The Best Of The Cotswolds Walk

An eight night (or fewer if preferred) circular walking Holiday of the Cotswolds with shorter walking days.

Itinerary

Day 1:  Arrive Moreton-in-Marsh for overnight

Day 2:  Moreton in Marsh to Stow-on-the-Wold (7 miles/11 kms) Cross the high wolds to Stow-on-the-Wold, complete with village stocks and picturesque square, via the fantastic Mogul manor house at Sezincote and a number of pretty hamlets. Overnight Stow-on-the-Wold.

Day 3:  Stow-on-the-Wold to Bourton-on-the-Water (5 miles - 8 kms) Today's route from Stow-on-the-Wold is a leisurely downhill walk across meadows to picturesque Lower Slaughter with its working mill and on to Bourton-on-the-Water, with its many attractions. Overnight Bourton-on-the-Water.

Day 4:  Bourton-on-the-Water to Guiting Power (7 miles/11 kms) The route follows the River Windrush to the village of Naunton with its ancient dovecote and on to lovely Guiting Power, where the church has a fine Norman arch. Overnight Guiting Power.

Day 5:  Guiting Power to Winchcombe (6 miles/9.5 kms) Walk through woods and fields before the dramatic descent to the ancient Saxon capital of Winchcombe, close to Sudeley Castle, last resting place of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's sixth wife. Overnight in Winchcombe, with its fascinating church and local museums.

Day 6:  Winchcombe to Stanton (7 miles/11 kms) or Broadway (10.5 miles/17 kms) Follow the pilgrims' route to Hailes Abbey, then over the hills to Jacobean Stanway House, with its magnificent gatehouse and medieval tithe barn and on to idyllic Stanton. Stay in the small village of Stanton or the coaching village of Broadway, where an array of fine houses and inns flank the 'broad way'.

Day 7:  Stanton or Broadway to Chipping Campden (8 miles/13 kms or 4.5 miles/7 kms) Walk up to Broadway Tower, the 18th century folly from where there are fine views across the vale before descending to Chipping Campden, the loveliest of all Cotswold villages, with its covered market place, beautiful 'wool' church, almshouses and silversmith. Overnight in Chipping Campden.

Day 8:  Chipping Campden to Moreton in Marsh (7 miles/11 kms) Pass through the charming villages of Broad Campden and Blockley and descend to Batsford, where you may visit the arboretum and falconry centre. Finally, a pleasant stroll across meadows to Moreton in Marsh. Overnight Moreton in Marsh.

Day 9:  Departure after breakfast.

Price

£895.00 per person (based on two people sharing one room) in B&B’s, village inns and hotels.

£1030.00 per person (based on two people sharing one room) in small hotels

Further upgrades to luxury accommodation available, please enquire for details

£380.00 Single supplement

Practical Information:

ACCOMMODATION:

A selection of carefully chosen B&B's, hotels or Inns – all rooms with private bathrooms. Upgrades are possible and it is possible to mix and match the accommodation if you wish – please ask us.

What To Take

Sturdy walking boots and walking socks (with a change of socks in rucksack), rucksack/day pack, 1 x water bottle with 1 litre capacity, insect repellent, sun glasses, sun hat, sun block/cream, compass, torch, first-aid kit

When To Go

Mid-April to Early October. Accommodation will be difficult to obtain on UK national holidays unless booked well in advance (and may require an alteration to the programme).

GETTING THERE:

The nearest airports are London (Heathrow), Birmingham and Bristol.

Rail: The nearest station is Moreton-in-Marsh, with a direct line to London (Paddington) and also connects to the rail-air link from London Heathrow.

Included

8 nights B and B, luggage transportation each walking day, route notes and maps, local back-up

NOT INCLUDED:

Lunches, dinners, drinks, insurance, anything not mentioned in programme.

Insurance

We recommend that you take out appropriate holiday insurance covering you against illness, injury, and loss or damage to luggage. This insurance should also cover the possibility of your having to cancel your holiday for whatever reason.

Reviews

Mr and Mrs L, Illinois, USA

“It was everything we’d dreamed of and hoped for. In honor of your hospitality and in the spirit of David Letterman’s “Top 10″ list , we wanted to provide you with our official feedback from the trip.

Counting down from number 10…

10. Most favorite walking section/leg of the trip: Winchcombe to Broadway. Loved sneaky “Puck Pit” Lane to Hailes Abbey!

9. Posh-est hotel: Bath Priory (This hotel needs no explanation. Our room and view were spectacular.)

8. Most awesome bathroom: Dormy House (The warmest shower I ever took. Period!)

7. Funniest waitress/server: Either Alex at Butlers or Margaret at Dormy House.

6. Biggest kick-ass hill: the climb to Broadway Tower folly. OMG. We had to rest twice.

5. Best Pub: King’s Arms at Stowe-on-the Wold. The views at night from the fireplace and square: AMAZING! or the Fleece Inn view of Cirencester ranks up there.

4. Coolest view on the walk : Coming from Belas Knap over the hill to see Sudley Castle down in the Valley. Where were the trumpets, knights galloping, and flags waving?

3. Most British moment: Anne popping out her window from your upstairs cottage with 2 Americans too damn early on Saturday. (VERY LOCAL HERO!!).

2. Coolest museum: Cirencester Roman Museum (with Hailes Abbey a close second.)

1. The moment I took home in my heart: Prayers at the Hailes Church outside of Hailes Abbey. The veil between heaven and earth IS thin there and we said prayers for everyone.

There were so many, many more amazing moments: watching the rain come down on the Rococo gardens; more mud; friendly cats, dogs, ponies and sheep, amazingly old huge fireplaces, teatime and friendly people everywhere…the list goes on.” ___________________________________________________________________

Mrs G, U.K.

“Dear Christopher

We very much enjoyed our 4 days walking and were so fortunate with the weather – warm but not too hot and no rain until the very minute we arrived in Castle Combe when it thundered down!

I was going to write to you with comments but will try and do it tomorrow when I have a little more time. The B & Bs were excellent and high standard and the notes on the whole clear and explicit; very good to have the Ordnance Survey maps alongside. However, we did have one or too problems which you should know about for the future. Taxi service excellent and the company was most friendly and obliging; we begged a lift with them on the second day to shorten the walk by an hour or so (and paid them direct of course as it was a few miles out of their way).

Many thanks for organising it all for us : we would most certainly recommend your company.” ___________________________________________________________________

Mrs W, U.S.A.

“We had an absolutely wonderful trip walking through the Cotswolds, June 6-16. It’s unusual to have a vacation exceed all your expectations, but this one did. Hotels and B&Bs were all just terrific. They were clean and neat and our hosts were most accommodating. The directions for our walking, for the most part we’re pretty clear. We only made a couple of very minor wrong turns, but nothing significant.Our luggage was transported every time, right on time. I would highly recommend your company to anyone. Thank you!” ___________________________________________________________________