Recommendations for slower hikes in the Cotswolds

[Jean M]

My husband and I will be in the Cotswolds for two weeks in April, having rented a National Trust cottage. We have not been in the Cotswolds but have hiked, among other places, in Italy, Sicily, and the Dordogne. Much of what we did on those trips was influenced by things we learned from information we found on Slow Travel. We are a little older these days and, due to a recently diagnosed illness, are looking forward to the tamer pace of the Cotswolds. Based on Pauline's recommendations in her costwolder.com site, I purchased and am studying diligently the Golden Eye Cotswold Classic Walks, and two of the Cotswold Pathfinder guides. Some of these hikes are enticing but many are longer than we will be able to do. The AONB site has shorter hikes but those don't look as interesting as the ones in GE and the Pathfinders. It's a hard choice but I think I can merge several together and come up with hikes that will work for us. I am concerned about mud in April and realize it will not be easy to tell until arrival which trails will be muddy and which drier. My Oboz Sawtooth are waterproof. Nonetheless, I don't relish having them swallowed in mud.
We enjoy walks through rolling countryside with no crowds and interesting sites. The walk from Burford to Swinbrook and the walk between the two Eastleachs, both recommended elsewhere on this forum, sound just grand. The hikes around Winchcombe also sound fine but it's hard to tell how much incline there is. ("Go up a hill" etc. is not very definite and just knowing the highest point on a trail is not helpful as knowing the total elevation gain.) Slight inclines we can handle but extreme inclines are difficult. Any recommendations on 3-4 mile scenic and/or interesting hikes with not too much incline (and hopefully not too much mud) would be much appreciated.
On another note, I was disappointed to see the cotswolder.com site is no longer active. Is there a way to access Pauline's hiking notes from that site?
Slow Travel and now Slow Europe, along with Pauline's suggestions and the other great posts thereon, greatly enriched our past trips to France and Italy. I'm now enjoying this site and look forward to learning all sorts of interesting tips about the Cotswolds from generous travelers willing to share their knowledge.
Thanks, Pauline for making it possible.

 

[veronicafrance]

You can crowdsource walks these days ... if you have a look on Wikiloc you'll find walks graded from easy to difficult, with information on length and amount of climbing/descent. For instance here are some around Burford:
https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/find.do?t=&d=&lfr=&lto=&src=&act=&months=&uom=mi&q=burford

Disclaimer: it works best if you have a GPS -- you can download the trail and follow it. Walks on wikiloc generally don't have detailed descriptions.

 

[Pauline]

On another note, I was disappointed to see the cotswolder.com site is no longer active. Is there a way to access Pauline's hiking notes from that site?

I took Cotswolder down a couple of weeks ago because I do not live there now, but still visit regularly, and didn't think I could keep it up to date. I made a copy of the site and am moving some of the articles to our Resources section here.

Market Towns in the Cotswolds
Supermarkets in the Cotswolds
The British Letter Box
British History and Architecture Timeline
United Kingdom, Britain, Great Britain - What's What?

I am working on my hiking notes now and will have them posted soon.

Nice to hear you were reading Cotswolder!

 

[Pauline]

Now to reply to your hiking questions.

Mud: Yes, there will be mud. So far we have had a dry winter, so the mud may not be too bad. Much usually occurs in fields. Crop fields can have very thick mud making it difficult to walk through them. Pastures may have thick mud around the gates where the cows and sheep congregate and break up the ground. Bridlepaths which get a lot of horse traffic can get muddy.

But, get muddy! I have those Obox Sawtooths too and after a winter hike I clean them in the sink with a stiff brush. Then let them dry under a radiator over night. For trousers, I wear synthetic hiking trousers, like you find at an outdoors shop, and do a quick wash and let them dry overnight.

Some people hike in wellies because of the mud, but I don't recommend that. It is usually casual dog walkers who do this, who are not walking far. Wellies, even really good ones, don't give your foot the support you need. I had a bad slip a year ago in Wellies in a muddy field and injured my foot. You still have to wash them too.

April is a lovely time here. Things will be starting to bloom. The garlic flowers will be out. It will be less muddy than in the winter.

