Project Description

The Cotswold Way

A hundred-mile trek along the Cotswolds Edge

Cotswold Way: The Basics

WHERE IS THE PATH? The trail runs along the western edge of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It actually follows a geological feature known as the Cotswold Edge – the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills. On the way it visits three counties: Gloucestershire, Worcestershire (briefly) and Somerset.

HOW LONG IS THE COTSWOLD WAY?  102-105 miles

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ‘DO’ THE COTSWOLD WAY?  7-9 days

WHERE DOES THE COTSWOLD WAY BEGIN? Chipping Campden, a well-to-do market town in Glouccestershire.

AND WHERE DOES IT END? Bath, one of the loveliest cities in England.

IS IT A NATIONAL TRAIL: Yes

HOW HARD IS THE COTSWOLD WAY? Harder, perhaps, than you may think. The designers of the walk clearly liked a hill, and many an afternoon you’ll spend slogging up a slope, even when easier, flatter alternatives are available.

Map of the Cotswold Way

 

Introduction

Daisy and Zoe walking through woods between Cleeve Hill and Leckhampton on the Cotswold Way

Another stretch of lovely woodland on the Way, this one on the way to Leckhampton Hill

 

Ahh the joy of the Cotswolds. A gorgeous little world of gold and amber farmhouses and cosy thatched cottages. It’s a world of gently rolling hills and villages crammed with teeny tearooms and ancient inns. Is there anywhere more magical in England? 

And here we have a National Trail that is named after the Cotswolds. A path that allows you to meander for a week or more through this delightful landscape. What could be better?

Well, actually, quite a bit. Because while I still enjoyed myself on the Cotswold Way, this must be said:

This is my least favourite national trail. 

In fact, I’ll go further: this is my least favourite of all the long-distance trails.

But why is this, when it seems to have so much going for it? 

What’s my problem with the Cotswold Way? >>

Should you walk the Cotswold Way?

Why you should...

Georgian terraces of The Circus, Bath, towards the end of the Cotswold Way

The Circus, Bath

Where I was expecting tearooms, instead I got trees. Lots of them. I reckon that only the North Downs Way can rival this path when it comes to the number of lovely stretches of woodland on the way – and as someone who’s a big fan of a bit of sylvian strolling, this was an unexpected bonus.

Another surprise that was as welcome as it was unforeseen. The Cotswold Edge was clearly an important place for ancient Britons who lived up there, hunted up there, fought up there and were buried up there. And there are several places right on the path where you can see the evidence. None of these places will make your eyes pop out of your head on stalks in wonder (unlike those ancient monuments on the Ridgeway, for example), but they do offer a bit of extra colour to the trail.

It’s not just the early Britons who liked building up on the Edge either. There are several follies and other assorted architecture decorating the hills that you can visit (usually for a fee). Why you’d want to spend more in order to enjoy a lofty vantage point when you’re already enjoying one from the top of the hill is a moot point, but the towers are often fabulous and always photogenic.

Two parts beauty to one part snooty, Chipping Campden is a good place to start: small, attractive and with a range of useful facilities for the trekker.

Where does it actually start?

The walk begins by the ancient market hall on Chipping Campden’s main street. Built in 1627 and now owned by the National Trust, it is one of the more photogenic places to start a trail too. (Especially when compared to the Thames Path, which also starts in the Cotswolds – by a stone in a field).

Bath is a lovely place to visit at any time of year and under any circumstance, and even more so when you’ve just finished a National Trail. I am struggling to think of a better terminus for a long-distance walk. The Flood Barrier at the end of the Thames Path is quite spectacular, but you’re in the middle of nowhere and have to walk through an industrial no-man’s land just to get a bus home. Whereas here, your final step on the trail takes you to the doors of Bath Abbey, in the heart of the city – magnificent!

It’s a National Trail and as such the maintenance of the path is very good and the information on their website is, as always, good too. Also means you can order a certificate too, of course..and a badge! 

It’s true. On the last day if it’s clear you can look across the Severn and into Wales.

...and why you shouldn't

Th Cotswold Way: View of Cheltenham from Hartley Hill

Hartley Hill and another scintillating view of Cheltenham

The regularity with which you climb becomes monotonous – and, after a while, pretty annoying too. Hills I can handle. Hills that are climbed just for the sake of it are annoying, however, unless of course there’s a reason for climbing it. An iron-age earthwork, of which there are a couple, is a good reason for climbing. Views over Cheltenham are not.

The annoying thing is, there really shouldn’t be. For the love of God, this is the Cotswolds! Widely regarded as the prettiest place in England. So why continue to offer us views of Cheltenham.

It’s not unusual for the path to loop around, sometimes with little apparent reason. This can be annoying when you find yourself just a few metres from where you were fifteen minutes ago, especially when you’ve walked over a kilometre to get there.

Parts of the Cotswolds are famously posh. As a result it can be quite an expensive walk if you’re staying in B&Bs and eating in pubs and restaurants every night. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of camping and bunkhouse accommodation – so for much of the time, B&Bs may be your only option.

The transport network feels like it’s been left to rot, perhaps because few of the locals use it. You can usually find some sort of bus service to most places along the trail – though to get from A to B you may find yourself having to travel via C and D first.

Useful info for Cotswold Way walkers

 

Transport to and from the path

Paraglider flies high above Selsey

Overlooking Selsey from the Common with the same name.

Getting to the start of the trail is a bit of an expedition in itself. Chipping Campden is not a huge place and there’s no railway station. Arriving by bus is thus your best option, either from Moreton in Marsh – the nearest place with a train service – or from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Thankfully, getting away from Bath at the end of the trail is no problem, with the city well served by buses, National Express coaches and trains.

