A Taste of the Cotswolds on Foot

Easily accessed from London or Birmingham by train, Moreton in Marsh is your entry point to the Cotswolds designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This attractive village, like many of the Cotswolds towns, thrived thanks to wool & cloth-making in the medieval era, however it was first mentioned as a Saxon settlement back in 577 AD! The high street has many elegant 18th century inns and houses including The Curfew Tower dating from the 16th century. In 1644, King Charles I of England stopped at the White Hart Royal in 1637 and granted a charter for the market. You may possibly be staying there too. Accommodation: You will stay at a selection of stylish hotel/inns in the centre of the village, a few minutes walk from the railway station. They all offer ensuite rooms and comfortable features and a touch of local character.

Today you can choose a longer walk, or take time to explore Chipping Campden and a shorter hiking option. The shorter walk leaves Moreton in Marsh and passes Batsford Arboretum, a place of native and exotic plants and a magnificent Georgian mansion. The gardens are resplendent with bluebells and primroses in the spring. You then descend into Blockley, a golden honey-stoned village that grew from the riches of silk weaving using the fast flowing brooks to power mills. A lot of the houses were originally silk workers cottages. Ascend steeply and through attractive Broad Campden into Chipping Campden. This beautiful Cotswolds village, famous for its wool trade, has a terraced high street dating from the 14th to 17th centuries. Visit the open market hall at its centre and the ‘Wool’ Church of St. James. The longer walk (20km) takes in the villages of Aston Magna, Paxford, and Ebrington and the opportunity to visit Hidcote Manor Garden, one of the greatest gardens in Britain that has been attracting visitors from far and wide. Accommodation: A hotel in three old interwoven houses on the sloping High Street, in the centre of town with very comfortable facilities.

Today will be a short walk so that you can enjoy time in Chipping Campden before joining the trail. You can visit the Court Barn Museum which showcases the Arts and Crafts Movement important in the development of the area. Walk out to Dover’s Hill, a National Trust conserved landscape, to enjoy views over the Cotswolds Escarpment. After a series of footpaths across rolling farmland, arrive at the unique Broadway Tower. This Georgian Folly (1790s) offers remarkable views of nearby towns and meadows with grazing sheep. This is one of England's outstanding viewpoints and at 1024 feet (312m) above sea level, it is the second highest point on the Cotswold escarpment. Pre-book your visit up or enjoy the surrounding area. From here, there is a pleasant, initially steep, descent into Broadway, a beautiful and picturesque town. It developed from the 1600s as a turnpike road stop on the Worcester to London stage coach route. It was a place where horses changed over and people rested before the ascent up the escarpment at Fish Hill (after their efforts of climbing the steep hill, local people would go to the pub at the top to refresh themselves, and would drink ‘like a fish’). In those days, Broadway had 33 pubs, of which three remain today. The broad main street is lined with magnificent stone-built houses as well as antique shops, pubs and delis leading to a village green. Accommodation: For the next two nights stay at a very comfortable country house hotel close to the green in Broadway with well thought out and presented rooms. To note: supplements apply for stays during the weekend.

As you will spend 2 nights in Broadway, today you can choose to take our recommended walk or explore the village. Our suggested walk option takes you to Snowshill. Begin steeply along the Cotswolds Way National Trail up to the woods at Buckland. Then join the Winchcombe Way, undulating into the beautiful ancient manorial village of Snowshill with its small green. There is a tea room and traditional pub, the Snowshill Arms. We highly recommend a visit to the National Trust Snowshill Manor and Garden. A fabulous 16th century house, it is a treasure trove of quirky and curious objects. The collection was created by Charles Wade, a man fascinated by anything hand-crafted and made with skill. There is a beautiful themed garden to walk through - established by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott. From mid-June, you can extend the walk to visit the purple beauty of the Cotswolds Lavender fields. It is just 1km away and then via the Wyche Way you can complete a walking loop back to Broadway. This makes the walking day 7.3 miles, 11.7km, 4.15 hrs. The last couple of km are the same as the last part of Day 3. Alternatively you can arrange to return to Broadway by taxi.

Having stocked up with snacks from one of the lovely delis in Broadway, you head off on the Cotswolds Way. The trail begins steeply up to the woods at Buckland and then winds down through farms and trees to the pretty village of Stanton. The village is built almost completely of Cotswold stone, honey-coloured Jurassic limestone. Several cottages have thatched roofs and there is a pub called The Mount, which has a great view from its garden terrace. The Daily Telegraph described Stanton in 2017 as "arguably the most beautiful Cotswold village of them all.’’ The next attraction along your journey is Hailles Abbey (English Heritage) founded by the Earl of Cornwall in 1246 and later destroyed by Henry VIII. The ruins are a great place for a picnic and there is a small museum to visit if you’d like to learn more. Finally, you will arrive in Winchcombe; home of many listed buildings and historic features. A visit to iconic Sudeley Castle is a must for all Tudor fans and is about a mile from the town. Accommodation: A restored 15th century coaching inn in the centre of the village, each room has quirky charm and character. Traditional pub food created from the finest seasonal and local produce is served in the bar. To note: supplements may apply for stays during the weekend. *It is possible to break up this day by adding an extra night in Stanton. Please enquire with our team.

Tour arrangements end after breakfast. You can spend further time exploring the area (ask our team about adding an extra night). You can take a taxi or local bus (not Sundays or bank Holidays) to Cheltenham, from where you can join mainline rail services or National Express Coach services. If you prefer a more leisurely departure, you could take the heritage G&W Steam Railway into Cheltenham (April to October, not operating Mon & Fri).