The Cotswold Way

Map showing Cotswold Way

Some Places of Interest on The Cotswold Way

Running between Chipping Campden in the north, to Bath in the south, the 104 mile long Cotswold Way is a public footpath passing through many areas officially designated as being of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It runs along the high escarpment and crosses rolling hills of oolitic limestone which give the Cotswold towns and villages their distinctive golden-stone buildings.

The concept of the Cotswold Way began in 1950 and was finalised in 1970 when the entire route was signposted with its distinctive white dot waymark.

Chipping Campden. The start of the trail. Visit William Grevel's House, the Parish church of St. James, the Woolstaplers' Museum.
Broadway. Famous for its beautiful shop fronts and traffic congestion, the Broadway Tower and The Lygon Arms Hotel.
Stanway House. An elaborate Gatehouse guards the way to Stanway House. Visit the nearby Tythe Barn and the cricket pavilion set on straddle stones.
Hailes Abbey. The golden ruins of Hailes Abbey are now maintained by The National Trust and English Heritage. Audio guides are available.
Winchcombe. St. Peter's church has an unusual collection of gargoyles. Visit Winchcombes' Police Museum and nearby Sudeley Castle.
Belas Knap. A long uphill climb leads to this magnificent Neolithic Long Barrow, built 5,000 years ago.
Cleeve Hill. A plateau of two square miles of limestone grassland, now an area of Special Scientific Interest.
Devils' Chimney. This detached outcrop, left after quarrying, hovers on the very edge of the Cotswolds, overlooking Cheltenham.
Witcombe Villa. Very peaceful, out-of-the-way Roman ruins set in wide valley with its own springs. Small museum and dig.
Painswick. A pretty and unspoiled village, famous for its' 99 clipped yew trees in the churchyard and fine collection of table-top tombs.
Stroud. The focus of five steep-sided beautiful valleys, with many mills, now converted, as a reminder of its' growth through the woollen trade.
Selsley Church. Has an unusual tower and some wonderful Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows. Nearby is Selsley Herb Farm and Selsley Common.
Woodchester Mansion. An unfinished Gothic/Cotswold mansion frozen in time. Well worth visiting, but check opening times.
Hetty Pegler's Tump. 15 skeletons were found in this 5,000 year old Long Barrow, constructed of dry-stone walling and large slabs.
Dursley. Now a centre of light engineering, Dursley prospered as a cloth manufacturing and market town in the 18th. Century.
Tynedale Monument. Towers over the Severn Valley and North Nibley, a monument to the man who dared translate the Bible into English.
Wotton-under-Edge. Small but busy working town, with family-run shops and own historic cinema and Heritage Centre. Good place to rest the feet with a cup of tea.
Old Sodbury. Here the route passes through the church lych-gate, up the church path, through the church itself and out through the grave-yard.
Castle Combe. O.K. so it's off the route, but it has to be the prettiest village in Britain, and is worth a diversion.
Bath. Should be time to rest the feet, preferably in the famous Spa baths, but Bath has too many attractions beckoning for you to rest just yet.
There are many very good guides to the Cotswold Way and are almost essential if you don't want to miss any of the attractions along the Way. The Cotswold Way, an Aerofilms Guide published by Ian Allan, gives a wonderful birds-eye view of the path, with good route details. The Illustrated Cotswold Way Map is an artistic representation of the Way and would make a good souvenir for framing. The Cotswold Way, by Mark Richards is a useful illustrated booklet, with line-drawings, detailed maps and route directions. For a more comprehensive list contact The Ramblers' Association.

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