Cotswold Way Circular and Linear Walks

This delightful short walk leads you through the charmingly English market town of Chipping Campden, around shaded woodlands and past breathtaking views. A wonderful introduction to the Cotswolds, and a perfect start to the Cotswold Way.

• Distance: 4½ miles (Short cut: 3 miles)
• Duration: 2½ -3½ hrs (Short cut: 1½-2½ hrs)
• Difficulty: Moderate, some steep sections (Short cut: Easy, avoids climbs)
• Parking: walkers are asked to use the free parking in Back Ends. Dover’s Hill car park belongs to the National Trust.
• Public transport: accessible by bus from Traveline Stratford upon Avon and Broadway
• Refreshments: plenty of places to eat and drink can be found here: Chipping Campden Where to Eat

Points of Interest:

• The Market Hall - Built in 1627 by the town's wealthy benefactor, Sir Baptist Hicks, this landmark of the town was built to provide shelter for traders. Back then townsfolk would trade goods like cheese, butter and poultry. In the 1940s it was almost sold to an American, but local people heroically raised the money to buy it first. They gave it to the National Trust so that people young and old can continue to cherish this delightful building.
• Lynches Wood -  provides a fine show of bluebells in May.
• Dovers Hill - stands at 230m above sea level. The lower slopes of the hill indicate past Roman activity and are now wooded with native trees such as Sweet Chestnut and Larch. The expansive views from the hill enhance the sense of space and feeling of extensive rolling countryside.

This enchanting walk leads you through the picturesque Cotswold high street of Broadway, along historic tracks and up to the intriguing Broadway Tower with its spectacular views across the Severn Vale into Wales. The perfect chance to taste a little more of all the Cotswolds has to offer. Due to improvements the route is now stile free.

• Distance: 4 miles
• Duration: 2½ -3 hrs
• Difficulty: Moderate, some steep sections
• Parking: there are three carparks in Broadway
• Public transport: accessible by bus from Traveline: Cheltenham, Chipping Campden, Stratford on Avon and Evesham
• Refreshments:  Find plenty of places to eat and drink here: Broadway, Places to Eat; Broadway Tower also has a Cafe and Espresso Bar

Points of Interest:

• St Eadburgha's church was the original parish church of Broadway, a Christian place of worship which dates back to the 11th century. Long before the High Street became a major stagecoach stop on the route between Worcester and London, the village of Broadway once stood in a different place, further south towards Snowshill. It retains most of its ancient medieval features and is situated about a mile out of the village, nestled at the foot of the hill on Snowshill Road.
• Broadway Museum & Art Gallery - opened in 2013 is housed in a beautiful 17th Century former coaching inn. The building, built as The Angel Inn is now called Tudor House and has been extended and adapted over the centuries and retains many original features. It is one of a very few 17th Century buildings in Broadway today, that is open to the public.
• Broadway Tower - is an iconic landmark on top of the beautiful Cotswolds escarpment. It was the brainchild of the great 18thcentury landscape designer, “Capability Brown”. His vision was carried out for George William 6th Earl of Coventry with the help of renowned architect James Wyatt and completed in 1798. The location for the Tower was wisely chosen, a dramatic outlook on a pre-medieval trading route and beacon hill.  Set within a 200-acre estate of parkland, allowing visitors to experience great English heritage in an inspiring location, there is the Tower Museum and its roof viewing platform,  and even a Nuclear Bunker (the bunker is only open on weekends).

This beauty of a walk leads you between two of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds, over hilltops, down valleys and through shaded woodlands. Whilst slightly more challenging than others in the series, your efforts will be rewarded by invitingly warm pubs and some of the most splendid views in the country.

• Distance: 6 miles (Short cut 2½ miles)
• Duration: 3½ - 4½ hrs (Short cut 1½ - 2½ hrs)
• Difficulty: Moderate, some steep sections and stiles. Muddy sections after wet weather.
• Parking: Stanton Village Club next to the cricket ground on main road out of village.  The Mount Inn for customers only. ***Please do not park in village centre***
• Public transport: For the No. 606 bus from Cheltenham to Broadway please see the Traveline website, includes a short walk
• Refreshments: The Mount Inn, Stanton Village Club, Snows Hill Arms and Snowshill Cafe (National Trust) (check opening hours)

Points of Interest:

• Shenberrow Hill Camp - dates from the British Iron Age (700BCE - 43CE) although minor excavations have produced evidence to suggest the site may have been occupied earlier during the Bronze Age (2400BCE - 700BCE).  The site covers approximately 2.5 acres, making it smaller than most other camps that typically lined the western edge of the Cotswolds during the same period.
• Snows Hill Manor and Gardens (National Trust) - the unconventional 16thC home of the eccentric Charles Paget Wade, who delighted in creating a stage for his life and passions and was fascinated by anything hand-crafted and made with skill. From snuff-boxes to suits of armour, masks to musical instruments, Snowshill Manor is a treasure trove of quirky and curious objects.  The garden at Snowshill Manor was designed by Charles Wade and his friend, and prominent Arts and Crafts architect, Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott.

This beauty of a walk leads you between two of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds; over hilltops, down valleys and through shaded woodlands.  Here there is a site of an Iron Age hillfort - Shenberrow Hill Camp - on the hillside to the northwest about 300 metres from the top.

• Distance: 2½ miles
• Duration:  1½ - 2½ hrs
• Difficulty: Moderate, some steep sections and stiles. Muddy sections after wet weather.
• Parking: Stanton Village Club next to the cricket ground on main road out of village.  The Mount Inn for customers only. ***Please do not park in village centre***
• Public transport: For the No. 606 bus from Cheltenham to Broadway please see Traveline, includes a short walk
• Refreshments: The Mount Inn and Stanton Village Club (check opening hours)

Points of Interest:

• Shenberrow Hill Camp - dates from the British Iron Age (700BCE - 43CE) although minor excavations have produced evidence to suggest the site may have been occupied earlier during the Bronze Age (2400BCE - 700BCE).  The site covers approximately 2.5 acres, making it smaller than most other camps that typically lined the western edge of the Cotswolds during the same period.

