I don’t post in this area but just wanted to mention my wife and I (from Seattle) just had the best week walking a 50 mile loop around the Cotswolds. We started at Moreton in Marsh, headed south to Bourton on the Water, then west to Winchcombe, heading north to Ebrington and back to Moreton. Absolute glorious walking all the way - somewhat hot and muggy but I’ll take that over mud clods on the shoes.
Particular kudos to the Cotswold trail wardens who really keep the trail in great condition - we didn’t get lost once, though my dear wife had a bad cow interaction (she is fine).
It was a tempt to drop down to ATC, but you know really you can only do so much.
To my Scottish friends - I adore Scotland, was at St Andrews in the mid 80s…
Yes indeed, the Cotswolds is something special.
Although I don’t live in the Cotswolds as such, but in a village near Oxford so the Cotswolds is just a short distance and the area you walked is around the closest.
We often take short midweek breaks in staying pubs & coutry house hotels around the area.
Next time you come visiting, I recommend to try the Chilterns (Hills). This is another oustandingly beautiful area with excellent walking. A lot more trees than Cotswolds with extensive beech woods, The hill/valleys are steeper so climbs are a little more challenging. The added bonus is you have the River Thames, the Chilterns section between Henley & Marlow is highly recommended.
Lake District. My wife and I had lots of philosophical discussions in our younger years and in the Lake District I admitted that nature can be equally beautiful as culture.
I did find the “hill” moniker somewhat cute in the Cotswolds, coming from Seattle, where we view a 14k foot volcano from downtown (vertical relief from nearly sea level, more than Everest)…we live on the side of an old 500’ lateral moraine so just walking around there is harder than anything in the Cotswolds (not complaining).
I drove through Moreton and Stow etc. on Sat night heading South from York back to the SW. In the warmth and evening light it all looked stunning on the Fosse Way, one of the great drives when the traffic is light.
There are some steep trails around the Cotswolds, but most walking is gentle. My mother used to live just out side Moreton-in-Marsh, and I live near the escarpment at Birdlip, not far from ATC (they drink at my local on Thursdays).
It is a lovely part of the world but most countries have their beauty spots if one is fortunate enough to discover them.
The Cotswolds certainly are really nice. I lived in Cheltenham for a few years, and my daughter lives in Stroud. Not only is the countryside really nice, many of the buildings look lovely too.
A shout-out also to Devon and Cornwall. And Yorkshire. And Pembrokeshire. Well, lots of places, really.
I couldn’t agree more. I had to move away from the Cotswolds to appreciate it. But yes, there are some really charming places that are just totally different and make you feel different. I was very fond of Beer (the place) and Lyme Regis on the south coast. And the Yorkshire Dales. And on and on. A lot of tucked away corners of Wales too. So much variety in such a small land mass.
I was desperate to leave the land I grew up in but love going back and pretending to be an “silly” tourist and looking at it all through different eyes. Not much nicer than drinking outside a village pub in summer at 9pm when it’s still light out.
The UK is very varied indeed, for such a small place. I think that this is largely due to the underlying rocks - a huge variety in geological features. And not just on the land - the marine environment is hugely varied, with different plant and animal communities around the coast, coupled with the presence of the Gulf stream increasing the variety. Plus a very large tidal range in places results in a very rich marine environment - particularly the intertidal region.
Hi I live in lincolnshire and here we have the Lincolnshire Wolds, the same band of limestone that forms the Cotswolds. Just as beautiful but not as popular with celebrities, journalists and BBC employees as the lovely Cotswolds!
I’ve no idea why people like the Cotswolds. It’s all very pretty in a stereotypical chocolate box kind of way but is overrun with coach parties and entitled morons zooming around in their stupid Range Rovers. Give me the South Downs any day.
The real Cotswold challenge is to run/walk the full length of the Cotswold Way from Chipping Campden to Bath Abbey, a distance of ~104 miles, in less than 24 hours. It might sound easy at just a tad over 4mph on average, but there’s a lot of hill climbing to do.
. Obviously impossible but I’m sure you get it!