Walking in the Cotswolds

Guidebook describing 30 circular walks in the Cotswolds AONB of southern England. The graded routes are 4-12 miles long, visiting hill forts, long barrows and stone circles, picturesque villages and parts of the Cotswold Way National Trail as circular walks. Includes information about history, geology and wildlife encountered along the routes.

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Overview

A guidebook to 30 circular walks in the Cotswolds, the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England. Ranging from 4 to 12 miles in length, the routes are graded from easy to strenuous, offering something for every walker. Fourteen of the routes described include sections of the Cotswold Way National Trail, a 102-mile walk that winds its way from Chipping Campden to Bath.

Step-by-step route descriptions are accompanied by 1:50,000 mapping. There is plenty of information on the many points of interest passed en route, including Roman ruins, ancient stone circles, Neolithic long barrows and historic villages. Also included is a useful route table summary, information on accommodation, and details on the region's geology, landscape, plants and wildlife.

Covering 790 square miles, the Cotswolds is home to lush green hills, picturesque valleys and beautiful beech woodlands. The impressive Edge - a remarkable limestone escarpment - offers ethereal views across the Vales of the Severn, Berkeley and Gloucester to the Malverns and the distant mountains of Wales.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
Geology and landscape
Plants and wildlife
The impact of man
When to visit
Getting around
Where to stay
Terrain and what to take
Maps
Using this guide

Walk 1 Chipping Campden, Broadway and Broadway Tower
Walk 2 Bredon Hill
Walk 3 Stanton, Stanway and Snowshill
Walk 4 Long Compton and the Rollright Stones
Walk 5 Winchcombe, Hailes Abbey and Sudeley Castle
Walk 6 Winchcombe, Cleeve Common and Belas Knap
Walk 7 Temple Guiting, Guiting Wood and Guiting Power
Walk 8 Bourton-on-the-Water, the Slaughters and Naunton
Walk 9 Leckhampton Hill and Crickley Hill
Walk 10 Chedworth, Withington and the Roman Villa
Walk 11 Cranham, Cooper’s Hill and Painswick Beacon
Walk 12 Brimpsfield and Caudle Green
Walk 13 Painswick, Edge and Painswick Beacon
Walk 14 Miserden and Edgeworth
Walk 15 Laurie Lee’s Slad Valley
Walk 16 Haresfield Beacon
Walk 17 Toadsmoor, Bisley and the Golden Valley
Walk 18 Leonard Stanley, Coaley Peak and Selsley Common
Walk 19 Sapperton, Pinbury Park and Edgeworth
Walk 20 Minchinhampton and Rodborough Commons
Walk 21 Nailsworth and Avening
Walk 22 Uley Bury, Dursley and Stinchcombe Hill
Walk 23 Kingscote, Ozleworth and Ozleworth Bottom
Walk 24 Wotton-under-Edge, Wortley and North Nibley
Walk 25 Dyrham Park and West Littleton
Walk 26 Swainswick Valley and Little Solsbury Hill
Walk 27 Box, Slaughterford and Colerne
Walk 28 Saltford, North Stoke, Weston
Walk 29 Bath Skyline
Walk 30 Bradford-on-Avon and Farleigh Hungerford Castle

Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Long- and medium-distance walks in the Cotswolds
Appendix C Bibliography and further reading
Appendix D Websites and further information

Updates

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February 2021

Walk 21

Walk 21 Nailsworth and Avening

We have been informed that there is a slight discrepancy between the map and route description. The amended description is below.

From the car park, cross the A46 with care, go right and slightly further uphill, then left up Tetbury Lane. Continue uphill past an Unsuitable For Motors sign at 0.5 miles. After the gradient flattens out turn left at a junction and soon after go straight ahead to leave the tarmac and go over a stile and into a field straight ahead, ignoring options to right and left.

Stick to the right as you follow the edge of three fields, gradually bending right and descending. Look for a yellow waymarker to go through a gap in a wall and carry on round to the right following the wall as you descend between trees, ignoring a couple of stiles and taking the one that goes directly through a hedge and into woods, briefly, before emerging by a house and onto a lane. (If in doubt, simply follow the stream to the lane.)

Turn right and follow the lane as it bends left and goes downhill into Avening by The Bell. Turn left on the B4014, pass some houses and turn left up steep Woodstock Lane. Go right at the first fork, going uphill, and right again at the second fork. The lane flattens out and turns into a bridleway, then a grassy path, with lovely views to your right; of Gatcombe Wood, Princess Anne's Gatcombe House and Minchinhampton (Walk 20). It can be a riot of colour in autumn along here. And hilariously muddy in winter.

Pass through a couple of gates to the left of a farm and continue uphill. Go through a gate into woods and take the path on the right. Ignore forestry tracks and a kissing gate on the left. At a junction of paths turn left, slightly uphill, between a wall and fence. At a junction of several paths, turn right into a field by a bridleway sign, and downhill past an old stone barn.

Go through a metal gate and back into the woods. Emerge from the woods and follow a fairly obvious path down the field, with promising views of Nailsworth ahead. Towards the bottom of the field head for the bottom left corner to take a track through a gate and out onto the road.

Continue in the same direction, past tennis courts. Turn left at a busier road, into the centre of Nailsworth and go left and uphill to get back to the car park.

July 2019

Update

page 125

New Inn in Dursley Opening hours are limited to Thur from 5pm and Fri-Sun 2.30pm until 11 pm and not to be confused with another pub named New Inn, which is off route.

Reviews

"Extremely helpful" guidebooks

I ordered Walking in The Cotswolds and in Walking in Cornwall in England as I hope one fine day to get back to the UK and take a much more up close and personal look. These books provide rich detail of the region, history, geology, and footpath difficulty. Informative, compact print with color images help the reader know what they are getting into. Each of the books are written by locals with in depth knowledge of the nuances of the places they call home. They share specific instructions on how to get to the trailheads with detailed maps. In addition, they give you information on the nearest transport, if it is wise to rent a car or to take public transport. Suggestions for accommodations near the footpaths listed in the books are extremely helpful for the traveler.

Linda, by email

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