This scenic walk combined with history takes you from Hayles Fruit Farm where there are refreshments and the opportunity to pick fruit in season or purchase items from the farm shop. Ascend the escarpment along a track originally built by Cistercian monks before heading towards Beckbury Camp where little is known about the monument. The fields you pass through are mainly pasture, unchanged for decades.

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Duration: 2.25 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate, some steep sections and two stiles
• Parking: Hayles Fruit Farm
• Public transport: Traveline: Cheltenham and Chipping Campden - bus stop 1 mile from start or 0.5 miles to point 4
• Refreshments: Hayles Fruit Farm Tea Room & Farm Shop; Hailes Abbey (hot & cold drinks)

Points of Interest:

• Beckbury Camp C19 limestone monument sits on the edge of a hillfort. Also known as ‘Cromwell’s Seat’ it allegedly marks the spot where Thomas Cromwell watched Hailes Abbey burn following the dissolution.
• Hailes Church - small country chapel where you can view wall-paintings of saints, coats of arms and hunting scenes.
• Hailes Abbey (Ruins) - a former Cistercian abbey, it was founded in 1246 as a daughter establishment of Beaulieu Abbey. The abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539. You can walk around the ruins, visit the small museum buy hot/cold drinks in the shop.

This scenic and interesting little walk takes you from the delightfully unspoilt town of Winchcombe, along Cotswold Way routes old and new, and up to one of the area’s most intriguing ancient monuments - A combination of history and scenery that will leave you eager to discover more of the National Trail and the inspirational landscape through which it runs.

• Distance: 5¼ miles (Short cut route 3½ miles)
• Duration: 3 – 4 hrs (Short cut 2 - 3 hrs)
• Difficulty: Moderate, some steep sections and stiles
• Parking: Back Lane car park, GL54 5PZ
• Public transport: accessible by bus from Traveline Cheltenham and Chipping Campden, or Prestbury, Toddenham and Broadway via Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway
• Refreshments: you can find plenty of places to eat and drink in Winchcombe here:  Experience Winchcombe - Eat & Drink

Points of Interest:

• Belas Knap Long Barrow - a particularly fine example of a Neolithic long barrow, with a false entrance and side chambers. Excavated in 1863 and 1865, the remains of 31 people were found in the chambers, some bones date back over 6,000 years. The barrow has since been restored.
• Sudley Castle - remains the only private castle in England to have a queen buried within the grounds - Queen Katherine Parr, the last and surviving wife of King Henry VIII – who lived and died in the castle.  Henry himself, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Queen Elizabeth I and Richard III have all played a part in Sudeley’s story. King Charles I found refuge here during the Civil War, when his nephew Prince Rupert established headquarters at the Castle. Following its ‘slighting’ on Cromwell’s orders at the end of the Civil War, Sudeley lay neglected and derelict for nearly 200 years.  Then in 1837, Sudeley was rescued by the wealthy Worcester glove-makers, brothers John and William Dent, who began an ambitious restoration programme, which was continued by their nephew, John Coucher Dent, when he inherited the castle in 1855 and his wife, Emma Brocklehurst.

Cotswolds National Landscape has worked with local communities to create ten Cotswold Gateways locations, from which people can follow walking and cycling routes to explore the surrounding countryside of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following footpaths, bridleways, and minor roads, these routes provide opportunities to discover hidden corners, epic views, historic sites, and a rich diversity of wildlife.

• Distance: 6 miles
• Duration: 3 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Parking: Back Lane car park, GL54 5PZ
• Public transport: accessible by bus from Traveline Cheltenham and Chipping Campden, or Prestbury, Toddenham and Broadway via Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway
• Refreshments: Find plenty of places to eat and drink in Winchcombe here:  Experience Winchcombe - Food & Drink

Points of Interest:

• The Washpool - built in 1897, the Washpool is a deep, keyhole-shaped trough with stone sides. Temporary pens were erected containing hundreds of sheep, gathered for dipping. They were herded into the round well and, once thoroughly soaked, allowed to scramble out up the narrow ramp. The Washpool was fed with water from the pond immediately above it, formed by damming the stream that flows down from a spring about 200 metres up the valley which is known, appropriately, as ‘Watery Bottom’.

Cotswolds National Landscape has worked with local communities to create ten Cotswold Gateways locations, from which people can follow walking and cycling routes to explore the surrounding countryside of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following footpaths, bridleways, and minor roads, these routes provide opportunities to discover hidden corners, epic views, historic sites, and a rich diversity of wildlife.

• Distance: 7.5 miles
• Duration: 2 - 4 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Parking: Back Lane car park, GL54 5PZ
• Public transport: accessible by bus from Traveline: Cheltenham and Chipping Campden, or Prestbury, Toddenham and Broadway via Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway
• Refreshments: Find plenty of places to eat and drink in Winchcombe here: Experience Winchcombe - Eat & Drink and also Hayles Fruit Farm

Points of Interest:

• St. Faith’s Church, Farmcote - The original building was Saxon, the only remains of the early church are Saxo Norman nave and remains of a doorway. The pulpit is Late 17th C.
• Farmcote Herbs & Chilli Peppers Garden -Specialist herb garden growing a wide variety of herbs and chilli peppers.
• Hailes Church - small country chapel where you can view wall-paintings of saints, coats of arms and hunting scenes.
• Hailes Abbey (Ruins) - a former Cistercian abbey, it was founded in 1246 as a daughter establishment of Beaulieu Abbey. The abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539. You can walk around the ruins, visit the small museum buy hot/cold drinks in the shop.

