The Cotswold Way Walk

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10 Days from

0 Days from

USD 2,679

Walking & Trekking

Ways to Travel :

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity :

Walking & Trekking

Activity Levels :

3 out of 7 - Moderate

Ages :

12+

Trip Code :

W09CO

The 102 mile (164km) Cotswold Way is a National Trail that runs from the market town of Chipping Campden to the Roman city of Bath.

It follows the western edge of the Cotswold Hills and leads you through England's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with its rolling pastures with dry stone walls, beech woods, and picturesque villages with honey-coloured cottages built from Cotswold stone.

From Chipping Campden, known for its covered marketplace and beautiful 'wool' church you'll follow the trail along the Cotswold escarpment with ever-changing views to the west towards the River Severn and the Malvern Hills. Along the way you'll discover a wealth of pretty Cotswolds villages, stately homes, Iron Age hill forts and historic battle sites. Climb Cleeve Hill, the highest point in the Cotswolds where you will be rewarded with spectacular views over Cheltenham, the River Severn, the Malvern Hills, and, on a clear day, the Black Mountains of Wales.

The end of the Cotswold Way is marked at Bath Abbey with a carved stone disc. Spend time discovering the delights of Bath from the Roman baths to the honey-coloured Georgian architecture of the Royal Crescent.

Highlights

Explore the Cotswolds - England's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Walk the length of the Cotswold Way, a National Trail from the historic market town of Chipping Campden to Bath.
Historic sites, beautiful churches and picturesque villages
Panoramic views from the Cotswold escarpment across the Severn Vale in an Area of outstanding Natural Beauty.

Key Information

9 nights hotel-to-hotel accommodation
All Breakfasts
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Guide book
Luggage transfers between hotels

Countries visited: United Kingdom

What's Included

9 nights hotel-to-hotel accommodation
All Breakfasts
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Guide book
Luggage transfers between hotels

What's Not Included

Hotel upgrades
Transfers to and from hotels
Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request - compulsory supplement)
Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)
Visas & vaccinations

8 Days of Walking & Trekking

Terrain:

The Cotswold Way is a National Trail trail on a mixture of well-maintained footpaths, bridleways, across fields, with some short sections on some minor roads. There are a number of ascents and descents each day from the escarpment.

Day 2

16 km / 9.9 miles

Day 3

24 km / 14.9 miles

Day 4

21 km / 13 miles

Day 5

27 km / 16.8 miles

Day 6

24 km / 14.9 miles

Day 7

20 km / 12.4 miles

Day 8

13 km / 8.1 miles

Day 9

16 km / 9.9 miles

Responsible Travel

At Exodus we believe in the power of Responsible Travel.

Every time we travel, we are part of a global movement that creates jobs, builds more sustainable societies, encourages cultural understanding and safeguards common natural and cultural heritage. To learn more about what Responsible Travel means to Exodus click here…

Itinerary

Arrive in the historic market town of Chipping Campden.
Stay overnight at Noel Arms or similar.

Head up on to the Cotswolds escarpment from where you will enjoy stunning views from Dover's Hill, home to the annual 'Cotswold Olimpick Games'. Walk through fields to the 18th century folly, Broadway Tower. Descend to the coaching village of Broadway, where you will find fine houses and inns flanking the 'broad way', before climbing back up onto the escarpment, to Shenberrow Hill, the 3rd highest point in Gloucestershire from where you will descend into the idyllic village of Stanton.
Stay overnight at Shenberrow Hill B&B or similar.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today starts with a pleasant walk through the parkland of the Stanway Estate, with its Jacobean manor, magnificent gatehouse and medieval tithe barn. Climb up onto the escarpment to the Iron Age hill fort of Beckbury Camp, then follow the trail as it passes near highlights such as Hailes Abbey and Sudeley Castle. Visit the ancient Neolithic long barrow of Belas Knap on the panoramic ascent up to Cleeve Hill, the highest point of the Cotswolds.
Stay overnight at Upper Hill Farm or similar.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Walk through the ancient Lineover Wood and walk on the escarpment onto Leckhampton Hill and look out for the peculiar limestone rock formation known as the Devil's Chimney. Enjoy breathtaking views from Crickley Hill before descending through woodlands to Birdlip.
Stay overnight at Royal George Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast

