{"id":31891,"date":"2023-11-08T09:31:32","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T08:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5abf16ad-cec8-4fec-96e1-723239ab383a"},"modified":"2023-11-08T09:39:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T08:39:32","slug":"walks-in-the-cotswolds-14-charming-trails-in-the-quaint-south-central-hills-of-england","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/walks-in-the-cotswolds-14-charming-trails-in-the-quaint-south-central-hills-of-england\/","title":{"rendered":"Walks in the Cotswolds: 14 charming trails in the quaint south-central hills of England"},"content":{"rendered":"

The rollings hills, high meadows and honey-stoned villages of the Cotswolds make it a marvellous place to explore in all seasons. Discover some of the AONB’s most spectacular landscapes with our guide to the best walks in the Cotswolds. <\/p>

By Ben Lerwill\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 08 November 2023 at 08:31 AM<\/p>

\n\n

There\u2019s something about the Cotswolds that just begs you to lace up your hiking boots<\/a>. The hills rise and fall with pleasing softness, the panoramas are deep and the footpaths are many. A rolling view without a right of way is rare.<\/p>

All of which makes it a deeply rewarding place to walk, especially when you factor in the legions of tearooms and country pubs. There are several multi-day options for lovers of long-distance trails<\/a> \u2013 the Oxfordshire Way<\/a> and the iconic Cotswold Way<\/a> being just two \u2013 but here we\u2019re focusing on some of the best short walks in the region.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

This is a year-round walking destination, and trail signage is usually pretty good, but regardless of your plans it\u2019s always sensible to have full route directions to hand. Bear in mind, too, that during the colder months \u2013 or after heavy rain \u2013 paths have a tendency to be muddy.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

