Cotswold Way National Trail

The Cotswold Way National Trail is officially recognised as one of Britain's best.

The Cotswold Way, Gloucestershire’s most celebrated walk, was officially recognised as a National Trail on 24 May, in recognition of it offering some of the best walking opportunities in the country. While the announcement was first made well over a year ago now, the time has been invested in vastly improving the Cotswold Way, in preparation for the official re-launch.

The 102-mile trail was previously signposted with white dots marking the route, which have now been replaced by the more visible and easier to follow acorn symbols on oak posts. The tens of thousands of walkers who tread the Cotswold Way each year will also notice that the pathways have also been enhanced and minor adjustments have been made to the route itself – offering less road walking, improved road crossings and a superior trail that joins up more smoothly.

The Cotswold Way is split into 15 sections and runs along the Cotswold escarpment from Chipping Campden in the North to Bath in the South, taking in numerous Gloucestershire towns and villages – including Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Cranham, Painswick, Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge. The Cotswold Way has become renowned with walkers locally, nationally and globally, as the route takes in rolling countryside, postcard pretty villages, riverside rambles, steep hill climbs and woodland walks.

To celebrate this month’s re-launch the brand new Cotswold Way National Trail Companion priced at £4.95, is fresh off the presses featuring practical advice on how to plan both short- and long-distance walks for ramblers of all abilities. While the complete 102-mile route will take between five and eight days to complete, the guide breaks the walk down into manageable chunks perfect for weekend walking. There is also a new official National Trail Guide of the Cotswold Way costing £9.00, 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.

Michelle Byrne
24 May 2007