festival in the drawing room, laying out homemade biscuits and local cheese on the farmhouse table or cooking supper as a group in the generous kitchen.
If you’d rather be spoiled, let us arrange a private chef so you can linger over cocktails while dinner is prepared.
Each of the eight bedrooms welcomes you with crisp linen, soft blankets and the promise of a restful night. In the morning, wander to the kitchen for fresh coffee and breakfast at your own pace before heading back to the racecourse.
This is a house designed for living in the moment with the people you care about. nothing more, nothing less.
Bowldown is available for exclusive hire during the Cheltenham festival.
Its blend of historic character and modern comfort means you can enjoy the races without compromising on space or privacy.
Availability is limited, to reserve your Cheltenham Festival Cotswolds farmhouse, please use the enquiry form below or contact our reservations team.
Bowldown sits roughly halfway between Bristol Airport and Cheltenham Racecourse, making it an ideal spot for fly‑drive visitors who want an easy transfer from plane to farmhouse before heading on to the races.
By car it’s an easy drive of around forty minutes from the farmhouse to Cheltenham Racecourse. Parking passes must be bought in advance during Festival week.
If you’re arriving by train, the nearest local stations are Kemble and Stroud; regular services run to Cheltenham Spa, where a shuttle bus meets racegoers and runs directly to the course. There are also Stagecoach buses linking Tetbury with Cheltenham town centre and special Festival shuttles from the station.
With a little notice we can arrange taxis, minibuses or chauffeur services for your party, so you can relax and enjoy the day without worrying about logistics.
