Sergio Gomez Event Agency

Walking the Cotswold Way, is a walk which runs along the western edge of the Cotswold Hills from the attractive old 'wool ' town of Chipping Campden to the historic town of Bath.

The Trail is 102 miles (164 km) long, and runs for the majority of its length on the Cotswold escarpment. It passes thru many quaint villages and close to a big number of historic sites, for example the Roman heritage at Bath, the Neolithic funeral chamber at Belas Knap, Sudeley Castle near Winchcombe, Hailes Abbey and many stunning churches and historic houses.

The Cotswold Way has existed as a promoted long distance walk for over 30 years. Following many years of lobbying by the Travelers Organisation and others, its special qualities have been recognised and in 1998 the government approved its development as a Countrywide Trail. The Cotswold Way was officially launched as a National Trail in May 2007.

Between the 2 it follows an ambling course along the western rim of the escarpment where the land drops suddenly to bare distant views, thru beech forest, along the banks of mill-streams, across upland sheep pastures and dips into sheltered valleys concealing beautiful towns constructed from mellow, honey-coloured stone.

On the way it explores one glorious village after another - each with some remarkable feature like the grotesque gargoyles of Winchcombe's church; the neat rose-covered cottages at Stanton; Stanway's thatched cricket pavilion and enormous tithe barn; the sublime Pittville Pump Room at Cheltenham or Painswick's churchyard, with its topiary yews and surprising tea caddy and table tombs.

The Cotswold Way is also a walk thru England's history passing many primeval barrows and hillforts, Roman villas, Civil War battle sites, castles and abbeys as well as the grand manor homes and superb churches built when England's wealth was founded on Cotswold wool.

You can spend as little or as long as you like walking on the Cotswold Way National Trail. Some decide to take a week or even more to walk the whole route between Chipping Campden and Bath and others choose to spend only one day or 2 enjoying the Trail.