7 Walks in the Cotswolds
It sounds like the perfect way to spend the weekend: out in the beautiful countryside, enjoying fresh air and exercise before finding a cosy pub. The Cotswolds, with its rolling hills, lush meadows and ancient woodlands, is an excellent place for a country walk.
The area is crossed with fantastic walking trails. As well as the famous Cotswold Way, there’s the Wychavon Way, the Winchcombe Way, the Diamond Way, the Gloucestershire Way… (among others). Many of these are too long for a day’s outing (the Cotswold Way runs for 102 miles!) and are usually walked in short sections.
However, the happy existence of these well-maintained routes means that you can enjoy good pathways and clear signage as you romp across the Cotswolds. We’ve gathered together a few of the most popular Cotswold walks, and we hope you feel inspired to pull on your boots and head out for the day.
The Cotswold Way: Chipping Campden and Dover’s Hill
This much-loved route runs between Chipping Campden and Bath. To give you the sense of starting out on the trail, this pretty walk takes you along this first stretch.
Look out for the starting post at the Market Hall – and then you’re off. The path takes you up Dover’s Hill, a beautiful natural amphitheatre with amazing views. Don’t retrace your footsteps straight away, but loop off into Lynches Wood.
Distance: 4.5 miles
Difficulty level: Moderate, with a few steep stretches
Broadway and Broadway Tower
This folly on Beacon Hill is a famous local landmark, and the walk up to it from the village of Broadway takes you through some lovely scenery.
Pick up the path at Broadway High Street, and follow it upwards towards Broadway Tower. It’s worth the climb for the view – on a clear day, you can see 13 counties from up here. Extend the walk by taking the circular route through the deer park at the top.
You can also pay to visit the tower (definitely worth it), and there’s also a welcome cafe at the top.
Distance: 4 miles
Difficulty level: Moderate, with a few steep stretches
Stanton to Snowshill
This walk also starts with a stretch along the Cotswold Way. Follow the trail out of Stanton village (a pretty place that’s definitely worth a look before you stride out). You’ll climb up Shenberrow Hill before leaving the Way and heading through the woods to Snowshill.
This picturesque place is best known for Snowshill Manor, which is open to the public and run by the National Trust. The route back takes you to The Edge, and some incredible views across the countryside. Take a look at this walking map for details of the full walk.
Distance: 6 miles
Difficulty level: Moderate, with a few steep stretches
The Leckhampton Loop
This lovely circular walk takes in an ancient hill fort, beautiful woodlands and a Victorian quarry. It also starts and ends at a pub, the Seven Springs near Cheltenham, giving you plenty of motivation for the final stretch.
Again, you’ll be walking along the Cotswold Way for this walk. The path actually passes through the Iron Age hill fort before leading you up to an incredible vantage point.
Distance: 4.5 miles
Difficulty level: Easy, with a few steep stretches
Bourton-on-the-Water to Stow-on-the-Wold
This circuit is one of our favourite local walks. It takes in parts of the Gloucestershire Way and Oxfordshire Way, and passes through lots of lovely scenery on its way.
It’s a riverside walk, so it can get boggy in wet weather; otherwise, although it’s long, it’s pretty easy. Both Bourton and Stow are lovely places to visit, and we recommend timing the walk to make sure you fit in a hearty and reviving lunch…
Take a look at the AllTrails guide to find out more about this route.
Distance: 11 miles
Difficulty level: Moderate
The Windrush Way
If you want a day-long hike, try this 14-mile circular walk that follows the River Windrush. It takes in some beautiful spots, including ancient woodlands, deserted mediaeval settlements and Sudeley Castle.
The lovely walk links begins on the Cotswold Way at Winchcombe, and takes you onto the Oxfordshire Way at Bourton-on-the-Water (so if you’re staying with us, you can switch your starting point to Bourton). Find out more about the route here.
Distance: 14 miles
Difficulty level: Moderate, with a few steep stretches
The Cleeve Hill Common Ring
We’ll finish with a shorter walk that leads up to the highest point in the Cotswolds, Cleve Hill Common. This is 330m high, and the views across the countryside are spectacular.
The route itself is straightforward to follow, starting and ending at the Cleeve Hill Golf Club. It passes through lots of different landscapes, from ancient woodlands to butterfly-filled meadows.
Distance: 6 miles
Difficulty level: Moderate, with a few steep stretches
There are lots of lovely walks in the Cotswolds, and many routes pass close to us at Lords of the Manor. If walking in the Cotswolds sounds like the perfect weekend to you, please get in touch with us to book your break.