Standard Tour

Luxury Tour

The Heart Of William Morris Country

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DISTANCE

6.75 miles (10 km) per day

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DURATION

3 nights

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DIFFICULTY

Easy To Moderate

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Accommodation

B&B Accommodation, Village Inns, Luxury Hostels

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Travel Information

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Price

£505

Walking Tour Overview

A 3 night/4 day self-guided easy walking holiday in the heart of William Morris country. Starting in Bibury, which Morris himself described as the ‘most beautiful village in England’, you walk to Fairford, with its magnificent wool church and complete set of medieval stained glass.

Return for a second night in Bibury, then transfer to Lechlade for the walk along the Thames to Kelmscott, where Morris lived in Kelmscott Manor. Note that the manor is open only on certain days.

Highlights

Rambling through some of the most picturesque countryside & villages in England.
Carefully selected accommodation at which to stay.
Average daily distance is under 7 miles.
Visit Bibury, the “most beautiful village in England”.
Walk along the Thames to Kelmscott.

Key Information

£505.00 per person based on two people sharing, according to hotel selected in Bibury and type of room.
Stay in inn/B & B in Kelmscott.
Best time to go: March – September

What’s Included

3 nights B&B accommodation.
Luggage transportation
2 transfers on appropriate walking days.
Route notes & maps.
Local back-up.

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

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive In Bibury

Bibury is a charming village, with clear trout stream, picturesque Arlington Row and a Saxon church. Overnight in high quality hotel (choice available).

Day 2: Walk Bibury to Fairford (6.75 miles - 11 km)

Mostly level walking. A charming walk that takes you across beautiful Cotswold countryside, through a couple of charming villages and across meadows and woodland to Fairford. An often overlooked village, Fairford is worthy of a prolonged visit for its magnificent set of stained glass in the church, one of the only complete sets extant in England. Transfer back to Bibury for overnight.

Day 3: Transfer to Lechlade

Walk Lechlade to Kelmscott, with optional walk to Inglesham. Total distance: 6.15 miles/9.8 kms. Lechlade marks the highest navigable point of the River Thames – it was from here that local stone was taken downstream to Oxford and London for building some of those cities’ finest buildings. First walk to Inglesham to see the charming unrestored church, much loved by Morris, seemingly frozen in time. Then walk from Lechlade to Kelmscott, following the Thames, and arrive to pass the night in this unspoilt village, where Morris is buried. Overnight Kelmscott.

Day 4: Visit Kelmscott Manor if open.

Visit Kelmscott Manor if open. Check hours HERE. Departure.

Map

A 3 night/4 day self-guided easy walking holiday in the heart of William Morris country.

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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.