Guidebooks: Those three books are the best. To see how difficult a hike is you need to consider time and elevation gain. I find that up to 300 meter gain over an hour is a steady uphill climb but not too strenuous. Over two hours is even better. You will find the walking in the Cotswolds is pretty easy.

Walks: That walk along the river from Burford to Swinbrook is flat and lovely. There is a longer version that takes you up to Fulbrook, then through a crop field. We did this once and I have never experienced so much mud! The muddy field can be avoided by walking on the lane instead.

The Eastleachs hike is also very nice. Those villages are beautiful! There is a good pub in the one where you start - The Victoria Inn I think. That hike is easy with just a short climb from the river up to the old Roman Road. It may be muddy along the river, but you can usually negotiate mud by walking around it.

I am working on my hiking notes now - updating them - and will add notes about elevation gain.

 

[Pauline]

To see how difficult a hike is you need to consider time and elevation gain. I find that up to 300 meter gain over an hour is a steady uphill climb but not too strenuous. Over two hours is even better.

I checked by Cotswold Walking guides and none of them list the elevation gain! I must have been thinking of walking in Switzerland where I always figure out the elevation gain. Pathfinder grades their walks by color - the first walks in the book, the green ones, are the shorter and easier.

You can look at the Ordnance Survey map they show with the hike to see where it is steep. The elevation lines show on the map.

In Cotswold Classic Walks he gives a level of difficulty. One thing I love about that book is that he doesn't describe that many walks in the book, but the ones he lists are all great.

 

[Kathy]

Jean, where will you be based in the Cotswolds? It is always good to do some walks in the area around where you're staying.

(Here's another vote for the walk between Burford and Swinbrook!)

 

[Pauline]

I posted the walking information that I had on Cotswolder in our Resources section:
My Favorite Walks in the Cotswolds

I was waiting to get some photos for this resource, but have posted it now without photos and will add them later.

Hikes are organized by market town and have a short description but list which walking guide they are in.

 

[Jean M]

All of these ideas and suggestions are good. The information on mud is very helpful and I'm grateful for the fact that the winter has been dry or at least drier.
I looked at Veronica's recommendation re: Wikiloc and it looks very nice. We are not adept at GPS. We have rented one for the car but I understand that does not work for walking. We don't have a GPS on our Ipad. Perhaps I can load Wikiloc on our phone and see if that works.
In answer to Kathy, we are staying in the southwest, in part because years ago Pauline had written about how lovely it was near Painswick. I've always wanted to rent a Nat'l Trust property. They look to be of high quality and architectural interest and I'll be sure to post a review upon return. There is so much to do in the area. The walk in Woodchester Park looks fabulous as do the walks from Painswick and around Cranham. And not far away, there's Sapperton, Kifsgate and Gloucester Cathedral. We'll have lunch at Barnsley House so we can see the garden there. Intimate (that may not be Gloucester Cathedral but after watching The Hollow Crown who could not go there?) and authentic is what I'm after. And one can always hope for bluebells. And then there are those tickets to the RSC in Stratford and I think we can go to Chipping Camden on the way to Stratford! I originally thought I had to see Stourhead but that garden looks like it's best in the fall and it's a longish drive away on what look like busier roads. Hard choices and so much to do in so little time.
Even though April is several months away, my huge A-Z Cotswold/Chilterns Visitors Map is selectively adorned with yellow sticky notes pointing to hikes we might take and places we might go. I'm trying to plan indoor and outdoor activities in case of rain. (Like Pauline, we are not good hike in the rain hikers - drizzle yes, downpour no). I have noted distances from our home base and pub recommendations on the stickies for easy reference. I love taking out my map, spreading it on the floor and filling in another spot. It's great for daydreaming.
Meantime, Wikiloc and Pauline's hiking notes will help me further refine my ideas and I thank you all for replying.

 

[Pauline]

Perhaps I can load Wikiloc on our phone and see if that works.

It will work on your phone. I have never had much luck using Wikiloc but haven't really given it a good try while out walking. I don't like the brief descriptions of the hikes.

Sounds like you have a great vacation organized! There is loads to see and do in the Cotswolds. I loved our time living there and still miss it. Say hello to the Painswick churchyard for me!!

