Places to Watch The Sunset or Sunrise in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire offers many great places to watch the sunrise or sunset. These include Gloucester, Cheltenham, the Forest of Dean, and the many villages of the Cotswolds. However, some places also benefit from the golden hour. The sun at the first and last hour of the day creates great lighting for photography, hence the name ‘golden hour’.

With the sun low in the sky, many of the county’s buildings change appearance, including Gloucester Cathedral and Cheltenham’s Regency architecture. The first and last hour of daylight is the best time to photograph any area with buildings, especially those with nice architecture.

I would love some more suggestions for places; please comment below with your best spots.

Gloucestershire Sunrise & Sunset Time

The best way to check sunrise and sunset times for the county is to ask Google. Identifying a great day to see a great sunrise is trickier. Predicted clear days or those marked with partial cloud cover are more likely to deliver the best sunrises. If you see wispy clouds in the sky in the hours before sunset, then you are on to a winner.

Where to see sunsets and sunrises in Gloucestershire?

These are the best spots to take your camera for sunset photos, including in Gloucester & Cheltenham. I’ve found that sunrises aren’t so great in the eastern half of the county because of the hills to the east.

However, the best places in Gloucestershire that I have found for watching sunrise are higher points, on the east of the River Severn towards the Forest of Dean, or on high ground in the Cotswolds. I’m distinctly lacking photos for this; however, I plan to fix that ASAP.

Sunset in Gloucester City

Gloucester Docks is one of the best places in the city to watch the sunset. The western end of the dock is particularly good as the sun disappears behind some of the beautiful Victorian warehouses. If you’re lucky, you may see some of the tall ships enhance the red skies.

Looking west down Westgate Street in Gloucester is a brilliant spot for sunset, especially with St Nicholas’ Church as a backdrop. The low sun also casts glorious colour across the pavements and buildings.

Gloucester Railway Station is also a great place for sunsets, either on the bridge or on platform 4, which are the best spots. St Peter’s Church in the background adds a special dimension when taking photographs.

The Cross in Gloucester is also a magnificent spot if you face down Southgate Street. St Michael’s Tower, an icon of the city, catches the late light really nicely.

Sunset in Hardwicke Village

The farmland on the Glevum Way between Hardwicke and Hardwicke Church is a pretty special place for the late sun. It’s also a great place to watch wildlife or have some alfresco food.

The farm fields and meadows of this area certainly enhance the spectacle. This includes when the fields are ready for harvest or when ploughed.

Also, the trees and hedgerows add to photographs, making them a bit more interesting.

Hardwicke Church and the churchyard are an impressive location to watch the sunset on a clear day. The Norman church certainly enhances photos of the red sky.

The gap between the church and the trees opens up well for a view of the late sun.

Elmore and Longney Sunset Walks

The footpaths in the farmland near Elmore and the River Severn are a nice place to watch the sun go down. I took the photo above from the Severn Way path, facing towards Hockley Hollow.

Sunrise Haresfield Beacon in The Cotswolds

One of my favourite spots for an early sunrise walk is Haresfield Beacon on the Cotswold Way. The beacon has some great views and you can see the colours appearing from behind Randwick Woods. As a bonus when i visited it was snow coloured.

Sunset in Painswick in The Cotswolds

The picturesque village of Painswick in the Cotswolds is a fantastic place to see the sunset. During golden hour, many Cotswold stone buildings are beautifully lit. The churchyard is a fantastic place to watch the spectacle. Also, parts of the nearby Cotswold Way Walking Route offer fantastic views in the late afternoon sun.