Gloucester Brewery and Taproom

A working brewery hidden in a Gloucester warehouse might sound industrial, but the taproom here is genuinely worth a detour if you're camping nearby. You get to see the actual brewing operation - tanks, equipment, the lot - then settle into their bar with whatever's currently on tap. They take their craft seriously without being snobby about it, which is refreshing.

The space itself is unpretentious: exposed brick, proper brewery aesthetics, the kind of place where people actually want to hang about. You can grab a pint or a flight to work through their range, and the staff know their stuff. It's not a theme park version of a brewery - this is where they actually make the beer.

It works brilliantly for a casual afternoon if you're staying at Court Farm Camping or any of the other sites within a few miles of Gloucester town centre. Allow two hours if you want to drink slowly and chat; thirty minutes if you're just after a quick stop. The opening hours run until 6pm most days, so it's a decent mid-afternoon option before heading back to your pitch.

Families with older kids will find it fine - it's not rowdy - though obviously the appeal is mainly for the beer-interested crowd. It fits well into a Gloucestershire touring holiday, especially if you're basing yourself near Painswick or exploring the Forest of Dean nearby. Go when you're actually thirsty, not because you feel obliged.