Cotswolds base for self-guided walking
 

Two healthy younger 60’s are looking for the best village to use as a base for self-guided walking in the northern Cotswolds. We do not want to drive ourselves in the UK. We would like to hike around 8 miles a day and are happy to use a car service to get to the right starting point or to return the base. Probably 5 days and 4 nights. But, we are leaning against a point-to-point tour with a different room each night and baggage transport. To some extent we would like to wake up each day and decide what we feel like doing. So, what’s a good base for taking our own walks? Thanks.

Just quick first -- Four nights = three full days, not five.

But to answer your primary question -- you can pretty much base in any of the larger villages/towns. Most will have a local taxi service and maybe some buses. Just about every village will have multiple footpaths. If you are car-less I'd want someplace with multiple pubs/cafes/shops and not one of the tiny 'service-less' villages.

A few places I'd look at would include Chipping Campden, Broadway, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Burford (my personal favorite, though any of the others would be fine). Trains serve Moreton-in-Marsh, Charlbury and Kingham. Kingham is about 6 miles from S-o-t-W; Chipping Campden and Broadway are about 6 and 9 miles respectively from M-i-M. Burford is 10-ish miles from Kingham.

Ay which ever station you arrive -- you'll need to pre-book a taxi to your 'home' village.

Take a look at HF Holidays, and their country house at Bourton on the Water. Could be an option. Or Winchcombe has a walking festival called 'Winchcombe welcomes Walkers,' so that is a nice village, too.
https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/country...ater-cotswolds
https://www.winchcombewelcomeswalkers.com/

Thanks
 

Thanks for the info!

for planning purposes
https://footpathmap.co.uk/

I'd recommend Chipping Campden. There's a train station at Honeybourne, about 5 miles from town so easier to get to than most Cotswold places. It's also the beginning of the Cotswold Way, a 100+ mile long-distance path which I walked over several trips. The first section is a great walk, 6 miles to Broadway with fine views & toward the end, Broadway Tower before descending to Broadway. A slight detour from Broadway Tower will take you to Snowshill Manor, a National Trust property well worth a stop.

In the other direction, about 4 miles, are 2 famous gardens, Hidcote, also National Trust & quite remarkable, & Kiftsgate Court, smaller & privately owned but also interesting & different from Hidcote.

Websites for locations mentioned above.

Broadway Tower:
https://broadwaytower.co.uk/

Snowshill Manor:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/vis...nor-and-garden

Hidcote Manor:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/vis...swolds/hidcote

Kiftsgate Court:
Kiftsgate Court Gardens

I posted very quickly yesterday as it's been a busy work week, but I second MmePerdu's suggestion. I really loved my Chipping Campden to Broadway walk. That first stretch, the carriage drive, is one of my favorite memories of England. Interested to hear your progress, @cdbarlow.

That is indeed a lovely section of the walk.

cdbarlow, if you do decide to set foot on any part of the Cotswolds Way, the signage is the best of any trail I have walked.

As an example, this on the approach to Broadway Tower, but it would be a good idea to have the relevant OS topographical maps for the area. All of the public walking paths are clearly marked on the chart.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...74097f18a.jpeg

Thanks
 

Thank you all so much!

Bookmarking since I'd like to do a similar trip one day.

cdbarlow I'd love to read a trip report if you care to write one after taking this trip!

Some of my Cotswolds stories on another site might have some useful information for planning:

https://www.travelgumbo.com/2016/12/...by-in-england/

Trip Report
 

We had a great trip with Celtic Trails tours. We did a 7-day walk beginning and ending in Moreton-in-Marsh, focusing on the smaller villages. 5 walking days, one day at Sudeley Castle and the lavender fields and one day at Hidscote and Kiftsgate gardens. I highly recommend Celtic Trails for this type of trip. Very responsive, great maps and walk notes, good accommodations.