Bespoke Luxury Cotswold Way Walking Holiday

*Please Note: This is an example itinerary.

DAY 1: ARRIVE CHIPPING CAMPDEN
Check into your accommodation and explore the lovely shops, tea rooms and beautiful high street in the town. Chipping Campden is a traditional market town, with preserved historic features dating back as far as the 14th century. It is also one of the earliest examples of deliberate town planning with a charter from King Henry II to set out a plan of the town. 

DAY 2:  CHIPPING CAMPDEN TO WINCHCOMBE
After leaving the town, the Trail takes you out onto the Cotswold escarpment with stunning views from Dover’s Hill. This is where the annual ‘Olimpick’ games were held in 1612, with leapfrog, wrestling and shin-kicking events happening each year. The walk continues across the fields to Broadway Tower and then through the village of Broadway with its historic connections with the Arts & Crafts movement. 

DAY 3:  WINCHCOMBE TO CHELTENHAM
Climbing steadily to the ancient Neolithic long barrow of Belas Knap to Cleeve Hill – the highest part of the entire Trail point of The Cotswolds. The route continues across Cleeve Common with extensive views over Cheltenham,  and far beyond and then onto Charlton Kings Common with its breath-taking views across Cheltenham and the Severn Vale.  Before following the escarpment onto Leckhampton Hill and – look out for the distinctive rock pillar known as the Devil’s Chimney before descending into Cheltenham, the most complete Regency Town in the UK.

DAY 4:  ULLENWOOD TO STONEHOUSE   
Transfer to Ullenwood to start day 4, the Trail follows quiet tracks, lanes and paths into Crickley Hill Country Park, with its excellent viewpoints and information about the archaeological history, as well as a great café for a pitstop. There is evidence of historic settlements from as early as the Neolithic Period, as well as an Iron Age Hill Fort, indicating many periods of occupation. The Trail then crosses the undulating grassland of Barrow Wake before heading into woodland to emerge at Birdlip.  From Birdlip, the Trail passes the remains of Great Witcombe Roman Villa, through magnificent beech woodlands and on to Coopers Hill, the site of the annual cheese-rolling event. The route then emerges onto the common land of Painswick Beacon, where the ramparts of an Iron Age hill fort can clearly be seen. The section ends in the picturesque town of Painswick, the mid-point of the Cotswold Way. Painswick recently featured in J.K.Rowling’s novel “A Casual Vacancy” and is also home to the Rococo Gardens which are worth a visit.

Descend from Painswick to cross the Wash Brook before climbing again onto Edge Common. The Trail then plunges back into woodland emerging at Haresfield Beacon and the iron-age Bulwarks hill-fort, with views of the escarpment and River Severn. The route descends gently through Standish Woods, with beautiful displays of bluebell and wood anemone in the spring, to emerge into the Stroud Valley through grass pastures. The village of Stonehouse actually appears in the Domesday Book of 1086.

DAY 5:  OLD SODBURY TO BATH
Taxi transfer from Stonehouse to Old Sodbury to start day 5.  The Trail passes through the wonderful Capability Brown parkland of Dodington Park before crossing the final few fields into Tormarton. Leave Tormarton to the south along the Marshfield Road, then trails crosses across arable land and that eventually leads to a path passing round the perimeter wall of Dyrham Park – an ancient deer park. From Dyrham, the Trail climbs through woodland to Cold Ashton.

What a finale! The Trail descends into the beautiful secluded valley at Lower Hamswell, passing the promontory hill fort at Little Down and the famous Bath Racecourse. The city can be glimpsed in the valley below and the trail gradually becomes more urban over the final miles, passing parks and regency architecture on its way to Bath Abbey , where a carved stone disc set into the pavement outside the ornate west doors which marks the end of the Cotswold Way. Bath is a fabulous place to stay and many choose to extend their trip to give time to explore the attractions including the famous Roman Baths.

Key details:

• The overall distance for this tour is variable but up to a maximum of 102 miles / 164 km
• The example tour includes 5 walking days plus arrival and departure days
• This walking tour is easy to moderate 

Tour highlights include:

• Gentle daily walking through idyllic English countryside, peppered with traditional pubs and charming tea rooms. 
• Explore the classic English village of Broadway – ‘Crown of the Cotswolds’., 
• The elegant house and gardens at Hidcote Manor. 
• Sudeley Castle at Winchcombe, ( as seen in the movie adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma and also the final resting place of Catherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII.
• Cheltenham which is the most complete Regency town in the UK.
• The elegant house and gardens at Hidcote Manor.

By Road:
London via M40 & A40 (app 2hr). Birmingham via A435 (app 1hr; 36 miles) or M40 (app 1hr; 50 miles). Bristol via M5 (app 1hr 15min; 65 miles)

By Ferry:

The sea ports of Dover, Portsmouth or Southampton will require a train journey to Cheltenham Spa/Moreton in Marsh and then a bus or transfer as outlined above, or with prior notice Compass can arrange parking for your own car.

By Rail: 
London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh (app 1hr 45min) then bus to Chipping Campden (app 45min) or taxi (app 15min; 10 miles).

Birmingham Moor Street to Stratford-Upon-Avon (app 50min) then 7 min walk to bus stop then bus to Chipping Campden (25-45min).

Bristol Temple Meads to Moreton-in-Marsh via Didcot & Oxford (2hrs 30min) then bus to Chipping Campden (app 45min) or taxi (app 15min; 10 miles)

By Bus: 

A number of local buses and taxis run along the route. Compass Holidays will be more than happy to assist visitors in booking a taxi transfer. Local timetables can also be obtained and shared with visitors. The times are seasonal and vary throughout the year.
 

By Air:

The nearest airports for the trail are Birmingham and Bristol, however access is still easy from London. Trains to Cheltenham Spa or Moreton in Marsh provide the best start with the option of a bus to Chipping Campden or alternatively Compass Holidays can arrange a transfer for a small additional charge.