Britain’s best hill walks<\/a><\/li>
Fairytale villages to visit in the UK<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The pretty Cotswold church at Snowshill\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Where is the Cotswolds?<\/h2>
The Cotswolds is a vast landscape in southern England, spanning the counties of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, as well as parts of Worcestershire, Somerset, Warwickshire and Wiltshire. Covering almost 800 square miles, the Cotswolds<\/a> was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966, making it the third largest protected area in England.<\/p>
Walks in the Cotswolds<\/h2>
Castle Combe, Wiltshire<\/h3>
4.5 miles\/7.2km | 3 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p>
$\"\"$
Castle Combe is the setting for numerous films and TV shows\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
With its soft, golden Cotswold stone weavers\u2019 cottages, medieval church and packhorse bridge, Castle Combe demonstrates all the credentials needed to play the quintessential sleepy English village in many films and TV series \u2013 from Dr Doolittle<\/em>, Dick Turpin<\/em> and Robin of Sherwood<\/em> to the 2007 fantasy adventure film Stardust<\/em>.<\/p>
So it\u2019s no surprise that producers chose the village as the backdrop to one of Agatha Christie\u2019s most famous mysteries, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. In this memorable episode, Poirot attempts to escape the wickedness of the city and retires to sleepy King\u2019s Abbot (Castle Combe) to cultivate his garden and grow the perfect marrow. But Poirot\u2019s peace is shattered when his friend Roger Ackroyd is killed and the great detective is drawn back into the world of murder and intrigue.<\/p>
Castle Combe walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Cleeve Hill, Gloucestershire<\/h3>
$\"Looking$
Looking north-east from Cleeve Hill, the highest point of the Cotswolds\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Not only is this spread of blustery heathland the highest point in Gloucestershire, it\u2019s also the highest point in the whole of the Cotswolds. Cleeve Hill tops out at an altitude of 330 metres, a figure that sounds modest but belies the extraordinary vantage point it grants across Cheltenham (complete with famous racecourse), the Vale of Evesham and as far west as the Black Mountains.\u00a0<\/p>
This six-mile circular spends much of its time on Cleeve Common \u2013 which Cleeve Hill forms a part of \u2013 and makes good use of the\u00a0 Cotswold Way National Trail<\/a>. The common itself is classed a Site of Special Scientific Interest, although part of it also plays home to a golf course, so keep your wits about you.<\/p>
Cleeve Hill walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Broadway<\/h3>
5.2 miles\/8.4km | 3.5 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p>
$\"\"$ Wisteria cloaks the stone walls of Broadway in early summer\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The picturesque village of Broadway, with its warm, honey-hued cottages, is the perfect base for a countryside stroll.<\/p>
Take time to meander along the high street past pubs, caf\u00e9s, tea rooms and shops \u2013 offering art and antiques, country clothing and gifts \u2013 then head into the Cotswold hills.<\/p>
Broadway walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire<\/h3>
$\"Village$
Bourton-on-the-Water in high summer\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Pretty Bourton-on-the-Water is a classic visitor honeypot, with the River Windrush burbling through its centre and a steady supply of snap-happy tourists drawn by its bridges and tearooms.\u00a0<\/p>
This circular walk begins and ends in the heart of the village, letting you sample the so-called Venice of the Cotswolds, but the bulk of the route takes you through the lovely surrounding countryside. Over some 4.5 miles, you\u2019ll head through\u00a0 Greystones Nature Reserve<\/a>\u00a0before reaching the peaceful hamlet of Wyck Rissington and looping back to the start point.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>
Bourton-on-the-Water walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Dover\u2019s Hill, Gloucestershire<\/h3>
3.7 miles\/6 km | 2-3 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p>
$\"\"$ View from the top of Dover’s Hill near the village of Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Dover’s Hill is one of the highest points on the Cotswolds scarp. It is a breezy, knobbly, thistly hulk of a hill, gnawed by sheep and granting colossal views over the Vale of Evesham. It’s also the home of the ‘Cotswold Olimpick Games’: an annual tournament of rural games that dates back to 1612, and is therefore older than the modern Olympics proper. Taking place at the summit, the Olimpicks includes events such as shin-kicking and tug-of-war.<\/p>
Dover\u2019s Hill is named after Robert Dover, the founder of the Games. A fine way to see it is on this (sometimes steep) National Trails-endorsed circular walk from Chipping Campden.<\/p>
Dover’s Hill walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Windrush Valley, Oxfordshire<\/h3>
$\"An$
Aerial view of St Oswald’s Church at Widford in the Windrush Valley\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
There\u2019s much to enjoy about this walk, which leads from Swinbrook to Asthall in a quiet corner of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. Years ago, David Cameron brought French president Fran\u00e7ois Hollande to Swinbrook to experience an archetypal English village \u2013 complete with pub lunch at The Swan Inn \u2013 which says much about the area\u2019s sleepy charms.\u00a0<\/p>
This circular walk uses a mixture of country roads and footpaths while packing in various points of interest, from a tiny 600-year-church to the family home of the notorious Mitford sisters.\u00a0<\/p>
Windrush Valley walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Tyndale Monument, Gloucestershire<\/h3>
$\"Sunset$
The Cotswolds AONB viewed from the Tyndale Monument\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This varied hike gives a good overview of what makes the\u00a0 Cotswolds<\/a>\u00a0so enticing, with hilltop views, woodland trails and \u2013 as an added cultural bonus \u2013 a walk through a classic market town. Your goal on this out-and-back trail is the lofty Tyndale Monument, looking out across the distant Severn Estuary since 1866.\u00a0<\/p>
The route sticks to the\u00a0 Cotswold Way<\/a>\u00a0throughout, so navigation is straightforward and the paths are generally well maintained. The start and end point of\u00a0 Wotton-under-Edge<\/a>, meanwhile, is one of the region\u2019s more unsung settlements but has bags of wonky historical appeal. And dog-owners take note \u2013 the wide open spaces at the high-point of the route are perfect for a four-legged frolic.<\/p>
Tyndale Monument walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Winchcombe, Gloucestershire<\/h3>
4.5 miles\/7.2km | 3.5 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p>
$\"\"$ The rural and quaint town of Winchcombe in the Cotswolds\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Prosperity is reflected in the buildings of Winchcombe, from the magnificent church with its array of alarmingly fierce gargoyles to the many grand merchants\u2019 houses, mainly built out of warm, golden Cotswold stone.<\/p>
