Cotswold Way - Reynolds

author: Kev Reynolds
The Cotswolds is one of the best-loved regions of lowland Britain, and the Cotswold Way National Trail traces a 102-mile (164km) route along its western escarpment between Chipping Campden in the north and Bath in the south. The route provides far-reaching views across the Severn Vale towards the Welsh hills and plunges down regularly to visit honey-coloured villages and old market towns along the way. The landscape is both soft and dramatic as you follow the bays and spurs of the escarpment, along deeply cut dry valleys, and past ancient burial mounds, drystone walls and beautiful woodland. This is rural southern England at its best.

The route is described in both directions and the book includes comprehensive planning information and notes on sights along the route. Full and clear route details are provided for both southbound and northbound walkers, providing a personal preference in tackling the route. The guidebook is illustrated with maps and the author's own full-colour photographs. There is also an accommodation listing in an appendix. The stage-by-stage route description is accompanied by overview maps at a scale of 1:100,000 (1cm to 1 mile). There is a separate booklet included which contains OS Explorer 1:25,000 scale mapping of the entire route.

The book describes the route in 13 stages. Below is the north to south direction stages.

Stage 1 Chipping Campden to Stanton - 10 miles
Stage 2 Stanton to Winchcombe - 8 miles
Stage 3 Winchcombe to Cleeve Hill - 6.5 miles
Stage 4 Cleeve Hill to Dowdeswell (A40) - 6 miles
Stage 5 Dowdeswell (A40) to Birdlip - 9.5 miles
Stage 6 Birdlip to Painswick - 7 miles
Stage 7 Painswick to Middleyard (King's Stanley) - 9.5 miles
Stage 8 Middleyard (King's Stanley) to Dursley - 6.5 miles
Stage 9 Dursley to Wotton-under-Edge - 7 miles
Stage 10 Wotton-under-Edge to Hawkesbury Upton - 8 miles
Stage 11 Hawkesbury Upton to Tormarton - 8 miles
Stage 12 Tormarton to Cold Ashton - 6 miles
Stage 13 Cold Ashton to Bath - 10 miles

ISBN 9781852848163 Pages 233 + map booklet (2019) 116mm x 172mm