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Self-Guided Walking Holidays in the UK |
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Please follow this link to our new Cotswold Way website.
10 walking day Detailed Itinerary
for
Walking Holiday on
The Cotswold Way
Stratford upon Avon to Bath
Stratford upon Avon, Chipping Campden, Broadway, Winchcombe, Painswick, Wotton-under-Edge and Bath.
is one of the newest national trails in the UK.
10 days walking
11 nights
Total Distance:
117 miles
Min/max daily distance:
7/15.5 miles
Average Daily distance:
12 miles
Grading:
easy/moderate
Features:
Stratford upon Avon
Cotswolds
Chipping Campden
Bath
To start your Cotswold's walking holiday you make your own way to Stratford-upon-Avon. We can assist with coach or train transfers if necessary, just ask one of our staff. Car parking is available for the duration of your Cotswolds self-guided walking holiday.
Stratford-upon-Avon is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and also the start of the Shakespeare's Way. You follow the River Avon along way-marked trails out of Stratford and head towards Mickleton where the Gardens at Hidcote Manor are well worth a visit. Then it is just a short walk to Chipping Campden for your overnight stay.
Take an extra day to explore Chipping Campden and to visit the Gardens at Hidcote Manor before starting on The Cotswold Way.
Walking on from Chipping Campden, one of the best of the Cotswold market towns with a fine range of shops and pubs, the trail climbs on to an escarpment offering fine views across the Vale of Evesham. You then walk through the very popular town of Broadway with its honey coloured houses and fine old English tea rooms. There is plenty of time to explore the Cotswold gem that is Broadway. The hiking trail soon arrives at Stanton.
Walking on from Stanton, which has been called the perfect Cotswold village, the route crosses farmland and then climbs to Stumps Cross. The remains of Hailes Abbey are worth a visit. Winchcombe is a fine small town with a selection of shops and inns, also a Folk museum. The walk passes Sudeley Castle, dating back to the 12th century. Cleeve Common and the surrounding areas offer fine views.
Today's walk mostly follows the western edge of the Cotswolds escarpment above Cheltenham. This area is famous for its butterflies. The trail passes by Dowdeswell Reservoir. The route passes Seven Springs, claimed to be the source of the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames. The Devil's Chimney a craggy rock finger is a local landmark below Leckhampton Hill.
Much of today's walk is in woodlands. At the Roman Villa at Witcombe, a bath house and fine mosaics have been unearthed. Cooper's Hill offers fine views and formed part of a large 500BC Iron Age encampment.
A very pleasant town to take a rest day, with option to visit Rococo Gardens.
Painswick is a fine small market town with streets dating back to the 13th century. The local stone is light grey giving the town a different feel for a normal Cotswold town. This section of The Cotswold Way is said to have some of the finest views on the whole walking trail. The views from Haresfield Beacon over the Severn valley below are stunning.
Today's walk is quite hilly but rewards you with fine vistas and many historic sites including a Neolithic long barrow and Iron Age fort. The walking trail passes through Dursley, a town once famous for its wool and cloth. The Severn Valley and the Forest of Dean offer great vistas in this part of The Cotswold Way.
The town of Wotton-under-Edge dates back to Saxon times AD940, but the oldest house in the town now dates back to 1350 (the former Ram Inn). This town has a fine mixture of old buildings and a selection of pubs, shops and places to eat. This part of your walking holiday passes through an area of the Cotwolds where in former times the cloth and woollen industries were very important. The Cotswold Way passes many former water mills and mill streams.
This section of the trail is perhaps the most rural as there are few villages. The highlights are Sodbury Hill Fort with 11 acres of ramparts and ditches with Iron Age and Roman origins. The walk through Dodington Park, landscaped by Capability Brown, is a highlight. Dyrham Park, famous for deer and a fine Tudor mansion, is well worth a visit.
Today's walk is through a very varied landscape of hills offering fine vistas and pretty little valleys showing the Cotswolds at their best. Finally the walking holiday ends in Bath, this gem of an English city, famous for its Roman Baths, Abbey and Royal Crescent.
There is so much to see in Bath that it is worth spending an extra day to take in the architecture and atmostphere.
Day 12: Depart
after breakfast
or extend your stay and spend some time exploring Bath.
At Stratford-upon-Avon this walk connects with
Shakespeare's Way.
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This walking holiday in the UK operates March to October and in either direction. The above distances are only a suggestion. If you would like to walk longer or shorter distances, we can arrange that too. Our stated distances include mileage to the accommodation or pickup point and so may not agree with the guide book mileages. Rest days can be taken in any location. Why not combine this walk with a hiking tour in another part of England or the UK. Our staff will be happy to advise on necessary transfers. Online booking available. A deposit of £85 per person is required to secure the booking, with the balance due 6 weeks before departure. |
What's included
in your UK walking holiday
on the Cotswold Way
- accommodation at high quality guest houses, inns or small hotels on a bed and breakfast basis
- room with en-suite or private bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities
- daily luggage transfer
- support should there be any problems on route
- detailed itineraries
- map of Cotswold Way
- Cicerone's guide to The Cotswold Way
Optional Extras
for your UK Walking Holiday
on the Cotswold Way
- upgrade to the region's most elegant, prestigious and famous hotels, where available
- transfers back to car or station
- parking facilities
- rest days
- inn to inn walks
| Lunches
and Dinners These are not included. Evening meals: These are available at overnight locations, either at your accommodation or in the town/village. Packed lunches: These can be provided by your accommodation or can be obtained from a local store, or cafe or inn along the route. |
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| Holiday
Travel Insurance We require that you take out holiday insurance as Let's Go Biking Ltd accepts no liability for the following: cancellation, personal accident, illness, loss/theft of personal possessions and/or money, and any unforeseen circumstances, especially travel delays. This is in addition to our existing booking conditions. |
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Telephone Lines are open 7 days a week. UK +44 (0)1837 880075 or +44 (0)207 193 1252 9am to 9pm US +1 (646) 233-1541 New York 5 hours behind UK time: 4am to 4pm EST AUS +61 (02) 8006 0182 Sydney 10 hours ahead of UK time: 7pm to 7am EADT CAN +1 (647) 4786251 Toronto 5 hours behind UK time: 4am to 4pm EST |
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By Car to Chipping Campden where parking is available
By Train / Bus to Stratford upon Avon or Bath
Cotswold Way homepage
11 walking day itinerary
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