Table of Contents
Getting Help 1
Introduction 3
The Cotswolds 4
How hard is the CW? 5
Direction and start/finish points 5
Hiking shorter sections of the CW 6
Guided tours, self-guided tours or independent walking? 6
When to go 7
Using this book 9
Itinerary Planner 11
Suggested Itineraries: North to South 13
Suggested Itineraries: South to North 17
Accommodation 21
Camping 23
Accommodation Listings 24
Facilities 33
Food 36
Travel 37
Travel to England 37
Travel to/from the primary trail-heads 37
Returning to the start 39
Public transport along the CW. 39
Secondary trail-heads 43
On the Trail 46
Costs & budgeting 46
Weather 46
Maps 47
Paths and waymarking 47
Storing bags 48
Baggage transfer 48
Fuel for camping stoves/Outdoor shops 48
Drinking water 49
Ticks 49
Lambing 49
Walking with dogs 50
Equipment 51
Recommended basic kit 52
Additional gear for campers 54
Safety 56
General Information 57
Wildlife 58
Plants and Flowers 59
History of the Cotswolds 60
Before the Romans 60
The Roman period of occupation 60
The Saxons 61
Rise of the wool trade 61
Enclosure 61
The 20th century 62
Route Descriptions 63
Section 1 Chipping Campden/Stanton 64
Stage 1a Chipping Cam pden/B roadway 68
Stage 1b Broadway/Stanton 72
Section 2 Stanton/Winchcombe 74
Stage 2a Stanton/Wood Stanway 78
Stage 2b Wood Stanway/Hayles Fruit Farm 80
Stage 2c Hayles Fruit Farm/Winchcombe 80
Section 3 Winchcombe/Ham Hill 82
Stage 3a Winchcombe/Postlip .88
Stage 3b Postlip/Cleeve Hill 88
Stage 3c Cieeve Hill/Upper Hill Farm exit 88
Stage 3d Upper Hill Farm exit/Ham Hill 90
Section 4 Ham Hill/Birdlip exit 92
Stage 4a Ham Hill/Uiienwood 96
Stage 4b Ullenwood/Birdlip exit 98
Section 5 Birdtip exit/Painswick 100
Stage 5 Birdlip exit/Painswick 104
Section 6 Painswick/Middleyard 108
Stage 6 Painswick/Middleyard 112
Section 7 Middleyard/Wotton-under-Edge 116
Stage 7a Middieyard/Uley exit 120
Stage 7b Uley exit/Dursley 120
Stage 7c Dursley/North Nibley 122
Stage 7d North Nibley/Wotton-under-Edge 124
Section 8 Wotton-under-Edge/Old Sodbury 126
Stage 8a Wotton-under-Edge/Hawkesbury Upton 131
Stage 8b Hawkesbury Upton/Old Sodbury 133
Section 9 Old Sodbury/Cold Ashton 134
Stage 9a Old Sodbury/Tormarton 138
Stage 9b Tormarton/Tolldown exit 138
Stage 9c Tolldown exit/Pennsylvania 138
Stage 9d Pennsylvania/Cold Ashton 141
Section 10 Cold Ashton/Bath 142
Stage 10 Cold Ashton/Bath 148
Exploring Bath 150
