Hartpury Church was built before 1100; its nave features medieval carvings: the Green Man and his companion. Alongside this church art, the Hartpury Orchards, home to the National Collection of Perry Pears, and a year-round equestrian programme shape Hartpury. This offers different ways to plan a stay: architectural history, Perry pears or a specific event date.
The church and its medieval carvings
The entrance to Hartpury Church is through a finely carved 14th-century oak porch. On either side of the nave roof are two medieval carvings: the Green Man and his companion. The contrast in dates between the church’s early construction and the later porch helps distinguish the different parts; the figures add named medieval motifs to the architectural view. The church thus brings together an early date of construction, a later entrance and figurative details as distinct historical features.
The Bee Shelter in the churchyard
The listed Bee Shelter stands at the eastern end of the churchyard of Hartpury Church. It had space for at least 28 occupied beehives. Information boards for visitors stand beside the Bee Shelter. Here the focus differs from the church’s carvings: the shelter combines its protected heritage status with a specific capacity for beehives.
Perry pears and visitor information
The Hartpury Orchards at Blackwell’s End are home to the National Collection of Perry Pears. The oak-framed Orchard Centre has a visitor information point with a map and leaflets. The map and leaflets make the information point a practical source of orientation. Events held throughout the year by the National Perry Pear Centre include an award-winning Perry exhibition and WASSAIL! The collection and events offer different ways to engage with the Perry theme: a named pear collection or a specific event. Perry events include an award-winning exhibition and WASSAIL!; the equestrian programme includes competitions, shows and demonstrations.
Equestrian sport and events
Affiliated and unaffiliated competitions, shows and demonstrations take place in Hartpury throughout the year. Annual equestrian highlights include the NAF Hartpury Festival of Dressage and the NAF Five Star Hartpury Showjumping Spectacular. Visitors can watch the Showjumping Spectacular. The broad events calendar and the two named highlights offer different levels of planning: several types of event throughout the year and specific annual equestrian events.
Plan your stay around the occasion
If you are travelling for an event, check its date and event information before booking; individual dates and schedules may change. This lets you plan your travel period around the occasion without treating the different cultural and sporting highlights as the same thing.
Discover more destinations: Ebrington, Wotton-Under-Edge, Maisemore, Quenington, Awre, Moreton In Marsh, Redmarley D'abitot, Eastleach
For the broader travel overview: Gloucestershire.
