Hello all. My husband and I will be in the cotswolds June 7-28,2022. I'd love to hear from anyone who has taken the walking tours of the cotswolds versus walking on your own. I've read Ricks book and decided we could just choose the walks we want to take and use a cab or bus to get back to our lodging or vise versa. Although it does sound easier to have detailed walking instructions I wonder if its that hard to lose your way. We will have a car for 5 of those days for sightseeing. I'm concentrating on the Northern area mostly and wanted to know would you base in 2/3 places? We are taking the bus to Oxford and renting a car there. The train station has no cars so will have to rent from the city center. Will that be difficult driving out of there? Lastly should we head to gatwick the day before or the day of our flight. Our flight leaves for the USA AT 1:00PM . If we left Moreton in Marsh by 6:00am we could get to Gatewick by 9:30am Thoughts welcome. Many thanks!
Posted by
585 posts
I would be very leery in driving to Gatwick on the day you are leaving. All it takes is an accident on the Motorway, or roadworks,or someone breaking down, or some other delay and your flight will be gone without you. For your sanity, stay near the airport and have a relaxed start to your day.
Posted by
70 posts
Get the OS Maps app for your phone. Then you can walk the free public routes, even if it means entering farm fields. Just use your common sense when it comes to walking near animals (sheep and cows/bulls).
Also make sure any paid walking tour has a refund policy in case you are sick/ bad weather. Skip over anyone that only refunds if your spot is booked by another party! You might want to join the National Trust to take advantage of deep discounts to local homes and gardens.
Also that is a long time to spend in The Cotswolds. You might want to consider a few trips outside the area, like Avebury or even Stonehenge. We stayed near Marlborough and that was a nice non-touristy spot with good local restaurants.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32765 posts
The printed OS maps can be wonderful too, and you can really get the overview. I live on my phone but use paper OS when walking. Spend a bit of time learning the symbols - there are some really helpful ones like electricity pylons, springs, and pubs... and many many more, including the type of tree in a woods.
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
1835 posts
I'm with Ianlubber and would definitely want to be much nearer Gatwick on the night before a flight.
Depending on where you pick up the car, it could be busy trying to get out of Oxford city centre. Avoid rush hour and ask the hire company the best route.
The Cotswolds is fairly compact and I'm not sure it is worth the upheaval of changing accommodation. I'd be inclined to choose one location for the stay.
The OS maps are brilliant, particularly the 1:25,000 at a scale of 4cm to 1km. If you haven't found one, there is a key to the symbols used on the maps here. I also prefer 'proper' paper maps as they show so much more of the surrounding countryside. You should be able to pick then up in Blackwells or Waterstones in Oxford. The OS Explorer map of the Cotswolds should cover all the area you are interested in. (You can also buy 1:50,000 maps at a scale of 1cm to 1km. They have a slightly different symbols. They cover a much larger area so are good for navigating when driving. They are OK for walking BUT don't give as much detail so there is more potential for getting lost... )
These are used by all serious walkers. Field boundaries are shown and it gives an idea of where to head for the stile or gate into the next field. Most footpaths are well walked and will be easily followable on the ground. They are also signposted from roads. If you are able to map read, you won't get lost. You can also plan your own routes.
If you have chance, do stop off at Blenheim Palace it is well worth visiting and justifiably described as 'one of the great treasure houses of Britain'.
If you like gardens, Hidcote Manor Gardens and Kitfsgate Court Gardens are well worth visiting. They are only about a mile apart but are completely different.
There are also some delightful churches in the Cotswolds. Some are 1000years old, others were built in the C15th by money from wool. They are worth popping into when passing.
Posted by
UK
110 posts
If you fancy walking on your own the Cotswold Way is a national trail. It is a well-signed path that starts in Bath and goes to Chipping Campden. However you can find it in other villages, and it's nice for a day's walk or a leisurely few hours.
Go to London the day before your flight.