Cotswold Village Walking Tour
The Cotswolds is located in central England where you can also find the Cotswold Hills. The hills rise from the upper Thames to the Cotswold Edge. The area contains high mineral values. Tourists are attracted towards the destination due to its historical values, stone foundation villages and different styled home and gardens. Villages and small market towns like Stow on the Wold, the Slaughters, Bourton on the Water, Northleach and Moreton in Marsh draw people from around the world to admire the handsome honey-coloured stone buildings which seem to capture the spirit of a lost age. Winding footpaths lead across pastures and through woodland to other villages off the tourist trail, less well known but often as delightful and even more tranquil. The grand architecture and landscaped parkland of country houses are shown off at its best in the setting of this affluent farmland which has been designated as Englands largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Some of the top tourist villages are Cheltenham, Stourton, Moreton in Marsh, Northleach, Tetbury, Tewkesbury and Gloucestershire. Tourist can visit walks with hawks, Cotswolds distillery, Cotswold falconry centre, mechanical music museum, Chavenage House, Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire Warwickshire steam railway, Gloucester Cathedral and jet age museum.
Itinerary
Day 1: Cheltenham Arrive in the Spa town of Cheltenham and check into your accommodation. Enjoy a stroll around Britain most complete Regency Spa town and take in the many elegant buildings, beautiful parks, gardens and fascinating museums.
Day 2: Cheltenham Hike out of Cheltenham to the top of Leckhampton Hill, where you will be rewarded by some superb views of the Severn Vale and Cheltenham as well as some interesting historical sites. Continue on through the village of Coberley where you will then find the church of St. Giles. Its unexpected setting and grand monuments tell a long history of the village that now stands. The walk will also take you to Seven Springs, the disputed source of the River Thames.
Day 3: Cheltenham This walk starts with a short bus journey to the small ancient town of Winchcombe. Home to Sudeley Castle, it is a walk of stark contrasts, cross the open grassland of Cleeve Common to reach the highest point of the Cotswolds before descending into Prestbury. Prestbury is supposedly the most haunted village in England. After this, you will head back to the elegant town of Cheltenham Spa.
Day 4: Cheltenham A bus journey takes you to the start of this walk. The first half follows tracks and paths through the extensive beech woods around Cranham and the second half takes you along the Cotswold escarpment with its stunning views over to Crickley Hill.
Day 5: Bourton A minibus transfer followed by a walk to Bourton on the Water. The beautiful pastures and woods along the banks of the little River Coln are the setting for the best exposed Roman villa in the country. The handsome little market town of Northleach provides an excellent introduction to this countryside. Its large 15th-century wool church, built by the wealthy merchants, is typical of the Cotswold style while the Heritage Centre gives a fascinating insight into traditional farming life. The walk follows the Monarch Way through unspoilt hamlets and over rolling country to Bourton in the valley of the River Windrush. This is the most famous village in the area with a wide range of attractions including museums, a perfumery and a delightful maze.
Day 6: Bourton A walk over rolling hills through mixed farmland takes you up to Cold Ashton. Here you can rest in a traditional English pub before strolling on to Naunton where pretty stone cottages nestle in a valley surrounded by sheep, pleasant countryside and horse racing gallops. Follow the River Windrush down through lush meadows and woods past a lost medieval village back to Bourton.
Day 7: Moreton in Marsh Depart from Moreton Station.
Includes
6 nights accommodation: Cheltenham (4 nights), Bourton (2 nights) 6 Breakfast Luggage transfers Fully comprehensive tour pack with colour coded routes on local maps Smartphone App with GPS Emergency telephone assistance
Recently viewed
