Slimbridge is a small village nearly Dursley in the English county of Gloucestershire. The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal runs through the village, and the Ernst Cook Trust runs the local Slimbridge Estate, where walkers can access managed paths through the woodland and dairy farms. Other attractions include a boating station along by the canal, the Church of St John The Evangelist, a listed building, and a small number of shops and pubs.
By far the biggest attraction in Slimbridge though, is the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre, which is the International HQ for the charity. The visitor centre here, and its surrounding reserve, provide the perfect day out for all the family. The centre is home to many species of ducks, swans, geese, and flamingos, a tropical bird house, and a visitor centre which has a pond zone packed full of creatures, children’s play area, a cinema showing wildlife films, and it also offers jeep or canoe safaris around the 325 acre reserve.
The Wild Fowl and Wetlands Centre also hosts the annual Slimbridge Beer Festival, a sell out event attracting visitors from all around the area, and a host of local musical talent as well.
For those wishing to stay in the village, there’s the Tudor Caravan Park, and a small number of Bed and Breakfast facilities in the area, with other options available in the nearby villages and towns of Dursley, Stroud, Painswick, and Wotton-on-Edge, with the main towns of Gloucester, Cheltenham, Swindon, and Bristol also within reach. Easily accessible, scenic, and although slim on attractions, those it does have are well worth a family day out, so maybe it’s time to put Slimbridge on your list of places to visit.
