Standard Tour

Luxury Tour

The Heart Of The Cotswolds Walking Tour

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DISTANCE

10.5 – 20 miles (16 – 20 km) per day

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DIFFICULTY

Moderate

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DURATION

5 nights

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Accommodation

B&B Accommodation, Village Inns & Hotels

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Travel Information

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Price

£630

Walking Tour Overview

A 4 day/5 night self-guided walking holiday that offers the best of the Cotswold experience – the most beautiful villages, the finest views and the most interesting places. Daily departures. For those who prefer not to change accommodation daily, this can adapted to a 2 base holiday with pre-arranged transfers. We will meet you to go over the route.

This classic walk can include the beautiful town of Cheltenham on the first and last nights, to turn this into a 7 night 6 walking days holiday OR the daily distances can be reduced so that you follow the same route over 8 nights and seven walking days – please ask for more information.

Highlights

Rambling through some of the most picturesque countryside & villages in England
Carefully selected accommodation at which to stay
Follow the River Windrush to the untouched villages of Naunton.
Soaking up the history of the area. Ancient abbeys, churches and houses.

Key Information

From £630.00 per person based on two people sharing in B & Bs, all rooms with with private bathrooms.
From £765.00 per person based on two people sharing in hotels, inns and selected B and Bs throughout the walking tour.
Single supplement depends on the level of accommodation chosen. Please ask.

What’s Included

5 nights B&B accommodation.
Luggage transfers each walking day.
Route notes & maps.
Local back-up.
Pre-tour meeting if you arrive before 6pm.

Upgraded accommodation is available upon request, please ask for a quote.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Moreton-in-Marsh

Arrive Moreton-in-Marsh for an overnight stay.

Day 2: Moreton-in-Marsh to Bourton-on-the-Water – 12 miles (19km)

You are soon among typical Cotswold villages with a detour to see gorgeous Sezincote if you like. Then it is Stow-on-the-Wold, complete with village stocks and picturesque square, down to Lower Slaughter and finally to Bourton-on-the-Water for overnight.

Day 3: Bourton-on-the-Water to Winchcombe – 13 miles (21km)

Follow the River Windrush to the untouched villages of Naunton, with its ancient dovecote and Guiting Power, noted for the impressive golden Norman arch to the church. Then up through woodland and fields before the dramatic descent into the ancient Saxon capital of Winchcombe, passing by Sudeley Castle, where Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth wife, is buried. Overnight in Winchcombe.

Day 4: Winchcombe to Broadway – 10.5 miles (17km) or 8.5 miles (13.5 km)

This is a fabulous day’s walk. Follow the pilgrims’ route to Hailes Abbey (open to the public), then over the hills to Jacobean Stanway House, with its wonderful gatehouse, medieval tithe barn and extraordinary fountain. Pass through Stanton, so unspoilt that it has featured in many films, and arrive in the village of Broadway, one of the inspirations for the arts and Crafts Movement. Also possible to overnight in Buckland Manor, 2 miles before Broadway.

Day 5: Broadway to Moreton-in-Marsh – 12 miles (20 km)

Walk up to Broadway Tower, the 18th century folly, and then it is but a short step to Chipping Campden, the loveliest of all Cotswold villages, and once the wool centre of Europe. Pass the old butter market, visit the fine ‘wool’ church, and perhaps the world renowned silversmith. Continue through Broad Campden and Blockley and descend to Batsford, with its arboretum and falconry centre. Finally, a stroll across meadows to Moreton, for overnight.

Day 6: Departure

Departure after breakfast.

Map

A 5 night/4 day self-guided walking holiday that offers the best of the Cotswold experience. Daily departures. Can be extended to include Cheltenham or Chipping Campden or to shorten the daily distances. For those who prefer not to change accommodation daily, this can adapted to a 2 base holidays with pre-arranged transfers. We will meet you to go over the route.

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Accommodation

There are different categories of accommodation available from B&B accommodation to Village Inns to small & luxury hotels. Ensuite rooms are booked where possible, in some B&B's a private bathroom may be necessary.

B&B accommodation is generally in guesthouses, often private residences where some of the rooms are used for guests. They are also often smaller in size than Inns or hotels. All of our selected B&Bs will give you a warm welcome with a hearty breakfast for you in the morning. Because these are often private residences, there may not be the facilities you would expect to find in dedicated accommodation establishments. And they do not generally have options for dining in the evening.

Village Inns are generally larger, they may cater for only guests or they may also be a pub which also has guest rooms. They generally tend to have more in the way of facilities and have some kind of bar or dining options and are generally larger establishments than B&B’s

Hotels are usually the biggest of the establishments that we use and are more dedicated just to accommodation than B&B’s or Inns. There is a wide variety of hotels in The Cotswolds ranging from small hotels, to hotels with restaurants, to award winning luxury hotels.

Tour Grading

Distance: 47 miles (75 kms). Duration: 8 nights, 7 days walking. Maximum/minimum daily distances: 8.7 miles (13.9 km) / 4.5 miles (7.2 km).

This tour is of easy/moderate difficulty. Average daily walking distance is 7 miles and there are no prolonged or large altitude gains. Terrain is not generally too rugged. The walking is Mainly on dirt paths through fields, some stretches of tarmac, and occasional rocky paths.

Longest day 8.7 miles
Shortest day 4.5 miles
Average daily mileage 7 miles
Most cumulative elevation gain in one day 767 ft.
Average daily elevation gain over trip 500 ft

Travel Information

Arriving By Train:
The Cotswolds are at the heart of the British rail network. Direct trains travel from London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh frequently.

Arriving By Plane:
Nearest airport: Birmingham Airport (54.1km).

Other nearby airports: Bristol Airport (97.6km), London Heathrow: (164km). From London Heathrow, you can take the Heathrow Express train directly to London Paddington from where you can then take a direct train to Moreton in Marsh

We are happy to arrange private transfers to you starting accommodation, please contact us for futher details.