I am probably not spelling that correctly. I just was at our REI store, returning the rain pants I bought for our recent Scotland trip (I never used them once). The store manager told me she recently did the 100mile hike in England and really enjoyed it, mainly because it was less taxing than the West Highlands of Scotland.
So am curious, before I go researching this, if anyone out there has done this, and seeking comments, suggestions, etc.
Many thanks
Well, there are tons of hikes IN the Cotswolds but maybe she meant that she hiked the Cotswold Way which is a part of the National Trail system?
https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/cotswold-way/
PS - Glad you did not have to use your rain pants. Out of 14 nights on Orkney and Shetland in August I think I used them at least half the days if not more!!
We hiked the Cotswold Way with our British friends this July. Rained some every single day, but we did not regret leaving our rain trousers at home because our hiking trousers dried quickly. We were in and out of our rain jackets every day, since even at 65 degrees it was too warm to wear them constantly. The one day that it absolutely poured, we stayed off the trail since an inch of rain combined with 23 mph winds are not a good combination when you're up on a ridge.
Loved the hike, but would allow 9-10 days rather than 8 we had if we did it again. We are all in our 60s and pretty fit, so the 12 mile days were fine, but the 15-16 mile days got old pretty quickly. (Actually thinking of hiking the section we missed the next time we visit England, but doing it over 2 days since it was one of the 16 milers.) Also, while the hike isn't like climbing a mountain, there was a lot of uphill and downhill, so it's not a walk through flat countryside.
Hi Deborah -
It’s been a while since we did The Cotswold Way (I’m sure that’s what the REI manager was referring to). It’s a very pleasant walk, but it’s no stroll in the park either. You’ll still be covering 100 miles on foot and our vivid memories are that it ascends and descends the escarpment wilfully. Also you circle Cheltenham (without actually going there unless you go off route) for three days. And on the third day - it just won’t go away! Also Dursley - I really understood why Rowling had named Harry Potter’s guardians after the place! But the other towns, in particular, Chipping Camden, Broadway, Winchcombe, Painswick, Minchinhampton, etc., were all delightful as I recall.
But again, we have great memories of the walk, although it will pay dividends if you start training now to do, or build up to, an ‘undulating’ 12 to 15 miles on average a day.
Like most national trails, you can self guide via a company (you probably know the usual suspects already) who’ll book your accommodation, ship your bags along the way and supply guides, maps and instructions. Or, I’m sure if you want company and to have the navigation heavy lifting done by somebody else most of the same companies will do group trips.
Weather? The one thing you can’t book! You’ll get what you get given to quote my granny!
Ian
We just finished doing a mash up of the Cotswold Way, Monarch’s Way and Heart of England way, starting in Cheltenham, going up to Chipping Campden and finishing up in Bourton-on-the-Water. I think I’ve seen it called “The Cotswold Ring”. It turned out to be a good pace, ranging from 6-10 miles per day, with rolling hills through the farms and a good mix of sights on the way. The weather ended up being sunny and kind of hot around 30C/85F, but I could see it getting pretty muddy if it ended up being rainy. The OS maps app was particularly helpful, I was able to purchase a 1 month subscription, download the maps I needed and it had a good amount of detail to follow ourselves along the route.
If you are wanting to walk, the OS maps are the best you can get. The 1:25000 not only shows footpaths, it also shows field boundaries, so you know where to head for the stile or gate.
I have not walked 100 miles in one go quite yet, but I still dream of it :) particularly around Dartmoor which is an endlessly diverse range of farm, moorland, wood and the occasional (very small) town or village.
I may not have walked a hundred miles but in a single day's journey I've been sunburnt and pelted with hail.
So if you're around the southwest definitely give Dartmoor at least a day :)
one of our regular contributors (Laurel) used the Bourton-on-the-Water centre of HF Holidays to do many hikes earlier this Spring. If out and backs and transport to the start and hike back in that part of the Cotswolds is appealing (they had a great time) maybe have a look at what HF Holidays offers....
We did a self-guided, village to village walk in 2019 called The Best of the Cotswolds and absolutely loved it. We used Cotswolds Walks and Andrew is wonderful to work with. They set up the accommodations and transport your luggage each day. They also provide all the informations, maps and support needed to be successful. They have a number of trip options including the entire (100 mile or so) Cotswolds Way walk.
We just returned from a trip to the UK and while we were in the Cotswolds, we talked to many walkers who were on a Cotswolds Walks trip and they were having a great experience too! Highly recommend.
Next May, I am planning to do what I think is the hike you describe with a company called mickledore.co.uk. I’m taking a very relaxed version, covering 11 days and requiring a lot of money but it does look like fun. It is a self-guided hike but it looks pretty easy.
The Heart of England Way is 100 miles across the Cotswolds - cuts through some of the most beautiful parts of this area. I did large sections of it this summer and plan to do the rest, all in one fell-swoop at some time! If you plan it out properly, there are lots of great places to stay along the way. I'm sure this is the route she was talking about. Could have also been the Cotswolds Way.