It is a town that repays time spent wandering its streets, but for those needing something longer, it is also the perfect centre for country walking as it stands in the valley below the Cotswold escarpment. This is a walk that will take you back long before the Middle Ages to where rituals took place some 4,000 or more years ago.<\/p>
Winchcombe walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Minchinhampton Common, Gloucestershire<\/h3>
$\"Houses$
Minchinhampton Common hillside cottages\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This is a bracing walk around\u00a0 Minchinhampton Common<\/a>, a high, National Trust-owned expanse of grassland which has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.\u00a0<\/p>
It\u2019s known for its springtime\u00a0 butterflies<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 including green hairstreak and the rare Duke of Burgundy \u2013 and summer\u00a0 orchids<\/a>, but offers rewards year-round, not least wonderful views across the valleys below.<\/p>
Much of the walk is exposed, making it a strong option for blowing the cobwebs away, while the presence of two pubs gives good opportunity to refuel.\u00a0<\/p>
Minchinhampton Common walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Marshfield, Gloucestershire<\/h3>
7 miles\/11.3km | 4 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p>
$\"\"$ The clear waters of the Broadmead Brook hold a few trout, bullheads and crayfish\/Credit: Raymond Bird<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Most people think of the Cotswolds as being north of the M4 \u2013 those exquisitely charming honey-stoned towns and villages often clogged with visitors.<\/p>
But there’s a secret Cotswolds between the motorway and Bath \u2013 it\u2019s just as beautiful but few people visit and it feels more authentic. So here is a taste of the Cotswold escarpment, a beguiling hamlet and a perfect lost valley.<\/p>
Follow our seven-mile river and woodland walk starting in Marshfield in South Gloucestershire.<\/p>
Marshfield walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire<\/h3>
4.4 miles\/7km | 3 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p>
$\"\"$ Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire\/Credit: Philip Halling<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The market town of Wotton-under-Edge dates back to 940 AD, when it was known as Wudetun, Saxon for \u2018the wooded town\u2019.<\/p>
The strange ditches found near the woods are remains of the Iron Age fort and can\u2019t fail to stir the senses. This, combined with the hauntingly atmospheric Ancient Ram Inn, make this market town on the Cotswolds escarpment a fine setting for a hike.<\/p>
Wotton-under-Edge walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Bradford-on-Avon to Bath, Wiltshire\/Somerset<\/h3>
9.7 miles\/15.6km | 5 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p>
$\"\"$ The River Avon slinks through the Wilshire town of Bradford-on-Avon\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a huge success story; over many years it has been transformed from a derelict, watery resting place for shopping trolleys into a leisure hub.<\/p>
You can walk, cycle or hire a canoe or a barge to enjoy the canal\u2019s stunning surroundings at your own pace, and there\u2019s also an abundance of wildlife, good fishing and fine pubs along the way.<\/p>
The beauty of this walk, from the pretty Wiltshire town of Bradford-on-Avon to the Georgian splendour of Bath in Somerset, is that you can tackle it however you please. Trains run regularly between Bath Spa and Bradford, so you can walk one way and get the train back, or if you\u2019re driving, you could park the car at a point along the canal and then walk in whichever direction you choose.<\/p>
Bradford-on-Avon to Bath walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Cooper’s Hill, Gloucestershire<\/h3>
$\"Village$
Village on the side of Cooper’s Hill\/Credit: Bill Boaden, Geograph<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Woodland predominates on this enjoyable Gloucestershire loop-walk, although the star attraction is the steep grassy slope encountered midway along the route. Cooper’s Hill is best known for its Spring Bank Holiday shenanigans, when thrill-seekers hurtle down its banks in pursuit of a giant wheel of Double Gloucester cheese.\u00a0<\/p>
The eccentric custom, which dates back centuries, brings yearly commotion \u2013 and more than the occasional injury \u2013 to an otherwise peaceful swathe of wooded countryside.<\/p>
Cooper’s Hill walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Laurie Lee Wildlife Way, Gloucestershire<\/h3>
5 miles\/ 8km | 3 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p>
$\"\"$ The Cotswold village of Slad viewed from Swifts Hill Nature Reserve\/Credit: Stephen Dorey, Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
“The sides of the valley were rich in pasture and the crests heavily covered in beechwoods\u2026 For weeks on end the trees moved in the wind with a dry roaring that seemed a natural utterance of the landscape. In winter they ringed us with frozen spikes, and in summer they oozed over the lips of the hills like layers of thick green lava.\u201d<\/p>
The beech woods Laurie Lee describes so voluptuously in his childhood memoir Cider with Rosie<\/i> still frame the Slad Valley, their lava-like appearance further enhanced when they erupt into flame-coloured hues in autumn.<\/p>
They were Lee\u2019s playground as a child, where he raced up and down the steep slopes and ate beech leaves \u2013 a \u201ctight-folded salad of juices\u201d. The woods are now linked by the Laurie Lee Wildlife Way, a five-mile circular trail opened in 2013 to mark the centenary of his birth.<\/p>
Laurie Lee Wildlife Way walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The rollings hills, high meadows and honey-stoned villages of the Cotswolds make it a marvellous place to explore in all seasons. Discover some of the AONB’s most spectacular landscapes with our guide to the best walks in the Cotswolds. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":31892,"template":"","categories":[1,115],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"10"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/walks-in-the-cotswolds-14-charming-trails-in-the-quaint-south-central-hills-of-england-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/walks-in-the-cotswolds-14-charming-trails-in-the-quaint-south-central-hills-of-england-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/walks-in-the-cotswolds-14-charming-trails-in-the-quaint-south-central-hills-of-england-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/walks-in-the-cotswolds-14-charming-trails-in-the-quaint-south-central-hills-of-england-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/walks-in-the-cotswolds-14-charming-trails-in-the-quaint-south-central-hills-of-england-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/walks-in-the-cotswolds-14-charming-trails-in-the-quaint-south-central-hills-of-england-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/11\/walks-in-the-cotswolds-14-charming-trails-in-the-quaint-south-central-hills-of-england-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The rollings hills, high meadows and honey-stoned villages of the Cotswolds make it a marvellous place to explore in all seasons. Discover some of the AONB's most spectacular landscapes with our guide to the best walks in the Cotswolds.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/31891"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}