 

Transport along the Cotswold Way

You won’t find any useful train services along the trail, and in order to find any railway service you’ll have to walk a mile or three off the path.

Most places along the trail have some sort of bus service. The main problem is that finding a bus that travels along the path is quite difficult. In particular, finding a bus that connects the northern half of the path with the southern half is impossible – presumably because the path crosses into different counties, which presumably have their own bus networks that rarely overlap.

To summarise:

Between Chipping Campden and Winchcombe there are buses that run along the trail.

Between Winchcombe and Painswick you’ll probably have to travel via Cheltenham.

Between Painswick and Wootton under Edge you’ll struggle to  find connections between the places en route though you may have some luck if you look at travelling via Stroud.

Wootton to Old Sodbury is pretty well connected by a couple of buses.

Between Old Sodbury and Bath you’ll probably have to travel via Chipping Sodbury.

 

Walking the Cotswold Way with a dog

There are no major concerns with bringing a dog along the Way and there are plenty of woodland where your hound can run amok to its heart content.

It might be an idea to keep him or her on a lead, however, if they’re the kind of dog that can’t help but chase golf balls – the path crosses several courses.

There are, of course, also several farms you cross with livestock.

 

Cotswold Way signpost by Ebley Canal

Signpost at Ebley Canal

So where might I get lost? It’s not easy to get lost on the Cotswold Way. The trail is comprehensively signposted, like all National Trails. The biggest problem may be when you’re walking through the woods. These woods are sometimes very extensive and there are always plenty of smaller trails branching off the main one, so you could get lost for a while. 

The only place that I can recall where I had any problems was after Selsey Common, where the signposts were missing and it appears that the path has been moved. It delayed us for only twenty minutes or so but that was long enough to be annoying. Hopefully new posts have been erected now and you’ll find the situation much improved.

Finally, finding your way through Bath to the Abbey is not difficult, but if you are hoping to follow the correct trail then you’ve got to watch out very closely for any indications, as the signposts disappear at this point. Acorn stickers attached to roadsigns, bollards and other street furniture are your only hope, but after a while you may have to accept defeat and just try to get to the abbey by whatever route you find.    

 

Camping and accommodation along the Cotswold Way

Camping along the Cotswold Way is not straightforward. There aren’t many official campsites and, of course, wild camping is illegal (though very possible, given the extensive woods and forests along the way).

The hostel situation along the Cotswold Way is also pretty depressing, with only two independent hostels to supplement Bath’s youth hostel.

Bunkhouses, too, are few and far between.

So it’s B&Bs that you’ll be relying on for most of your trek.

 

Facilities along the Cotswold Way

The Cotswold Way is not as rural or isolated as some trails, and as a consequence facilities are fairly easy to come by along the trail. ATMs, shops, post offices are all available along the way, though you do still need to plan ahead – there are some pretty long stretches where you won’t find anything.

As I’ve already said, public transport isn’t very comprehensive along the trail either, so even if you want to leave the trail to go shopping or get some money out it won’t always be easy.

 

Dangers and annoyances

Devil's Chimney atop Leckhampton Hill

Devil’s Chimney, Leckhampton Hill

Perhaps the biggest potential hazard is people under-estimating the Cotswold Way. It can in places be a tough walk with some steep sections. Furthermore, you can still be some distance from any help should you become immobilised for some reason and require assistance.

You probably have to go out of your way – and off the path – for this to be a hazard, but there are some steep drops, particularly around Devil’s Chimney on Leckhampton Hill. Just watch your footing around here.

Heatstroke is a more realistic danger – so make sure you take a lot of water with you on the trail, wear sunscreen and cover up when it gets really sunny.

 

Tips and hints

If you can, give yourself a day or two at the end of the trek so you can spend more time in Bath. It’s a lovely place.

On that subject, if you’ve never been to the Cotswolds before and, after this walk, you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, do check out some of the other villages in the region. Some of them are just gorgeous – and you may then understand why I’m a little disappointed with the trail itself.

If you’ve got the time, do visit the Cold War nuclear bunker near Broadway Tower – it’s the only one near a National Trail (well, at least as far as I know) and it’s fascinating.

Don’t miss  the churchyard at Painswick, either. My younger self would be shaking his head in despair that now get a kick out of topiary – but I love the manicured yew trees here.

The Cotswold Way: Further info

The Cotswold Way Guide! 

‘A polished guide … with detailed maps and masses of practical information’ Walk Magazine (Ramblers)

‘Maintains the hallmarks of these popular guides’  Strider (Long Distance Walkers Association). 

Comprehensive, all-in-one guide to walking the Cotswold Way, one of England’s favourite National Trails.

Cotswold Way guide back cover

The walking guide includes:

* 44 large-scale walking maps at just under 1:20,000 – showing route times, places to stay, places to eat, points of interest and much more.

* Town plans, colour stage maps and altitude profiles of the entire way 

* Places to stay with reviews Pubs, hotels, B&Bs, hostels, bunkhouses, campsites.

* Places to eat with reviews Teashops, cafes, takeaways, pubs, restaurants.

* What to see along the way Historical, cultural and geographical background information.

* Itineraries for all walkers Whether walking the route in its entirety over a week to 10 days or sampling the highlights on day walks and short breaks.

* Comprehensive public transport information For all access points on the path.

* Flora and fauna Four page full colour flower guide, plus an illustrated section on local wildlife.

* Green hiking Understanding the local environment and minimizing our impact on it.

* Downloadable GPS waypoints.

* The information is written onto the maps. Walking directions, tricky junctions, places to stay and eat, points of interest and walking times are all written onto the maps themselves in the places to which they apply. The maps are not general-purpose ones but fully-edited maps drawn by walkers for walkers.

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