This breathtaking walk leads you over open hilltops, across streams and through woodlands, immersing you in one of the country’s most fascinating and precious habitats – limestone grassland. Over half of this wildflower and butterfly rich natural resource is within the Cotswolds and some of the finest examples are on Cleeve Common. The unsurpassed views along this route therefore, are the perfect backdrop for getting even closer to the outstanding natural beauty of the Cotswold Way.

• Distance: 6 miles (Shorter route 4 miles)
• Duration: 3½ – 4½ hrs (Shorter: 2 - 3 hrs)
• Difficulty: Moderate, no stiles but some steep sections (Shorter: Easy, no stiles and mostly level)
• Parking: drive up narrow lane signed to golf club and cross a cattlegrid, turn left then right into old quarry car park
• Public transport: accessible by bus from Traveline: Cheltenham and Winchcombe, ask for golf course junction
• Refreshments: Cotswold Way Cafe at Cleeve Hill Golf Club

Points of Interest:

• Cleeve Common is the largest common in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with an area of over 400 hectares. It is also the highest point on the Cotswolds at 330m. Cleeve Common is famous for wonderful views over Cheltenham, the Vale of Evesham, the Malverns and as far as the Black Mountains in Wales and the Shropshire hills.
• 'The Twins' are two wind-swept beech trees on the southern end of the Common, overlooking Cheltenham and Gloucester.  Whatever the weather, this is a spectacular spot.
• 'The Single Beech' also know as the lone, or lonely beech, is the highest tree in the Cotswolds also at 317m.  There is a fine 360 degree view from here and you can really appreciate the open aspects of this hilltop landscape.  The Memorial Wall surrounds the tree, with plaques in memory of those who have been particularly fond of Cleeve Common.
• Prestbury Hill Butterfly Reserve - the southern half of the reserve, known as the Bill Smyllie Reserve, extends southwards as a narrow valley containing thickets of scrub. It is separated by a beech plantation from the northern half of the reserve, known as the Masts Field, which is within the Cleeve Common Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

This breathtaking walk leads you over open hilltops, across streams and through woodlands, immersing you in one of the country’s most fascinating and precious habitats – limestone grassland. Over half of this wildflower and butterfly rich natural resource is within the Cotswolds and some of the finest examples are on Cleeve Common. The unsurpassed views along this route therefore, are the perfect backdrop for getting even closer to the outstanding natural beauty of the Cotswold Way.

• Distance: 4 miles
• Duration:  2 - 3 hrs
• Difficulty: Easy, no stiles and mostly level
• Parking: drive up narrow lane signed to golf club and cross a cattlegrid, turn left then right into old quarry car park
• Public transport: accessible by bus from Traveline: Cheltenham and Winchcombe, ask for golf course junction
• Refreshments: Cotswold Way Cafe at Cleeve Hill Golf Club

Points of Interest:

• Cleeve Common is the largest common in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with an area of over 400 hectares. It is also the highest point on the Cotswolds at 330m. Cleeve Common is famous for wonderful views over Cheltenham, the Vale of Evesham, the Malverns and as far as the Black Mountains in Wales and the Shropshire hills.
• 'The Twins' are two wind-swept beech trees on the southern end of the Common, overlooking Cheltenham and Gloucester.  Whatever the weather, this is a spectacular spot.
• 'The Single Beech' also know as the lone, or lonely beech, is the highest tree in the Cotswolds also at 317m.  There is a fine 360 degree view from here and you can really appreciate the open aspects of this hilltop landscape.  The Memorial Wall surrounds the tree, with plaques in memory of those who have been particularly fond of Cleeve Common.

This walk guides you around one of the most beautiful and varied stretches of the Cotswold Way. From rich grassland to peaceful woodlands, from Iron-Age remains to Victorian quarries, this route offers up a taste of the entire Cotswold landscape in 4½ sheltered and windswept miles.

• Distance: 4½ miles
• Duration: 2½ – 3 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate, no stiles but some steep sections
• Parking: Lay-by opposite Seven Springs pub. Alternative start points are from car parks indicated on the map in the PDF
• Public transport: No. 51 bus Traveline: Cheltenham, Cirencester and Swindon, ask for Seven Springs stop
• Refreshments: Hungry Horse (Severn Springs Pub); Green Dragon Inn (Cockleford - 2 min drive)

Points of Interest:

• Severn Springs - From the layby look for a series of steps leading down amongst the trees, and following this you get down to the place where you can see the severn springs, which are said to be one of the sources of the River Thames.  Look for the stone which reads "Hic Tuus O Tamesine Pater.  Septemceminus Fons" (Here, O Father Thames, is your sevenfold Spring).
• Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common (Nature Reserve) - The hill supports a wealth of wildlife including small mammals - foxes, stoats, badgers and rabbits - and reptiles. Butterfly species include the Duke of Burgundy, Dark Green Fritillary, and Pearl Bordered Fritillary and there is extensive birdlife - buzzards, kestrels and kites are regularly seen. The hill is also home to a great array of wild flowers including many varieties of orchid - among others, the Early Purple, Common Spotted, Musk, Butterfly, Fly and Bee orchids. Historical features on the hill include an Iron Age hillfort and long barrow. Old tramways criss-cross the hill from the days of limestone quarrying and the remains of kilns and quarries are still very much in evidence.
• The Devils Chimney - is a limestone rock formation left standing like a single, spindly finger that stands above a disused quarry.

