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We are walking the Cotswold's. What's your favorite part of the trail?

Four couples are planning to walk for four to five days along the Cotswold Way (or on other trails as recommended by you!) in November. We realize that this could be challenging weatherwise but the timing is not in our control. We would also like recommendations of lodging that will accomodate the 8 of us. It seems that many B&B's are too small. I'd like to keep the cost under 100 pounds a night per couple.

Thanks for your thoughts!
Mary

I replied to this post about half an hour ago and don't know where it's gone...?

OK, start again...

Weather in November in this part of the world is usually not bad. Some frosty mornings followed by bright crisp sunny days, others grey, maybe foggy, and some rainy. But overall nothing horrendous. Though given the weather we have had here this so-called summer, you could get anything! Be prepared, as they say.

I live about 8 miles off the Cotswold Way, from Birdlip/Cranham in one direction, and Ryeford/Kings Stanley in the other.

I've a really busy week at work, and am away this weekend, but will try to find some accommodation for you next week. A lot of B&Bs won't have enough rooms for 4 couples, so I will look into inns/small hotels for you. Just give me a few days or so.

And if you find yourselves stopping over on my part of the Cotswold Way, then I'd love to meet with you all for a drink/supper/GTG one evening.

Just quickly, at Birdlip, just off the CW is

http://www.theroyalgeorge-hotel.com/

and I found this website which has lists of accommodations along the Cotswold Way, some are small B&Bs but others have several double/twin rooms that could fit you all in. You just have to click on where you want to stay over...

http://www.sherpavan.com/accomm_booking/accommrc.htm

Lower Slaughter to Upper Slaughter, but was a mudhole when i took it.

PQ: lower slaughter to upper slaughter is only about 3/4 of a mile - not much into long distance walking, are we?? :)

Mary: Julia and flanneruk (if he sees your thread) will have lots of detailed info for you. I haven't walked the Cotswold Way as such -I just take public footpaths where ever I want to walk in the area.

But I do have a suggestion about accomodations - I'd rent a cottage instead of paying up to £100 per couple in a hotel. You can get a really great 4 bdrm house for a fraction of that amount.

I have urls for a few places at home and will try to post later . . . .

Author: Mary
Date: 07/17/2007, 02:08 pm
Four couples are planning to walk for four to five days along the Cotswold Way (or on other trails as recommended by you!) in November. We realize that this could be challenging weatherwise but the timing is not in our control. We would also like recommendations of lodging that will accomodate the 8 of us. It seems that many B&B's are too small. I'd like to keep the cost under 100 pounds a night per couple.

Thanks for your thoughts!
Mary

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Author: julia_t
Date: 07/17/2007, 02:53 pm
I replied to this post about half an hour ago and don't know where it's gone...?

OK, start again...

Weather in November in this part of the world is usually not bad. Some frosty mornings followed by bright crisp sunny days, others grey, maybe foggy, and some rainy. But overall nothing horrendous. Though given the weather we have had here this so-called summer, you could get anything! Be prepared, as they say.

I live about 8 miles off the Cotswold Way, from Birdlip/Cranham in one direction, and Ryeford/Kings Stanley in the other.

I've a really busy week at work, and am away this weekend, but will try to find some accommodation for you next week. A lot of B&Bs won't have enough rooms for 4 couples, so I will look into inns/small hotels for you. Just give me a few days or so.

And if you find yourselves stopping over on my part of the Cotswold Way, then I'd love to meet with you all for a drink/supper/GTG one evening.

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Author: julia_t
Date: 07/17/2007, 03:14 pm
Just quickly, at Birdlip, just off the CW is

http://www.theroyalgeorge-hotel.com/

and I found this website which has lists of accommodations along the Cotswold Way, some are small B&Bs but others have several double/twin rooms that could fit you all in. You just have to click on where you want to stay over...

http://www.sherpavan.com/accomm_booking/accommrc.htm

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Author: PalenQ
Date: 07/17/2007, 03:20 pm
Lower Slaughter to Upper Slaughter, but was a mudhole when i took it.

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Author: janisj
PQ: not much into long distance walking, are we??

i average about 15 miles a day on foot when i'm in europe.

That's why I was teasing you - I know you walk a lot - but the one segment you recommended is about a 15 minute stroll at most.

I can't help with your specific question, but if you have a chance to meet julia_t, go for it!

Lee Ann

It's rather strange that this post shows up duplicated following PalenQ's post!

Thanks so much for the ideas Julia_T. I will check these out tonight when I get home. I did see the Sherpavan site and that's when I discovered that finding 4 rooms in a B&B was going to be difficult. We'd like to avoid the big commercialized hotels and we do plan to move every night (unless we find the perfect spot!) So, Janisj, I will have to see if these houses will take us for one night.
Thanks very much for all your efforts so far. This is a wonderful resource.
Mary

I didn't mean for one night - very few self catering cottages will rent for less than a long weekend. I suggested them as a base for the entire 4 or 5 days. Packing and moving every day for 4 or 5 nights will be "crazy making". I'd rent a nice house and then drive out to the various walks.

(The duplicated posts are because PQ was trying to copy my previous post but he copiedthe whole thread)

Yes, I see that most of them do not rent for less than 3 nights. Our group is more interested in trying different lodging than committing to one place. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

finding rooms for 8 for one night will be tough - and only tougher since you'd need 4 different properties.

oops - didn't meant to click post

You will probably be able to find a few places w/ space for 4 couples in Nov. But you want them on the Cotswold Way and in fairly specific places so your choices will be pretty limited.

So maybe keep a house rental as a "plan B"

Mary, would you please post a trip report when you return? I am interested in very much the same plan for 2008.

Lee Ann - thanks for your kind words! And it was lovely to meet you as well, a really nice evening.

Mary - on the sherpavan site, if you click on the villages along the Cotswold Way, for example Stanton, you will find a B&B which offers 2 double ensuite rooms and 2 twin ensuite rooms, and then at Nympsfield the Rose & Crown (which is a lovely country inn with really good food)- they have the same, so there's 2 places along the way with enough rooms for you all.

I don't know the northern part of Gloucestershire very well at all, but Stanton is a very pretty village, 23 miles from the start of the Cotswold Way - a possible stop for your first night?

The Royal George at Birdlip is featured, and has 2 double and 2 twin rooms, there's nowhere at Ullenwood, and the two for Uley are too small. That is just clicking at random on these stops along the Way.

While sherpavan do book the accommodation for you, all the places featured have contact info so there is no reason why you can't book direct with them. I think the advantage of booking with them is that they will carry your baggage from one place to another.

Good luck, and post back to say how you are getting on with your plans!

I can suggest an alternative that we tried (twice) and quite like. HF Holidays, an English ramblers group, has a beautiful old house in Bourton on the Water and does regularly scheduled Cotswold Walks. You stay in Bourton and walk a different route each day. I think they also have a Cotswold Way walk. For information, do a Google search on HF Holidays.

This is good, you are all a big help. And I will definitely post a trip report when I get back...in 4 months!
It's too late for me to check out these inns tonight but the weekend is just around the corner and I will dedicate some time to it then.