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The Cotswold Way - Front Cover
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The Cotswold Way

NATIONAL TRAIL Two-way trail guide - Chipping Campden to Bath

Guidebook to walking the Cotswold Way National Trail. Between Chipping Campden and Bath, the 102 mile route explores the Cotswolds AONB. Described in both directions over 14 stages, the Cotswold Way can be walked year round and is suitable for beginner trekkers. Includes separate OS 1:25,000 map booklet of the route.

The eBook is also sold by Amazon Kindle, Rakuten Kobo, Google Play Books and Apple Books.

Available in Cicerone Outdoor Adventures app

Quick facts

  • Location: South-West/Western England – Chipping Campden to Bath National Trail
  • Distance: ~163 km / ~102 miles
  • Typical duration: ~2 weeks
  • Start: Chipping Campden
  • End: Bath
  • Route format: Linear long-distance National Trail walk
  • Stages: 14 manageable stages (~7–17 km / ~4–11 miles each)
  • Difficulty: Easy to moderate – waymarked lowland countryside suitable for most walkers
  • Best season: All year round (local event periods may affect accommodation)

Detailed overview

Discover the rolling hills, limestone villages and sweeping escarpment views of the Cotswold Way National Trail, one of England’s most scenic and enjoyable long-distance walks. Stretching for 163 km (102 miles) from the market town of Chipping Campden to the World Heritage city of Bath, the route follows the western edge of the Cotswolds National Landscape, combining peaceful countryside with historic towns and villages.

This classic two-week walk is ideal for those new to long-distance walking as well as more experienced hikers looking for a well-waymarked and rewarding trail. Along the way, you will pass highlights such as Broadway Tower, Winchcombe, Painswick Valley and the dramatic descent into Bath, with far-reaching views across the Severn Vale and rich pastoral landscapes throughout.
The guidebook divides the route into 14 manageable stages, with clear descriptions walking north to south and an abbreviated set of directions for those walking south to north. A separate, pocket-sized map booklet with detailed 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey maps provides reliable navigation at every stage of the journey.

14 stage-by-stage route descriptions covering the full Cotswold Way
Clear, step-by-step directions supported by detailed maps and downloadable GPX files for the route from Chipping Campden to Bath
Each stage includes distance, estimated walking time, ascent and descent, and an overview of the terrain of the Cotswold National Landscape
Separate pocket-sized map booklet with 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey maps for accurate navigation for the entire National Trail
Handy facilities planner highlighting services, refreshments, and public transport along the route
Full accommodation listings to help you plan overnight stops in villages and towns, including in key centres like Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud


Plan your Cotswold Way adventure with confidence and enjoy one of England’s most characterful National Trails with this definitive guidebook and map set.

Where and when to go

Seasons

Can be walked all year round: accommodation is scarce during Cheltenham Festival (March) and Badminton Horse Trials (late April/May)

Centres

Chipping Campden, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud, Bath

Difficulty

The Cotswold Way is a waymarked lowland walk suitable for all abilities: suggested day sections are in the region of 6-10 miles (10-16km)

Must See

Hailes Abbey, Belas Knap, Crickley Hill, Haresfield Beacon, Sudley Castle, Broadway, views of Kelston Round Hill, roman baths (Bath)

Table of contents

Route summary table Alternative schedule planner Transport map Map key Stage facilities planner INTRODUCTION The Cotswold Way Outline of the route Trail background Planning your trip When to go Which direction? Accommodation Stage planning Suggested schedules Guided and self-guided holidays and baggage transfer Transport to and around the Cotswolds Equipment and other practicalities On the trail Using this guide Waymarking on the route Health, safety and emergencies The Country Code About the Cotswolds Geology Nature and wildlife The early occupation of the Cotswolds The Cotswolds since the Romans THE COTSWOLD WAY Stage 1 Chipping Campden to Broadway Stage 2 Broadway to Stanton Stage 3 Stanton to Winchcombe Stage 4 Winchcombe to Cleeve Hill Stage 5 Cleeve Hill to Dowdeswell Stage 6 Dowdeswell to Birdlip Stage 7 Birdlip to Painswick Stage 8 Painswick to Middleyard (King’s Stanley) Stage 9 Middleyard (King’s Stanley) to Dursley Stage 10 Dursley to Wotton-under-Edge Stage 11 Wotton-under-Edge to Hawkesbury Upton Stage 12 Hawkesbury Upton to Tormarton Stage 13 Tormarton to Cold Ashton Stage 14 Cold Ashton to Bath Appendix A Useful contacts Appendix B Accommodation along the route Appendix C Further reading

Which format is best for me?

Printed book

A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps — everything you need on the trail.

ISBN9781786312105
AvailabilityPublished
Published28 February 2024
Reprinted7 May 2026
Weight 230g

eBook

The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.

What is the Cicerone app?

The Cicerone App is your on-trail companion: GPS-enabled maps, route information and planning tools from our guidebooks, built for use on the move. Browse and buy guides directly in the app, then follow expert-curated routes, explore local landmarks and points of interest, and check facilities information as you go.