This beautiful little walk shows you around one of England’s most treasured habitats, beech woodlands, and leads you to the site of perhaps the Cotswolds’ most iconic and intriguing tradition, cheese-rolling. Follow these four short miles and discover the cathedral-like calm of Buckholt Wood, richly carpeted by bluebells in May, and wonder at the dizzy heights of Cooper’s hill where for hundreds of years the foolhardy have risked their necks for cheese and glory...

• Distance: 4 miles
• Duration: 2 – 3 hours
• Difficulty: Easy. No stiles, but some moderately steep sections
• Parking: there is parking outside the village or at Buckholt Wood
• Public transport: accessible by bus from Traveline: Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud
• Refreshments: The Black Horse Inn, Cranham

Points of Interest:

• Coopers Hill - Cheese Rolling is one of the oldest customs to have survived in Great Britain. It's been going on for hundreds of years and some say it has its roots in pre-Roman times. Today it is as popular as ever and the record-breaking crowds turn out in large numbers at Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire to watch yet more brave souls risk life and limb chasing after a 7lb Double Gloucester cheese. The winner gets to keep the cheese they've chased after!  The Cheese Roll usually takes place on the second Bank Holiday Monday in May.
• Cotswold Commons and Beechwoods National Nature Reserve (NNR) - Cranham Common and Buckholy Wood are part of  the largest nature reserve in the Cotswolds.  It is largely made up of a chain of beechwoods and limestone grasslands around the upper slopes of the Painswick Valley, in Gloucestershire. The beechwoods are protected as a European Special Area of Conservation because they are rich in rare wildlife.
• Buckholt Wood, is richly carpeted by bluebells in May, and is especially noted for being home to over 780 species of fungi.
• Cranham Common - one of a number of very special “unimproved grassland” commons on limestone soil. The cows you may see are Belted Galloway’s owned and cared for by National Trust, they are all older cows chosen for their docile nature.  Cranham Common is important for wildflowers, reptiles, butterflies and other insects. The common is rich in approximately 180 species of wild flowers, including many orchids such as common spotted, pyramidal, fly, lesser butterfly and early purple orchids as well as other limestone plants like milkwort, rock-rose and thyme. More than half of England’s butterflies have been recorded on the common including the small blue and chalkhill blue.

A stile free walk that leads you along peaceful woodland tracks and out onto windswept hillsides with breath-taking views. A true jewel in the Cotswolds crown. Not only is this a stunning route, it is also twinned with an equally beautiful part of the Bruce Trail in Ontario, Canada as a mark of friendship and cooperation between our two trails.

• Distance: 6 miles
• Duration: 2 ½ -3 ½ hours
• Difficulty: Moderate – stile free with moderate slopes
• Parking: Shortwood National Trust car park (charges apply)
• Public transport: No. 63 Stroud to Gloucester bus, now stops at Harefield Farm (no.2 on PDF)
• Refreshments: Edgemoor Inn

Points of Interest:

• Haresfield Beacon and Standish Woods - Occupying a prominent position on three spurs on the Cotswold escarpment, there are views across the Severn estuary towards the Forest of Dean and Brecon Beacons. With its dramatic topography, intimate woodlands, extensive grasslands and exposed and wild promontory hill fort the estate offers a variety of contrasting experiences.  The wildlife is some of the best in the Cotswolds, including the bluebells and spring flower displays in May in Standish Wood, the veteran beech trees (over 200 years old) in Shortwood and the orchids and butterflies.
• Crombwells Stone - a stone monument (two chairs back to back) dedicated to the lifting of the siege of Gloucester during the Civil War of 1643-1645. The siege began on 10th August and ended on 5th  September 1643.  Its thought that the defenders lost about 50 men compared with Royalists losses of 1000 during the siege. The Royalist forces were said to number about 35,000 men and the defenders of Gloucester only 1500. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the Haresfield Estate was purchased by the Niblett family who are thought to have erected the monument. The inscriptions have mostly worn away, the records show that it once read: " seige of gloucester raised 5 sept 1645" .
• Rudge Hill /Edge Common -  a fantastic 180 degree view from the top, taking in Painswick, the church, Sheepscombe and into the distance along the Painswick valley. This area of unimproved limestone grassland is grazed by cattle to preserve the habitat for several varieties of orchid and the rare Duke of Burgundy butterfly.

This extremely popular walk is one of the easiest to follow, winding its way along the National Trail for nearly all of its length. From sheltered beech woodlands and over rich open grassland, it guides you around remnants of an industrial past that shaped the landscape we love today. Wander between the grandeur of Victorian mills alongside the sleepy beauty of the waterway, and discover a timeless journey between past and present that reveals yet another face of the glorious Cotswolds.

• Distance: 5 miles
• Duration: 3 - 4 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate - Three stiles, some steep sections
• Parking: Kings Stanley Village Hall
• Public transport: accessibly by bus from Stroud and Gloucester or train from Stonehouse
• Refreshments: The Bell Inn Selsey, The Rest at King's Stanley, Kings Head King's Stanley (temporarily closed)

Points of Interest:

• Selsey Common - is a sizeable area of limestone grassland, on a flat-topped spur along the edge of the Cotswold escarpment; to the west the land drops steeply by over 300 feet, and most has far-reaching westwards views, across the Severn Valley towards the Black Mountains in Wales. The common is still used by local residents for livestock grazing, in accordance with ancient rights. Besides the views, the other main attraction is the variety of the calcareous grassland wildflowers, and in recognition of this, together with some interesting geology, as evidenced by several rock faces from ancient limestone quarries, the common is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). At least eight orchids are found here; bee, common spotted, common twayblade, early purple, fly, fragrant, green-winged and pyramidal, together with many other species.
• All Saints Church -  the only church in Britain to have all its windows designed by Morris and his colleagues.
• Ebley Mill - Once the largest cloth mill in Stroud valley, and for many years owned by the Marling family, Ebley Mill won design awards when it was converted into offices by Stroud District Council in 1989.
• Stroud Water Canal  - This was the first canal built and joined Stroud to the River Severn just beyond Saul Junction. It was opened in 1779. Called the Stroudwater Navigation it enabled Trows to carry goods from Stroud to ports on the River Severn.  With the later building of the Gloucester Sharpness canal the two were joined together at Saul Junction. The waterway climbed up from the Severn Plain into Stroud. The Stroudwater was initially commercially successful but profits were badly hit by competition from the railways, and was eventually abandoned in 1954. Much of the line of the canal is intact and many distinctive features and buildings remain.

