Cotswold Way, England

The Cotswold Way is a long distance National Trail in south central England that offers beautiful and relatively easy walking, with many panoramic views from the Cotswold escarpment. The route passes through a varied, quintessentially English landscape with old woodlands, picturesque villages, wildflower meadows and famous ancient sites.

The Cotswold Way runs for 164km (102 miles) and connects the market town of Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire to the city of Bath in Somerset (near Bristol). It became the 16th National Trail in England and Wales in 2007 and, being a relatively new National Trail, the Cotswold Way is very well way-marked. So finding your way is easy.

The Cotswolds are a range of rolling hills which rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to the Cotswold Escarpment, above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. For most of its length the route closely follows this ‘Cotswold Edge’, giving wonderful views of the surrounding landscape.

On its route the Cotswold Way passes through many picturesque English villages built in golden Cotswold stone and close to a significant number of historic sites spanning millennia. Examples are Hailes Abbey, Sudeley Castle near Winchcombe, the Neolithic burial chamber at Belas Knap and the Roman heritage sites at Bath. In addition, the route also visits a wide variety of natural habitats, such as internationally important wildflower meadows and shaded beech woodlands that can be full of the colour of bluebells and the scent of wild garlic in spring.

Why go walking on Cotswold Way?

  • Enjoy gently rolling countryside and gorgeous scenery while exploring quintessentially English villages, with fine churches and cosy English pubs.
  • Discover the enchanting landscape and abundant wildlife of the Cotswolds on one of the best way-marked National Trails in England.
  • Take a trip into the past and discover medieval abbeys, wool towns and ancient burial barrows as well as stately homes and country estates.
  • Finish your walk in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bath with its Roman history and famous Georgian buildings.

Cotswold Way Self-Guided Walking Packages Include;

  • Options for 4-13 Days Walking
  • Top-Choice Accommodation
  • Detailed Itinerary and Map
  • Baggage Transfer
  • Breakfasts
  • Insider Tips
  • 24/7 Support

To enquire about this walk please submit an enquiry using our Hiking Trails UK and Europe Enquiry Form. 

Hiking Trails Pty Ltd acts as an agent for this walk which is operated by Hillwalk Tours of; 27 Galway Technology Centre, Mervue Business Park, Wellpark Road, Galway, H91 WV02, IRELAND. Package inclusions and pricing will be provided with quote. The walk operator, Hillwalk Tours terms and conditions will apply to bookings for this walk. Images on this page are sourced from Hillwalk Tours.