Gloucester Cathedral is beautiful and a good rainy day activity.

 

[veronicafrance]

Yes, I should have specified that Wikiloc is designed for use on a phone. I use it all the time on my iPhone, to record walks I go on. Once I'm back in wifi range it automatically uploads it to the Wikiloc site where I can see all the statistics and share it with others.

It is a bit of a battery gobbler if you set it to record a walk. I user one of those portable phone chargers to extend the battery life.

 

[Kathy]

It sounds like you have a great trip planned. We spend time in the Cotswolds almost every year, mainly based in Chipping Campden. We walked the Cotswold Way in 2014, which was a fun experience and gave us some experience in other parts of the Cotswolds.

Around Chipping Campden, we enjoy the walk to and from Broad Campden (on Pauline's list). You could also park at Dover's Hill and walk there. For example, you could walk to Broadway Tower and back on the Cotswold Way... avoiding the climb up from Chipping Campden.

There are some hills and hard to avoid these sometimes on circular walks. I've never done this, but I know some people will take a bus out to the end of the hike and then walk back to where they've parked their car. Another option is to out and back on the same path, but that's not so interesting.

You might also think about some of the other places you plan to visit and the possibility to integrate some walking into a visit. I love Hicote garden, for example, and I've been there many times. In addition to just slowly visiting the garden, you can also take quite a long walk out to a woodland (with beautiful views of the countryside) and back. And from Hidcote, you could walk to Kiftsgate garden and visit there too... just park at one and walk back and forth to the other. (Check opening times of Kiftsgate carefully).

Sudeley Castle is another place where you can do some walks, either within the grounds you must pay to enter or in the parkland outside. Same goes for Blenheim Palace, where the walking is really fabulous.

 

[Jean M]

Veronica, I'm wondering if wikiloc works in US or only in Europe? If you know....I'd like to download the app and play with it before we go.
And Kathy, your advice is all good and well taken. I have realized that hiking out from or to one of the sites, like Hidcote, is a great idea. And Sudeley looks like it's wonderful. Part of the challenge is matching walks with sites and, if successful, will certainly maximize our fun. By the way, I've always enjoyed your trip reports. You have done a great job of whetting our appetite for adventure.
Thank you.

 

[veronicafrance]

Wikiloc's tagline is "Trails of the world", so I'm sure it does. It certainly has US trails on it. You will want to download offline maps of the area you're walking in to save on data costs and cater for lack of internet connection.

 

[LisaMariewrites]

Now to reply to your hiking questions.

Mud: Yes, there will be mud. So far we have had a dry winter, so the mud may not be too bad. Much usually occurs in fields. Crop fields can have very thick mud making it difficult to walk through them. Pastures may have thick mud around the gates where the cows and sheep congregate and break up the ground. Bridlepaths which get a lot of horse traffic can get muddy.

But, get muddy! I have those Obox Sawtooths too and after a winter hike I clean them in the sink with a stiff brush. Then let them dry under a radiator over night. For trousers, I wear synthetic hiking trousers, like you find at an outdoors shop, and do a quick wash and let them dry overnight.

Some people hike in wellies because of the mud, but I don't recommend that. It is usually casual dog walkers who do this, who are not walking far. Wellies, even really good ones, don't give your foot the support you need. I had a bad slip a year ago in Wellies in a muddy field and injured my foot. You still have to wash them too.

April is a lovely time here. Things will be starting to bloom. The garlic flowers will be out. It will be less muddy than in the winter.

Guidebooks: Those three books are the best. To see how difficult a hike is you need to consider time and elevation gain. I find that up to 300 meter gain over an hour is a steady uphill climb but not too strenuous. Over two hours is even better. You will find the walking in the Cotswolds is pretty easy.

Walks: That walk along the river from Burford to Swinbrook is flat and lovely. There is a longer version that takes you up to Fulbrook, then through a crop field. We did this once and I have never experienced so much mud! The muddy field can be avoided by walking on the lane instead.

