Explore
The Pear Tree at Purton is set in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside just five miles from Swindon, between the Cotswolds and the Marlborough Downs. The hotel's convenient location puts guests within accessible distance by car from the numerous attractions in the Cotswolds, Wiltshire and nearby Somerset and Oxfordshire. The choice of places to visit during your stay at The Pear Tree is truly astounding, with Stonehenge, Blenheim Palace, Longleat, the Georgian city of Bath, Cheltenham, Gloucester and historic Oxford all within a 40-mile radius of the hotel.
Within the immediate vicinity of The Pear Tree is Lydiard House and Country Park as well as Swindon and Cricklade Railway: with the Cotswold Water Park just eight miles away.
Nearby Swindon was one of the world's great railway towns for 150 years and houses the Museum of the Great Western Railway, pioneered by Brunel. The McArthur Glen Designer Outlet is also a popular shopping choice in Swindon for discounted designer fashions.
This part of Wiltshire is renowned for its prehistoric sites, with the best known being Stonehenge that stands on Salisbury Plain, west of Amesbury. Avebury is also one of the most important megalithic monuments in Europe and is well worth a visit.
England is studded with country houses, and the West Country has some of the country's finest stately homes. Longleat, the ancestral home of the Marquis of Bath and the first safari park in England, is a fascinating place for a day out for the entire family while Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, is just 40 miles from The Pear Tree. Closer to the hotel is Bowood House and Gardens, the home of the Earl of Shelburne, with over 90 acres of gardens landscaped by 'Capability' Brown. Sheldon Manor, one of the oldest homes in England, and Corsham Court are also worth visiting.
Wiltshire White Horses
Wiltshire is the county for white horses - eight are still visible including Hackpen Hill, Marlborough, Cherhill, and Uffington ( just across the border in Oxfordshire ).
Other places to visit:-
Abbey House Gardens, Malmesbury
Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, Nr Cheltenham
Corinium Museum, Cirencester
Buscot Park, Faringdon
Cotswold Water Park
Hidcote Gardens,Chipping Campden
Stourhead, Stourton, Warminster
Slimbridge Wetland Centre
Kelmscott Manor, Nr Lechlade
Westonbirt Arboretum, Nr Tetbury
Events 2012
Cotswold Air Show
Old Town Festival - Swindon
Wootton Bassett Arts Festival
Barbury Horse Trials
Swindon Big Arts Day
Wiltshire County Show
Art in Action, Waterperry House, Nr Wheatley
Womad 28th
Uffington White Horse Show
Swindon Railway Festival
Marlborough LitFestival
Olympics - London 2012 ( 27th July - 12th August)
Swindon is approximately 1 hour from London by train. Trains depart Swindon around every 30 mins to Paddington Station. From here public transport is available to all the Olympics Venues in London.
Cardiff which is hosting some of the football matches during the Olympics is just 1 hour and 15 minutes from Swindon by train. The Millennium Stadium is only a 5 minute walk from Cardiff Central Station. Trains go from Swindon around every 40 minutes.