Optional route for Walkers:

The incredible variety of the Cotswold Way is once again explored by this stunning little walk. From woodland tracks to open hilltops, it leads you around the intriguing ancient history of Uley Bury to the more recent remains of a pestilent past. Even the few hillside climbs are rewarded by compass-wide views that spread out all around you back into the heart of the Cotswolds and across the Severn Estuary into Wales...

• Distance: 4 miles (shorter route: 1½ miles)
• Duration: 2½ - 3½ hours (shorter: ¾ - 1½ hours)
• Difficulty: Moderate to difficult – Some stiles, steps and steep sections.
• Public transport: Stagecoach West 65 from Stroud (differs to PDF)
• Parking: is available at The Old Crown, Uley for customers only.
• Refreshments: The Old Crown (check opening hours)

Points of interest:

• Uley Bury - A scarpe-edge Iron Age hill fort, dating from around 300 BC, extends 13 hectares above Uley, with views of the Severn Valley.
• Downham Hill - is also known locally as 'Smallpox Hill' because in  18th and 19th century it was also once the site of an isolation hospital, the remains of which can still be seen. m It is believed that the hospital played a roll in Edward Jenner’s studies of the disease, and aided his eventual discovery of the Smallpox vaccine.
• Cam Peak & Cam Long Down - Both peaks offer spectacular views. First two weeks of May (though if the winter has been warm, try the last week in April and first week in May) Cam Peak is carpetted in blue bells.
  "Locals were told as children that the devil decided to dam up the river Severn and drown the people of Gloucestershire in revenge for them building to many churches above Dursely. He filled his wheelbarrow with a big chunk of the Cotswold's, but while taking a rest he met a shoemaker with lots of shoes around his neck to mend. The devil asked the shoemaker direction to the river. The shoemaker told him it was a long way and that he himself had wore out so many shoes getting there. The devil lost heart and dumped the wheelbarrow full of the stone which became Cam Peak. Cam Long Down is thought to be associated with King Arthur and may be the site of the legendary battle of Camlan."

The incredible variety of the Cotswold Way is once again explored by this stunning little walk. From woodland tracks to open hilltops, it leads you around the intriguing ancient history of Uley Bury to the more recent remains of a pestilent past. Even the few hillside climbs are rewarded by compass-wide views that spread out all around you back into the heart of the Cotswolds and across the Severn Estuary into Wales... At Point 2 on the map take the path to the left to follow around the Hill Fort and join up with point 6.

• Distance: 1½ miles
• Duration:  ¾ - 1½ hours
• Difficulty: Moderate to difficult – Some steps and steep sections
• Public transport: Stagecoach West 65 from Stroud (differs to PDF)
• Parking: is available at The Old Crown, Uley for customers only.
• Refreshments: The Old Crown (check opening hours)

Points of Interest:

• Uley Bury - A scarpe-edge Iron Age hill fort, dating from around 300 BC, extends 13 hectares above Uley, with views of the Severn Valley.

Cotswolds National Landscape has worked with local communities to create ten Cotswold Gateways locations, from which people can follow walking and cycling routes to explore the surrounding countryside of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following footpaths, bridleways, and minor roads, these routes provide opportunities to discover hidden corners, epic views, historic sites, and a rich diversity of wildlife.  This walk takes a wide loop, west, around the town of Dursley through fields, woods, and Stinchcombe Hill golf course and offers panoramic views.

• Distance: 8 miles
• Duration: 4.5 - 5 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate – there is a sustained climb early on and one descent which can be muddy and uneven
• Parking: there are places to park in May Lane and Long Street long stay carparks
• Public transport: accessible via bus from Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham, rail and bus Bath
• Refreshments: plenty of places to Eat & Drink in Dursley

Points of interest:

• Stinchcombe Hill - noted for superb views from the Cotswold Way above steep slopes in all directions and supporting a wide biodiversity of flora and wildlife.
• Racklease Nature Reserve - is a haven for wildlife and situated behind Tesco.

This Cotswold Way circular walk is twinned with route 3 of South Korea’s Jeju Olle Trai, as a mark of friendship and international cooperation between our two countries. There are many similarities between the two routes and it is hoped that teaming up in this way will promote understanding and tourism on both sides. Follow this short walk around Stinchcombe Hill to experience one of the most beautiful meanderings of the Cotswold Way

• Distance: 3½ miles (hill only route: 3 miles)
• Duration: 2 - 2½ hours (hill only: 1 ½ - 2 hours)
• Difficulty (A): Moderate – firm surface, no stiles, one long steep ascent/descent
• Difficulty (B): Hill only route - Easy mostly level, firm surface, no stiles
• Parking:  For parking please see: May Lane and Long Street long stay carparks or for the easier hill only route use Stinchcombe Hill Carpark, GL11 6AQ
• Public transport: accessible via bus from Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham, rail and bus Bath
• Refreshments: there are plenty of places to Eat & Drink in Dursley

Points of Interest:

• Stinchcombe Hill - noted for superb views from the Cotswold Way above steep slopes in all directions and supporting a wide biodiversity of flora and wildlife.

