Running from Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bath in Somerset, the 102-mile Cotswold Way follows the escarpment that runs along the north-western fringe of the Cotswolds.
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With around 3,730m of ascent, it’s one of the lumpier National Trails, with nearly as much climbing involved as on the famously hilly South Downs Way. The climbing begins straight after Chipping Campden to Broadway Hill in Worcestershire and also includes Cleeve Hill on the route. And since the trail stays high for a lot of its length, you can expect some cracking views of the landscape and landmarks below, including the delightful Vale of Evesham, the Malvern Hills and the tower of Gloucester Cathedral.
If you’re blessed with a clear day as you stride to the top of the trail’s highest point, Cleeve Hill, you may even see as far as the Black Mountains in south Wales.
Where does the route start and end?
The Cotswold Way starts in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire and ends in Bath, Somerset.
How long is the Cotswold Way?
The Cotswold Way is 102 miles (164 km) long.
How long does it take to walk the Cotswold Way?
The trail is typically walked in six to nine days.
What's the elevation gain?
The elevation gain on the Cotswold Way is 3,300 metres (10,827 feet). The elevation gain per mile is 32.4m.
What's the highest point on the Cotswold Way?
The highest point on the Cotswold Way is 330m, at Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire.
How remote is the Cotswold Way?
You’re never far from settlements on the route, with plenty of accommodation options available such as B&Bs, hotels, self-catering accommodation, campsites and glamping sites. Cheltenham, Stroud and Chipping Sodbury are enticing places to stay on the route south.
What's the terrain like on the Cotswold Way?
The route has a mix of unpaved paths and roads.
Is the route marked?
The trail is way-marked by Acorn symbols so following the route is largely easy.
What's the prettiest part of the Cotswold Way?
There are stunning vistas from Cleeve Hill, Crickley Hill and the Capability Brown-designed Broadway Tower (from where you can see 16 English counties on a clear day).
What's the weather usually like?
In May, the average high temperature is 16°C and the average low temperature is 7°C (both taken in Cheltenham). In May, average rainfall is 42mm on 11 days (taken in Cheltenham).
What can you see on the Cotswold Way?
On the way walkers will experience Neolithic burial mounds, stately homes and historic battle sites. Specific highlights include the ruined 13th-century Cistercian abbey in Hailes and Sudeley Castle and Gardens in Winchcombe, which was once home to the final wife of King Henry VIII, Queen Katherine Parr.
There’s also the baroque country house and ancient deer park of Dyrham Park, just north of Bath and its wealth of Roman and Georgian attractions. Elsewhere, walkers will encounter beech woodland, rolling pastures and the famous honey-coloured villages built from Cotswold stone.
Nearby attractions also include Hidcote and Snowshill Manor and Garden, while steam train journeys can be taken on the GWR Steam Railway line from Cheltenham Racecourse to Winchcombe, Toddington and Broadway.
In spring and summer, look down to spot flowers that enjoy the area’s limestone soils such as fairy flax, wild thyme, milkwort, burnet-saxifrage and common rock-rose.
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Main image: a view of Sudeley Castle seen from the Cotswold Way.