With spring just around the corner and sunny days ahead, it’s only natural to dream of indulgent pub walks in the Cotswolds, along with a hearty ale at some of the best Cotswold pubs. On selected tours, we offer a traditional Cotswold pub lunch to be enjoyed, too. Our experts will take you on an unforgettable journey with unmatched countryside views, and English pubs with great beer gardens to relax in after your walk. With such a great selection of pub walks in the Cotswolds, we’ve hand-picked our favourites for you to choose from.
Cleeve Common and The Lion Inn, Winchcombe
Winchcombe is a gorgeous, small Cotswold town with many walkers flocking here year-round. Surrounded by the most beautiful countryside with Sudeley Castle just outside of the town, there are just so many walks to choose from.
Our favourite walk is up to Cleeve Common; follow the Cotswold Way through the fields southwest of the town and briefly along a little lane before starting the 600ft climb up to the historic Belas Knap. Head west to Cleeve Common with its famous Iron Age hill fort perched on the Cotswold Edge. You’ll be rewarded with incredible views across as far as Wales.
Follow the path back down to Postlip and back into Winchcombe, where you’ll find a handful of welcoming Cotswold pubs, one of our favourites being The Lion Inn. With a gorgeous, seasonal menu and plenty of tipple choices, you can spend the afternoon feasting on one of the best pub lunches in the Cotswolds. Weather dependent, relax on the comfy armchairs by the fire, or in the garden if the sun is shining.
Our Heart of the Cotswolds Walking Tour and Classic Cotswolds Guided Walking Tour stop at Winchcombe, so you can visit this iconic Cotswold pub for yourself.
Snowshill & The Mount Inn, Stanton
Stanton is often labelled the most beautiful Cotswold village of them all, and if you join one of our pub walks in the Cotswolds, you’ll see why. With paths galore around the area, our favourite hike includes the beautiful Snowshill. With The Mount Inn as your starting point, follow the Cotswold Way in a “U” around Shenberrow Hill to where it meets the Winchcombe Way, then loop around via Buckland Wood to Snowshill. The return leg takes you through Lidcombe Wood and down the steep hill to Stanway. Finally, head north for the final part of the walk, and back into Stanton along the Cotswold Way. Back at your starting point, you can head back into The Mount Inn for some refreshments. It’s one of the Cotswold pubs with gardens that you can enjoy, or you can cosy up indoors.
Our Cotswold Way Long-Distance Walking Tour passes through this iconic destination.
The Slaughters and The Black Horse Inn, Naunton
The sister villages of Lower and Upper Slaughter and their surrounds are another hopelessly picturesque part of the Cotswolds and an ideal stop for a classic English pub lunch.
Starting out at the centre of the village of Naunton, head south at the T-junction along Warden’s Way, and after a mile head east, where you’ll meet the Windrush Way and later the river Windrush itself. Cross the river at the footbridge beyond Aston Farm and then branch left along the Macmillan Way, and move on to Warden’s Way through the Slaughters, and back around to Naunton.
Once you arrive back in beautiful Naunton, you must head to The Black Horse Inn. The Inn is another one of the great Cotswold pubs for lunch and other meals, which has been serving excellent beers and delicious home-cooked food to both locals and visitors for more than one hundred years. You can expect to find much of its original charm and character, which makes this one of the best pub walks in the Cotswolds to go on.
Choose from a variety of self-guided tours that make a turn at The Slaughters here!
Broadway Tower and The Swan Inn, Broadway
Don’t miss out on a visit to the beautiful town of Broadway, with its upmarket shops and hotels, fantastic children’s adventure playgrounds, and many beautiful walks in the area.
Starting from Broadway High Street, follow historic tracks up to Broadway Tower perched on the hillside with its spectacular views across the Severn Vale into Wales. The walk is around 4 miles long and will take you about 2.5 – 3 hours. There are some steep sections and stiles but the views will make the journey more than worthwhile.
Once you’ve headed back down into the town make a pit stop at The Swan Inn which draws in hordes of locals and tourists with its warm and welcoming atmosphere, seasonal British fayre, and impressive selection of real ales.
Our Heart of the Cotswolds Walking Tour visits Broadway. The Classic Cotswolds Guided Walking Tour includes a quintessential Cotswolds pub lunch and stops over at Broadway and Winchcombe, where you can see the iconic Lion Inn, Cleeve Common, and Broadway Tower for yourself.
Tetbury and The Royal Oak
Another gorgeous town with its fair share of countryside walks and traditional pubs in the Cotswolds is Tetbury, with most of the town’s buildings dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Strolling around the town itself is often walkable, but you can also leave the town and follow a short circular route which starts from the Railway Yard car park in Tetbury. The walk follows mainly pavement and tarmac paths with just one short section along a mud path. This route has some hills both up and down, but it would be possible to complete it with a buggy. Once you’ve finished your walk, head back to Tetbury town and visit The Royal Oak, a charming inn with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, cosy booths, and a stylish dining room to enjoy some tasty Cotswold pub food in.
Whether you’re after a scenic ramble, a cosy fireside pint, or the best pub lunch in the Cotswolds, these pub walks offer the perfect blend of countryside charm and culinary reward. From the historic lanes of Winchcombe, to the idyllic villages of The Slaughters, each route leads to one of the finest Cotswold pubs for lunch or a well-earned beverage. With Cotswold Journeys, you can explore the very best pub walks in the Cotswolds where every step ends with a story, a view, and a pint well poured! Get in touch for more information.