Head on to Painswick Beacon, the site of an Iron Age hill fort, then descend into Painswick, one of the architectural highlights of the trail, and the mid-point of the Cotswold Way. Follow the trail on to Haresfield Beacon, where you'll enjoy spectacular views across the Severn estuary, then pass through Standish Woods, where in springtime bluebells carpet the woodland floor.
Stay overnight at the White Hart or similar.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Follow the trail through woodland and climb to Cam Long Down from where the trail descends into the market town of Dursley. Tackle some slightly steeper slopes up onto Stinchcombe Hill and to the Tyndale Monument before the trail descends again to the town of Wotton-Under-Edge.
Stay overnight at Swan Hotel or similar.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today the trail passes close to the National Trust property of Newark Park. Continue the walk through woodland towards the village of Alderley, and ascend to the Somerset Monument and Horton Fort to reach Old Sodbury.
Stay overnight at Rock Cottage or similar.

Meals Included: Breakfast

From Old Sodbury, the Cotswold Way crosses fields into the village of Tormarton, then continues on to the village of Dyrham, passing near Dyrham Park, a 17th-century mansion, garden and deer park. Continue through farmland to reach Cold Ashton.
Stay overnight at Swan Cottage or similar.

Meals Included: Breakfast

From Cold Ashton climb up to the site of the civil war battle of Lansdown, At Prospect Stile you will catch your first glimpse of Bath in the valley below. Cross farmland to reach the edge of Bath where the trail becoms more urban and passes through parks and near magnificent regency architecture to reach Bath Abbey where a carved stone disc marks the end of the Cotswold Way.
Stay overnight at Apple Tree Guesthouse or similar.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Depart after breakfast.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Visa

United Kingdom

Travellers from the US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter the United Kingdom. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Vaccination

United Kingdom

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for polio, tetanus and rabies (bat lyssavirus). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Eating and Drinking

Enjoy the local cuisine in quintessentially British pubs, cafes and delicatessens - local delicacies include Cerney Ash or Stinking Bishop cheeses, Crackleberry Farm eggs, Cotswold Cream liqueur and the local ales - try the Yubby beer from the Yubberton Brewery Co. There's also the archetypal English Cream Teas that go down a treat with a nice hot cup of tea!

Weather

The Cotswolds has a temperate maritime climate with warm, rather than hot, summers and cool to cold winters. The hottest month, on average, is July and the coldest is January with rain falling fairly evenly throughout the year. The weather is unpredictable as with the rest of the UK and it is possible to see elements of all four seasons in one day. It is advisable for visitors to check the weather forecast before they arrive in the Cotswolds to get a better idea of the sort of clothing they will need during their trip. Bringing hooded waterproof coats and hats will ensure visitors are prepared for any spells of wind and rain the region may experience.
Spring: The climate is milder in spring making it a good time to visit the Cotswolds. There can be some great sunny days mixed with cooler and wet weather. From March to May the average daytime temperatures are between 9°C and 17°C.
Summer: Most days in summer range from mild to warm with the possibility of some infrequent hotter days, the days are at their longest in the summer. There may be overcast and humid conditions in the summer. From June to August the average daytime temperatures are between 19°C and 22°C.
Autumn: The climate can vary from some pleasantly mild days particularly at the start of September to cooler and colder days in October and November. Autumn is a good time to visit the Cotswolds as it avoids the peak summer season whilst enjoying milder temperatures and longer hours of daylight particularly at the start of September. Visitors can see some wonderful autumn colours. From September to November the average daytime temperatures are between 9°C and 19°C.

Is this trip for you?

Walking Conditions
Classification: Self-Guided
Activity Level: 3 (Moderate)
Average daily distance: 20km
No. of days walking: 8
Terrain and route: Walks on this holiday are on a mixture of well-maintained footpaths, bridleways, across fields, with some short sections on some minor roads.
Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to walk independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodation, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can walk at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next.

It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The routes notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the hotels are normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.