Find out more about the Cicerone App FAQs here, for further details.

Key features:

  • Expert-curated routes – Follow routes crafted by expert authors who know each area inside out.
  • Plan with confidence – Find detailed facilities information and discover local landmarks along the way.
  • Your adventure library, always with you – Access your purchased guides anytime and discover new adventures in our expanding digital collection, from local day walks to epic treks.

Get the app on the App Store or Google Play.

Please note: GPX files are downloaded separately and are designed for use in other mapping apps or GPS devices. They cannot be viewed within the Cicerone app.

Updates

  1. Updated

    Crickley Hill roadworks

    The current 2026 printing of the Cotswold Way flags up the substantial roadworks just below Crickley Hill at what used to be the ’Air Balloon’ roundabout, named after the very fine pub of the same name. This has sadly been destroyed in the roadworks. Earlier versions of this edition also mention the roadworks and likelihood of diversions, without being explicit as plans were not known when written.

    For the next six months, likely through to the end of 2026 but perhaps longer, there is a major diversion. This starts just after the National Star College and follows the rather fast B-road east of Crickley Hill before making an intricate route around and through the vast roadworks. Please see the attached file showing the diversion, the actual closure seem to be only about 150 metres, needing a 2-3km work around.

    This diversion very obviously omits Crickley Hill, one of the highlights of the trail. If you do take in Crickley Hill, it will be necessary to backtrack past the Country Park and site of the Roman villa before descending to join this diversion at Shortwood Flat.

    Take care – at times these works have seemed to be of epic scale, with vast traffic jams.

  2. Updated

    Food and accommodation updates

    The Seven Springs Pub at Seven Springs has closed. This is between Dowdeswell and Birdlip on Stage 6, 1hr 20min from Dowdeswell. There was no accommodation and now there are no refreshments. If it reopens, please let Cicerone know.

    The White Star Inn and Hotel at Whiteshill Stage 7) has been recommended Tel 01453 765321. It’s a couple of km off route in the Randwick/Stroud section near the end of the stage.

  3. Updated

    Roadworks at the A417 junction

    Stage 5 Dowdeswell to Birdlip southbound and Stage 9 northbound

    The massive scheme below Crickley Hill continues. This was the old 'Air Balloon' roundabout, named after the well-known pub that is now gone. The diversion is a convoluted way round, adding around 4km 1hr) and making this a 5hr 30min stage, but there is a lot of traffic to best follow the signs.

    See the Highways agency website for details.

  4. Updated

    Valley Views B&B

    The Valley Views B&B in Middleyard, Kings Stanley, near Stroud, has closed.

Meet the authors

A lifelong passion for the countryside in general, and mountains in particular, drove Kev's desire to share his sense of wonder and delight in the natural world through his writing, guiding, photography and lecturing. Spending several months every year in various high-mountain regions researching guidebooks made him The Man with the World's Best Job.

Kev enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Cicerone from the 1970s, producing 50 books, including guides to five major trekking regions of Nepal and to numerous routes in the European Alps and Pyrenees, as well as walking guides for Kent, Sussex and the Cotswolds. 'A Walk in the Clouds' is a collection of autobiographical short stories recording 50 years of mountain travel and adventures. He was also the contributing editor of the collaborative guide 'Trekking in the Himalaya' and Cicerone's celebratory anniversary compilation 'Fifty Years of Adventure'.

A frequent contributor to outdoor magazines, Kev also wrote and illustrated brochures for national tourist authorities and travel companies. When not away in the mountains, Kev lived with his wife in a small cottage among what he called 'the Kentish Alps', with unrestricted walking country on the doorstep. But he also travelled throughout Britain during the winter months to share his love of the places he wrote about through a series of lectures.

Sadly, Kev passed away in 2021. He will be remembered fondly by all who knew him and by many more he inspired through his writing and talks.

Lesley Williams

Lesley Williams

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Originally from Oxfordshire, Lesley's lifelong passion for walking, trekking and, more recently, cycle touring has taken her to many corners of the UK, Europe and occasionally further afield. Although now mostly retired, she has been a director of Cicerone for over 25 years, leading its sales and marketing team. Lesley is a qualified marketing professional, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the author of Walking the Tour of the Lake District. Lesley shares a passion for alpine walking and trekking with husband Jonathan and together they have written several guidebooks. Based between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, they relish every excuse to spend days exploring and writing.

Jonathan Williams

Jonathan Williams

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A proud Yorkshireman, Jonathan first climbed a mountain before he was born. Although he first met Lesley at sea, they have spent many years exploring mountains and trails in Britain and Europe. After nearly 25 years as Cicerone's publisher and managing director, he now supports the team whilst exploring, updating and writing guides. He has developed UK guides and walked throughout Europe, but his special subject is the Alps and Switzerland. He has worked on guidebooks including Chamonix to Zermatt: the Walker's Haute Route, Trekking in the Vanoise, the Swiss Via Alpina and the Tour du Mont Blanc, as well as walking guides to Zermatt and Saas Fee, Arolla and Zinal and the Bernese Oberland.