Cotswold Way National Trail

The Cotswold Way National Trail is one of Britain's best walks, giving avid ramblers and enthusiastic first-time walkers the chance to explore Gloucestershire's great outdoors in fantastic surroundings.

The Cotswold Way, Gloucestershire’s most celebrated walk, is an official National Trail offering some of the best walking opportunities in the UK.

The 102-mile trail, signposted with acorn symbols on oak posts, attracts tens of thousands of walkers each year and is split into 15 sections.

Running along the Cotswold escarpment from Chipping Campden in the North to Bath in the South, The Cotswold Way takes in numerous Gloucestershire towns and villages – including Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Cranham, Painswick, Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge.

Renowned with walkers locally, nationally and globally, the route takes in rolling countryside, postcard pretty villages, riverside rambles, steep hill climbs and woodland walks.

While the complete 102-mile route will take between five and eight days to complete for keen long-distance ramblers, a number of shorter circular trails were launched in the summer of 2009, perfect for a spot of weekend walking.

Marked with easy-to-follow signposts The Cotswold Way circular walks in Gloucestershire include a 4.5-mile route in Chipping Campden; a 6-mile route around Stanton, Snowshill and the Edge; a 5-mile route in Winchcombe and Belas Knap; a 6-mile route around The Cleeve Hill Ring; an easy 4-mile walk through Cranham, Coopers and the Beechwoods; a poular 5-mile ‘Commons and Canals’ walk on the King’s Stanley Circuit; a ‘Hills and Hillforts’ 4-mile walk around Cam Long Down and Uley; and a 5-mile ramble around Winchcombe.

For more information, The Cotswold Way National Trail Companion, priced at £4.95, features practical advice on how to plan both short- and long-distance walks for ramblers of all abilities.

There is also the official National Trail Guide of the Cotswold Way, costing £9, which includes background information on local history, wildlife, archaeology and landscape, as well as Ordanance Survey maps.

Whether you are a keen hiker or have never put a pair of walking boots on in your life, there’s never been a better time to take advantage of the county’s magnificent natural beauty and there couldn’t be a nicer way to do this than by getting on the Cotswold Way National Trail.

SoGlos.com
27 October 2009