The Eastleachs hike is also very nice. Those villages are beautiful! There is a good pub in the one where you start - The Victoria Inn I think. That hike is easy with just a short climb from the river up to the old Roman Road. It may be muddy along the river, but you can usually negotiate mud by walking around it.

I am working on my hiking notes now - updating them - and will add notes about elevation gain.

Now to reply to your hiking questions.

Mud: Yes, there will be mud. So far we have had a dry winter, so the mud may not be too bad. Much usually occurs in fields. Crop fields can have very thick mud making it difficult to walk through them. Pastures may have thick mud around the gates where the cows and sheep congregate and break up the ground. Bridlepaths which get a lot of horse traffic can get muddy.

But, get muddy! I have those Obox Sawtooths too and after a winter hike I clean them in the sink with a stiff brush. Then let them dry under a radiator over night. For trousers, I wear synthetic hiking trousers, like you find at an outdoors shop, and do a quick wash and let them dry overnight.

Some people hike in wellies because of the mud, but I don't recommend that. It is usually casual dog walkers who do this, who are not walking far. Wellies, even really good ones, don't give your foot the support you need. I had a bad slip a year ago in Wellies in a muddy field and injured my foot. You still have to wash them too.

April is a lovely time here. Things will be starting to bloom. The garlic flowers will be out. It will be less muddy than in the winter.

Guidebooks: Those three books are the best. To see how difficult a hike is you need to consider time and elevation gain. I find that up to 300 meter gain over an hour is a steady uphill climb but not too strenuous. Over two hours is even better. You will find the walking in the Cotswolds is pretty easy.

Walks: That walk along the river from Burford to Swinbrook is flat and lovely. There is a longer version that takes you up to Fulbrook, then through a crop field. We did this once and I have never experienced so much mud! The muddy field can be avoided by walking on the lane instead.

The Eastleachs hike is also very nice. Those villages are beautiful! There is a good pub in the one where you start - The Victoria Inn I think. That hike is easy with just a short climb from the river up to the old Roman Road. It may be muddy along the river, but you can usually negotiate mud by walking around it.

I am working on my hiking notes now - updating them - and will add notes about elevation gain.

Pauline, I have the same Oboz and just love them! Thank you so much for your insight on the Wellies. I thought of buying some after arriving in the Cotswolds but was wondering about the lack of support. I love the stability the Oboz provide in mud, water, and rocky terrain.

 

[Jean M]

Actually, here we are back from our glorious time in the Cotswolds and we didn't have much mud. The weather was wonderful, sunny and warm, with bluebells and wild garlic in the woods near our rental. We stayed at Woody's Cottage, a National Trust property on the Ebworth Estate. The cottage was lovely, very well equipped and at the end of a road in the village of Sheepscombe behind two stone pillars with a sign marked private road. We had a lawn that looked out over a haha, where we watched the cows graze below, and then toward National Trust woods across the valley. The place was quintessential England, or at least everything one could dream England could be. Hidcote Manor and the Westonbirt Arboretum were wonderful and in bloom, we saw an incredible version of Taming of the Shrew in Stratford, and wandered for a couple of hours in the impressiveness of Gloucester Cathedral. The pubs, especially the Woolpack in Stroud were delightful with good food and friendly hosts. The British people we met were helpful and kindly. (We decided they survive the lanes because they are mostly so polite.) All that history, the architecture, the countryside that's been gentled by the hands of so many generations of people who've cared for the land. It was simply breathtaking.
Because we'd booked a Parker car to Heathrow from our hotel in London (the Egerton House about which I can't say enough good), I wasn't too worried about the disruptions to London traffic caused by the Extinction Rebellioners, whose cause by the way we support. Besides all this, Brexit got delayed and that made life less uncertain. Our hiking was slow indeed. We still nonetheless had a magnificent holiday and one of our best trips ever. The Cotswolds offer a rare glimpse of a way of life that, at least to the casual visitor, is certainly set apart from the blur of our modern days. One learns quickly that all the Cotswolds have to offer can not be experienced in two weeks and that slowing down is a great part of the joy of travel.
Thank you Pauline, Kathy and Veronica - and Eleanor too - for your helpful suggestions and ideas. These all made the trip much richer and enjoyable. I thank you.