A traverse of Stinchcombe Hill offering stunning views over the Severn Vale. A descent from the escarpment on hard paths offers the reward of delicious refreshments at the Leaf and Ground cafe . This walk is suitable for families but not for pushchairs and buggies.

• Distance: 2.7 miles
• Duration: 1.5 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate, some steep sections with 470ft/144m  of ascent/descent
• Parking: Stinchcombe Hill Carpark, GL11 6AQ
• Refreshments: Leaf and Ground cafe

Points of Interest:

• Stinchcombe Hill - noted for superb views from the Cotswold Way above steep slopes in all directions and supporting a wide biodiversity of flora and wildlife.
• Tyndale Monument - The monument which can be seen in the distance on this walk is dedicated to the martyr William Tyndale. Tyndale's mission was to translate The Bible into English so that ordinary folk could read it for themselves rather than relying on priests for an interpretation. His reward was to be strangled and then burned at the stake.

As rich farmland gives way to woodland tracks and rolling parkland, this enchanting walk leads you from scarp top to valley bottom, back into one of the Cotswold’s most charming and thriving small towns. With spectacular views, intriguing shops and historic architecture, all tastes will find something wonderful in this special little corner of the Cotswolds.

• Distance: 5 miles (6½ with detour to Newark Park)
• Duration: 3 - 4 hours (4 - 5 hours with detour)
• Difficulty: Moderate – Stiles and steep sections
• Parking: There are three free car parks
• Public transport: accessible from Stroud, Gloucester via Dursley, Bristol and Yate by bus
• Refreshments: Plenty of places to Eat & Drink in Wotton-under-Edge

Points of Interest:

• The Tolsey Clock (Jubilee Clock)- is attached to the Tolsey building and is one of the feature landmarks of the town. This particular clock has been in place since Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, but there has been a clock on the building since 1595.
• Blackquarries Hill Long Barrow - For a slight diversion you can take a detour onto the site of Blackquarries Hill Long Barrow, where there is an information board that shows the history of the site. Known locally as the ‘Clump’ this structure is generally considered to be a long barrow, possibly Neolithic. According to Crawford (Long Barrows of the Cotswolds, 1925) the structure has been considerably mutilated by stone digging leaving only “amorphous remains”.
• Newark Park -  a Grade I listed country house of Tudor origins located near the village of Ozleworth, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. The house sits in an estate of 700 acres at the southern end of the Cotswold escarpment with views down the Severn Valley to the Severn Estuary.

Cotswolds National Landscape has worked with local communities to create ten Cotswold Gateways locations, from which people can follow walking and cycling routes to explore the surrounding countryside of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following footpaths, bridleways, and minor roads, these routes provide opportunities to discover hidden corners, epic views, historic sites, and a rich diversity of wildlife.

• Distance: 4.9 miles
• Duration:4 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Parking: There are three free car parks
• Public transport: accessible from Stroud, Gloucester via Dursley, Bristol and Yate by bus
• Refreshments: Plenty of places to Eat & Drink in Wotton-under-Edge
• View taster video of walk (c) Dale Curtis

Points of Interest:

• Jubilee Clump (Battle of Waterloo Trees) on Wotton Hill - Trees were planted on this summit in 1815 to commemorate the victory at Waterloo. The next set of replacements for the original set of trees were planted to commemorate the jubilee of Her Late Majesty Queen Victoria in 1887. New trees were again planted in 1952. The site was also used in 1588 to house a beacon to warn of the approach of the Spanish Armada.
• Tyndale Monument - The monument positioned prominently on a hill above the village of North Nibley is dedicated to the martyr William Tyndale. Tyndale's mission was to translate The Bible into English so that ordinary folk could read it for themselves rather than relying on priests for an interpretation. His reward was to be strangled and then burned at the stake. The monument which is 111 feet high was completed in 1866 and officially opened on 6th of November of that year. The reward for climbing the 120 steps is a wonderful view of the Berkeley Vale and the river Severn to the Black Mountains. The monument is open 24 hours a day every day. The steps up have automatic lighting.
• Brackenbury Ditches - a 2000 year old hill fort in woodland on the Cotswold Edge above North Nibley.

Cotswolds National Landscape has worked with local communities to create ten Cotswold Gateways locations, from which people can follow walking and cycling routes to explore the surrounding countryside of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following footpaths, bridleways, and minor roads, these routes provide opportunities to discover hidden corners, epic views, historic sites, and a rich diversity of wildlife.

• Distance: 6.2 miles
• Duration: 3-4 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate to difficult  - Paths can be uneven and muddy
• Parking: There are three free car parks
• Public transport: accessible from Stroud, Gloucester via Dursley, Bristol and Yate by bus
• Refreshments: Plenty of places to Eat & Drink in Wotton-under-Edge
• View walk taster video (c) Dale Curtis

Points of Interest:

• Jubilee Clump (Battle of Waterloo Trees) on Wotton Hill - Trees were planted on this summit in 1815 to commemorate the victory at Waterloo. The next set of replacements for the original set of trees were planted to commemorate the jubilee of Her Late Majesty Queen Victoria in 1887. New trees were again planted in 1952. The site was also used in 1588 to house a beacon to warn of the approach of the Spanish Armada.
• The Tolsey Clock - is attached to the Tolsey building and is one of the feature landmarks of the town. This particular clock has been in place since Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, but there has been a clock on the building since 1595.
• Blackquarries Hill Long Barrow - For a slight diversion you can take a detour onto the site of Blackquarries Hill Long Barrow, where there is an information board that shows the history of the site. Known locally as the ‘Clump’ this structure is generally considered to be a long barrow, possibly Neolithic. According to Crawford (Long Barrows of the Cotswolds, 1925) the structure has been considerably mutilated by stone digging leaving only “amorphous remains”.

