Walking in the Cotswolds: 30 classic hill and valley routes

This guidebook describes 30 circular day walks across the Cotswolds. The routes are between 4 and 12 miles long, and 14 of the walks include the finest sections of the Cotswold Way National Trail. A range of walks are covered, from gentle strolls to thigh-burning workouts, passing dramatic hillforts, barrows and stone circles and exploring Jurassic grasslands, beech woods and high ridges by turn. All of the walks are circular and are estimated to take from three to six hours. Many are along the Edge (the most prominent part of England's largest continuous geological feature) and take in splendid sights, from the wildflower-dotted Cleeve Common grasslands to the dramatic Uley Bury hill fort. The gentle hills and honey-hued villages give the Cotswolds a quintessential Olde England feel, while the stout hills and secret valleys described in this guide give plenty of satisfying remoteness and authentic wilderness.

Table of Contents:
Map key Overview map Introduction Geology and landscape Plants and wildlife The impact of man When to visit Getting around Where to stay Terrain and what to take Maps Using this guide Walk 1 Chipping Campden, Broadway and Broadway Tower Walk 2 Bredon Hill Walk 3 Stanton, Stanway and Snowshill Walk 4 Long Compton and the Rollright Stones Walk 5 Winchcombe, Hailes Abbey and Sudeley Castle Walk 6 Winchcombe, Cleeve Common and Belas Knap Walk 7 Temple Guiting, Guiting Wood and Guiting Power Walk 8 Bourton-on-the-Water, the Slaughters and Naunton Walk 9 Leckhampton Hill and Crickley Hill Walk 10 Chedworth, Withington and the Roman Villa Walk 11 Cranham, Cooper's Hill and Painswick Beacon Walk 12 Brimpsfield and Caudle Green Walk 13 Painswick, Edge and Painswick Beacon Walk 14 Miserden and Edgeworth Walk 15 Laurie Lee's Slad Valley Walk 16 Haresfield Beacon Walk 17 Toadsmoor, Bisley and the Golden Valley Walk 18 Leonard Stanley, Coaley Peak and Selsley Common Walk 19 Sapperton, Pinbury Park and Edgeworth Walk 20 Minchinhampton and Rodborough Commons Walk 21 Nailsworth and Avening Walk 22 Uley Bury, Dursley and Stinchcombe Hill Walk 23 Kingscote, Ozleworth and Ozleworth Bottom Walk 24 Wotton-under-Edge, Wortley and North Nibley Walk 25 Dyrham Park and West Littleton Walk 26 Swainswick Valley and Little Solsbury Hill Walk 27 Box, Slaughterford and Colerne Walk 28 Saltford, North Stoke, Weston Walk 29 Bath Skyline Walk 30 Bradford-on-Avon and Farleigh Hungerford Castle Appendix A Route summary table Appendix B Long- and medium-distance walks in the Cotswolds Appendix C Bibliography and further reading Appendix D Websites and further information

About the Author :
Damian Hall is a freelance outdoor journalist who grew up in Nailsworth but travelled and lived abroad for seven years, during which he trekked many long-distance trails. Now living in the Cotswolds, Damian is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and regularly contributes to Country Walking and Outdoor Fitness.