Self Guided Walking Holidays
on the Cotswold Way
One of the prettiest walks through the green fields and rolling Cotswold hills of South England. Picturesque, welcoming villages with thatched houses await you as you walk through many periods of history on this landscape, ending in the Roman city of Bath.
Official Path Distance
102.0 miles (164.2 km)
One of the prettiest walks through the green fields and rolling Cotswold hills of South England. Picturesque , welcoming villages with thatched houses await you as you walk through many periods of history on this landscape, ending in the Roman city of Bath.
The Cotswold Way is a stunning walk through quintessential English countryside, complete with quaint farmhouses, dry stone walls and sheep grazing in the fields. Walk the Trail offers the route in 3 different itineraries depending on your daily walking distance preference. Most walkers choose the 9 day itinerary with 10 nights accommodation, but if you prefer it a little more leisurely, then the 10 day itinerary with 11 nights accommodation may be more suited. If you want to walk slightly longer distances each day, then we suggest the 7 day itinerary with 8 nights.
The Cotswolds are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and this walk gives you the best views of this. As you start your walk in Chipping Campden, the undulating trail takes you through the fields and farmland of the county of Gloucestershire.
British history is intertwined within this landscape, from our prehistoric beginnings and the ancient barrows which are scattered across the countryside, through the Roman inhabitation, to the Civil War battle sites to the relatively modern rise of the wool and milling industry and the wealth of the Georgian rebuilding of Bath. This is an area of the UK which has been evolving constantly according to the needs of its peoples. Churches and abbeys with intricate architecture sit side by side the warm yellow stoned cottages in the towns and archetypal village greens as you truly walk through England’s green and pleasant lands. With each day ending in such tranquil surroundings you may be forgiven for sliding into a more relaxed state and sample a few of the locally brews in one of the welcoming pubs and inns before you retire to your accommodation.
Journeys end finds you in Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its numerous sightseeing opportunities such as the Abbey, the grandiose Royal Crescent and of course its world renowned Roman Baths. It may be worth spending an extra few days here to take in all the city has to offer.