Gloucestershire in pictures: Snow and winter walks

Cheltenham got the weekend off to a great start for their fans by beating Tranmere 1-0

Our weekly round-up of pictures includes the surprise snow that fell earlier this week and the atmospheric mist that surrounded parts of Gloucestershire.

The weather conditions have made it another great week for wintry walks and offered photographers the chance to capture some stunning images of the county.

On Friday night there were mixed fortunes for two of our local teams, with Cheltenham Town beating Tranmere, but Gloucester losing to Exeter in the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Snow arrived in many parts of Gloucestershire this week, including Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water.

The attraction's resident penguins appeared to be enjoying themselves in the snow which woke us up on Tuesday.

The cold weather led to a number of schools being closed across the county, including Chipping Campden School and Abbey View School in Tewkesbury.

Winter wonderland: Plenty of Gloucestershire residents woke up to a covering of snow on Tuesday morning. Bec Leach took this lovely picture in Blockley in the Cotswolds.

Committed: Gloucester and Exeter players get to grips with each other during the Premiership Rugby Cup match at Kingsholm on Friday night. Sadly for the home support, the match went to the visitors by 31-7.

Beautiful: Local photographer Paul Sutton captured a very autumnal-looking image at Stroudwater Canal. The reflections of a brick bridge and wooden lock surrounded by trees and shrubs offering a peaceful shot of the countryside.

Thunder of hooves: Racegoers were treated to multiple days of racing at Cheltenham last weekend, with the November meeting finishing on Sunday. The meeting was overshadowed by the death of three horses on the final day.

Feeling festive: Cotswold Farm Park is getting its Christmas hat on! The park is launching a new light trail as part of Christmas on the Farm.

Families can immerse themselves in the different festive events taking place until 23 December.

Walk this way: This photo was captured on a winter walk around Stratton in Cirencester. Wintry days are well upon us with mist like that looming in the distance.

Stunning: We couldn't let this photo go unnoticed. This photographer in the Thrupp Valleys gives a magical feel to their walk.

There's a great juxtaposition between the misty valley and glowing sunshine peaking out from behind scattered clouds, with a glimpse of blue sky in between too.