Cotswolds National Landscape has worked with local communities to create ten Cotswold Gateways locations, from which people can follow walking and cycling routes to explore the surrounding countryside of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following footpaths, bridleways, and minor roads, these routes provide opportunities to discover hidden corners, epic views, historic sites, and a rich diversity of wildlife.

• Distance: 7.5 miles
• Duration: 4 hours
• Difficulty: Difficult - paths can be uneven and muddy
• Parking: There are three free car parks
• Public transport: accessible from Stroud, Gloucester via Dursley, Bristol and Yate by bus
• Refreshments: Plenty of places to Eat & Drink in Wotton-under-Edge
• View walk taster video (c) Dale Curtis

Points of Interest:

• St Marys the Virgin - One of the oldest churches in its area, St Mary's was consecrated on 19 August 1283 by Bishop of Worcester, Godfrey Giffard. It is believed that most of the church as it is today was completed in 1325, some 171 years after its first recorded vicar Gerinus, in 1154
• Newark Park -  a Grade I listed country house of Tudor origins located near the village of Ozleworth, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. The house sits in an estate of 700 acres at the southern end of the Cotswold escarpment with views down the Severn Valley to the Severn Estuary.

Cotswolds National Landscape has worked with local communities to create ten Cotswold Gateways locations, from which people can follow walking and cycling routes to explore the surrounding countryside of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following footpaths, bridleways, and minor roads, these routes provide opportunities to discover hidden corners, epic views, historic sites, and a rich diversity of wildlife.  This walk passes through fields and woods, with views of Newark Park , Wotton-under-Edge below the Cotswold Escarpment, and will take you past the Hawkesbury monument.

• Distance: 4 miles
• Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate – one steep climb
• Parking: the Village Hall Car Park can be used if the Hall is not in use (donations gratefully accepted via box onsite) so please check the Village Hall Car Park Calendar on the Hall site to confirm if OK
• Public transport: accessible from Wotton-under-Edge and Yate buses 84 & 85
• Refreshments: Beaufort Arms ; Fox Inn; Hawkesbury Stores

Points of Interest:

• Hawkesbury (Somerset) Monument - a tall tapering stone tower ashlar monument to Lord Robert Edward Somerset, by Lewis Vulliamy dated 1846. Lord Somerset was a soldier by occupation and became a General. He fought in the Waterloo war of 1815 that led to the end of the Napoleonic wars. He was born in Badminton and became an MP for Cirencester.
• Newark Park - a Grade I listed country house of Tudor origins located near the village of Ozleworth, was 16th Century hunting lodge of the Poyntz family of Iron Acton.  Now owned by the National Trust the house sits in an estate of 700 acres at the southern end of the Cotswold escarpment with views down the Severn Valley to the Severn Estuary.

Cotswolds National Landscape has worked with local communities to create ten Cotswold Gateways locations, from which people can follow walking and cycling routes to explore the surrounding countryside of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following footpaths, bridleways, and minor roads, these routes provide opportunities to discover hidden corners, epic views, historic sites, and a rich diversity of wildlife.  The highlight of this walk is the Church of St Mary the Virgin, set in a beautiful, peaceful location below the historic and steep sided Hawkesbury Knoll.

• Distance: 3.75 miles
• Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate – one steep climb and a few stiles
• Parking: the Village Hall Car Park can be used if the Hall is not in use (donations gratefully accepted via box onsite) so please check the Village Hall Car Park Calendar on the Hall site to confirm OK
• Public transport: accessible from Wotton-under-Edge and Yate buses 84 & 85
• Refreshments: Beaufort Arms ; Fox Inn; Hawkesbury Stores

Points of Interest:

• Hawkesbury (Somerset) Monument - a tall tapering stone tower ashlar monument to Lord Robert Edward Somerset, by Lewis Vulliamy dated 1846. Lord Somerset was a soldier by occupation and became a General. He fought in the Waterloo war of 1815 that led to the end of the Napoleonic wars. He was born in Badminton and became an MP for Cirencester.
• Hawkesbury Knoll Long Barrow - is a chambered tomb sitting on the top of Hawkesbury Knoll, right on the edge of the steep Cotswold scarp, with splendid views west over the Vale of Berkeley, and the River Severn to the Forest of Dean and Wales. It is aligned in a north to south direction.
• St Mary the Virgin -  St. Mary’s Church has been a centre for Christian worship for many centuries, from well before the Norman Conquest. In 972 King Edgar (‘the Peaceful’) granted land here to the Benedictine Abbey of Pershore, in whose hands it remained until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539.

From the delightful village of Old Sodbury, follow the Cotswold Way up to the serenity of a medieval church, around oak-fringed farmland and along shaded paths to the breath-taking outcrop of an iron-age hillfort. Views, history, peace and rest all combine to make this simple little stroll a wonderful taster of the southern Cotswolds.

