London and Cotswolds
 

Happy New Year All,
I have an opportunity to travel for a week, Aug 9-17, solo or with a companion. I'm thinking about London and the Cotswolds.

The number of villages and options are enticing, I'm hoping to hone down my choices but asking for opinions here.
I'd be flying into London for the US. Probably spend a day or so in London, then train to ... Moreton-on-Marsh? My goal is to walk, cycle around the Cotswolds for 2-3 days, then back to London before returning home. I am now "of a certain age", but am a walker and bike rider, and can do about 2 hours at a time max doing either. (Doesn't mean I'd collapse for the day after that, in fact, after a rest, I can continue til I drop) I enjoy art, history, gardens, exploring. Not a foodie, or shopper or drinker)

So, given that ...I'd like to do a loop of some kind, and be able to return to my lodgings at the end of the day, not back-pack from village to village.

Any and all opinions appreciated.

I've spent a lot of time in the area though I've not lived there for some time. Firstly it is hilly and traffic seems light but can be fast and on narrow lanes. Despite the fact I cycle all over the world I would not cycle in the Cotswolds unless a local recommended it.

But walking, the area is perfect. You can use google and look at the tourist information official website. The Uk has thousands of miles of public paths which can be pub to pub or station to station or as you wish.

https://footpathmaps.com/ is useful for planning purposes (but I'd buy a map from)
https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/

hope that helps

Thanks, Bilboburgler, that does help! I was envisioning cycling along a river path, walking along other paths, etc. I will check out the maps.

We stayed in Burford this past June. We took two walks, one starting in the village itself, the other beginning in Bourton-on-the-Water, visiting the Slaughters. We had a car, but it is possible to take a bus to Bourton (and given the parking situation there -- it's very busy -- perhaps preferable).

We stayed at The Lamb in Burford, and recommend it highly. https://www.cotswold-inns-hotels.co.uk/the-lamb-inn//

Totally agree with Bilboburgler. The Cotswolds are walking heaven, biking - not so much. In fact I would not consider biking. Yes, there are some cycle paths - this links lists a few but they are quite spread out (many miles from each other) so managing more than one or two from a single base would be a huge task https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/...ling-cotswolds I would not attempt to cycle 'for transportation' on real roadways. Too narrow, too much traffic, seldom any verge . . .

But there are public footpaths everywhere.

Several towns/villages would make a good base. If you want rail access from London then Moreton-in-Marsh or Kingham would be good but Burford or Chipping Campden or Stow-on-the-Wold would be lovely.

On a prior trip I found Bourton-on-the water to be a charming little Costwolds town, well worth visiting.

Thanks so much for your insights. It's always good to hear from people who have actually been to a place. I guess I was assuming that if you could walk easily, you could bike easily.
Just returned from the library with a book on Cotswolds, and will enjoy perusing it.
Fra...the Lamb looks lovely.
Janisj, I had seen the sustrans website prior to posting, and thought that biking would be easier than it seems to be.
Senator Steve, thanks to you, too.
Thanks to all.

In any case bring Wellies! I once walked between Lower and Upper Slaughter - one of the most popular walks in the Cotswold Hills and even though it weren't raining that day it had before and with my regular running shoes got all muddy and wet.

>>In any case bring Wellies! <<

Sorry Pal - that a horrible idea.. Might I ask if you have actually done what you suggest? Wellies are for slopping out the farm yard or working in the garden - not for walking through the Cotswolds. They offer no support, are heavy, and would fill the suitcase. Good walking shoes or low boots are what one wants (water proofed if necessary)

<<Sorry Pal - that a horrible idea.. Might I ask if you have actually done what you suggest? Wellies are for slopping out the farm yard or working in the garden - not for walking through the Cotswolds. They offer no support, are heavy, and would fill the suitcase. Good walking shoes or low boots are what one wants (water proofed if necessary)>>

have to agree with jj there - I broke my ankle when out walking in wellies and had to be airlifted to hospital in the helicopter. Not nice. Decent shoes/ boots with ankle support are the way to go.

Wellies...
 

Ok...I don't want to start a controversy here. I like to be prepared, so I will bring appropriate footwear. Thanks again.

There are indeed footpaths everywhere but that doesn’t mean they’re paved or suitable for cycling - they’re often muddy paths around and through fields, or over stiles. Never assume a public footpath is an actual path you can cycle on.

Wellies also don't breathe and you may end up with a big headache. Good hiking boots use breathable materials like GoreTex or similar. And they typically have much better grip over slippery rocks, etc.

There are more or less no bikeable riverside paths in the Cotswolds. This local strongly recommends you travel the way nature intended: on foot or by public transport

The reason there are over a hundred thousand miles of footpath in England is that they are simply pedestrian rights of way across countryside or private property. Even when bikes are legally allowed over them (on most paths, bikes have no right of way), they're antisocial, often making paths unuseable by the walkers the right of way was created for.

Paths may or may not be muddy: this winter has been unusually dry and so far most Cotswold fields and woodland can be walked across in little more than trainers, though it's always wise for serious (>5 miles at a go) walking to use waterproof shoes with adequate ankle support

It's not just a question of suitability. It's not allowed to cycle on footpaths. If it's a bridleway, then you can cycle but you'll find that many paths are marked as footpaths and you really don't want to be doing it - you'll have militant walkers and farmers all over you.

I agree with the others on road cycling. Cotswolds can be an unpleasant area to drive, never mind cycle. Lots of aggressive driving on tiny roads due to the large numbers of London types (part time commuters into town, etc). These guys in Land Rovers on country roads is a bad recipe. It's lovely but it can feel more like a suburb than real countryside. That said, it's easy to get away from all of that on a nice country walk.

Informative posts
 

Thanks to all for these informative posts. I will make sure to abide the rules and respect the landscape, as always.

Fra Diavolo - The Lamb in Burford looks beautiful!
We've stayed in various places in the Cotswolds (as a base).

Over the years I'd have to say our favorite was Lower Slaughter, but it is a very small town. We actually got around by mopeds (this was in 1977 and we were more daring in our younger years!) The major problem was remembering to keep our mouths closed otherwise you'd get a mouthful of bugs flying past.

I want to add that if you love Shakespeare you might want to make a trip to Stratford Upon Avon. We've seen many plays over the years and the Old Globe is really the best in the world.