• Distance: 2½ miles
• Duration: 1½ - 2 hours
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate – no stiles, steepish slopes.
• Parking: there is free parking along Chapel Lane, please park considerately
• Public transport:  accessible by bus from Bath, Yate and Malmesbury
• Refreshments: The Dog Inn and The Cross Hands Hotel

Points of Interest:

• St Johns Church - was built between 1215 and 1225.   As with many Norman churches built at this time it is located on a knoll and has magnificent views over the vale of Sodbury.  Take a walk up the path and experience the peace and tranquillity as you take in the amazing views over the Severn valley. On a clear day looking northwest  both Severn bridges can be seen spanning the River Severn with the Brecon Beacons and Welsh hills in the far distance.   To the southwest are the Mendip Hills.   A topograph (a large stone with an engraving) has been installed in the field next to the church that shows Old Sodbury in relation to its geographical surroundings.
• St Adeline’s Church, Old Sodbury - It’s only 150 years old, but is based on the medieval chapel of Little Sodbury Manor, where William Tyndale was chaplain and tutor while starting to translate the New Testament into English. Don’t leave the church without reading his letter from a Flemish prison cell (asking for a warm coat, a candle and his Hebrew bible) before he was burned at the stake. It hangs on a nail beside the lectern.
• Old Sodbury Hill Fort -  is an impressive Bronze to Iron age encampment atop the Cotswold Ridge. The fort is approx. 9.5 Ha in size and is roughly rectangular made up of a widely spaced double set of ditches and ramparts and is crossed by the Cotswold Way.   The ramparts are rich in wild flowers.
• Pillow Mounds - Around the manor house on the map above the map shows some cigar-shaped black lines and the words "Pillow Mounds".  They are very old man-made rabbit warrensm created to provide the local residents with a self-renewing source of fresh meat and fur.    Made by throwing down a jumber of stone or timber, covered with soft earth then surrounding by a little moat to try to prevent the robbits breaking free.  For a long time, people thought they came over with the Normans, 1000 years ago. However, archaeologists have found new evidence that ancient Romans in Britain were keeping bunnies as pets 2000 years ago! So these warrens may have fed the troops camped up on the fortified himm.  But more probably they were made after 1066 by the Norman knight who built Little Sodbury Manor.   After centuries of ploughing you'll be hard put to find any trace of the warrens here.

Cotswolds National Landscape has worked with local communities to create ten Cotswold Gateways locations, from which people can follow walking and cycling routes to explore the surrounding countryside of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following footpaths, bridleways, and minor roads, these routes provide opportunities to discover hidden corners, epic views, historic sites, and a rich diversity of wildlife.

• Distance: 11 miles
• Duration: 5 - 5.5 hours
• Difficulty: Strenuous – (a lengthy walk with several climbs)
• Parking: Withymead Recreation Ground, Withymead Road, SN14 8PB
• Public transport: accessible by bus from Chippenham, Bath, Colerne and Bristol
• Refreshments: The Cross House Doynton Pub;  The Catherine Wheel Pub and Sweet Apples Tea Shop in Marshfield.

Points of Interest:

• Dyrham Park - owned by the National Trust this is a baroque English country house in an ancient deer park and is a popular filming location, and setting for Jane Austin's Sandition (2019); BBC series Poldark (2015-2018); The Crimson Field (2014); Remains of the Day (1993) and BBC mini-series Wives and Daughters (1999) to name a few.
• The Church of St James, West Littleton - originated in the 13th century. It was rebuilt in 1855 after being largely destroyed by fire. The striking bell tower survived and is one of the most historic and finest in the region today.  The church has a collection of 18th and 19th century wall memorials and tombs which were the subject of a considerable programme of conservation work in 2010.

Discover a true sense of pilgrimage with this wonderful walk into the heart of Bath and the southern end of the Cotswold Way. Follow the trail as it slides from open hill top into historic city, winding its way around open farmland and down bustling alleyways, past the Royal Crescent and Roman Baths to its crescendo at the majestic splendour of Bath Abbey.

• Distance: 6 miles (linear – public transport return)
• Duration: 3½ - 4 hours (plus max. ½ hr return)
• Difficulty: Moderate – one stile, some steep sections.
• Parking: Lansdown Park & Ride Car Park, BA1 9BJ
• Public transport: Bath City Centre (Milsom Street) Service 31 to Lansdown Park and Ride - Travelwest Service 31
• Refreshments: for plenty of places to eat and drink please see Visit Bath; also The Hare & Hounds Pub near Lansdown P&R

Points of Interest:

• Prospect Stile - provides stunning views over the surrounding countryside, from here you get a close up view of Kelston Roundhill and in the distance the Black Mountains in Wales.
• Royal Victoria Park -  the area is a beautiful expanse of green parkland, spanning 57 acres. Originally an arboretum, it is still home to beautiful botanic gardens and the Great Dell Aerial Walkway.  Princess Victoria, the future queen, came to Bath in 1830, aged just eleven years old, to officially open Royal Victoria Park. Unfortunately, she was never to return. During her visit, it is said that a resident of Bath made a disparaging comment on the thickness of her ankles. The observation was duly reported to the Princess, causing her to shun the city for the duration of her reign!
• The Royal Crescent -  consists of 30 terraced houses laid out in a 150 metre crescent, close to the centre of Bath. Designed by John Wood the Younger, and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the United Kingdom, and listed Grade I.   No. 1 Royal Crescent is a museum which has been decorated and furnished just as it might have been during the period 1776-1796. The rooms feature historic furniture, pictures and objects that reveal what life was like for Bath’s fashionable residents – both upstairs and downstairs.
• Bath Abbey - the end and start of the Cotswold Way - look out for the cotswold way marker stone at the west door of the Abbey.  The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is a parish church of the Church of England and former Benedictine monastery.  The history of this sacred place stretches as far back as Anglo-Saxon times there is a great deal to discover: tales of Kings and Queens, saints and sinners, as well as stories of ordinary people.
• The Roman Baths - Once the site of one of the great religious spas of the ancient world; the people of Roman Britain came to the site to worship the goddess Sulis Minerva and bathe in the waters of the natural thermal springs, which still flow with hot water today. Today visitors can explore the Roman Baths complex, walk on the original Roman pavements and see the ruins of the Temple of Sulis Minerva. The museum collection, located next to the bathing complex, includes a gilt bronze head of the Goddess Sulis Minerva, and other Roman artefacts.