A 102‑mile wander along the Cotswold escarpment, the Cotswold Way is one of England’s most beautiful long‑distance trails. It blends golden‑stone villages, airy ridge walks, Iron Age forts, deep woodlands, wildflower meadows, and sweeping views across the Severn Vale.
The Cotswold Way: A Complete Journey from Chipping Campden to Bath
The route is well way‑marked and achievable for anyone with reasonable fitness, though the climbs come thick and fast. Most walkers complete it in seven to ten days, but taking longer lets you explore the villages, gardens, and historic sites that make this trail so special.
Stops Along the Cotswold Way
- Chipping Campden
- Dover’s Hill
- Broadway Tower
- Broadway
- Shenberrow Camp
- Stanton
- Stanway Estate
- Wood Stanway
- Beckbury Camp
- Hailes Abbey
- Winchcombe
- Belas Knap
- Breakheart Plantation
- Cleeve Hill
- Cleeve Common
- Bill Smylie’s Butterfly Reserve
- Dowdeswell Wood
- Dowdeswell Reservoir
- Lineover Wood
- Wistley Plantation
- Charlton Kings Common
- Leckhampton Hill (Devil’s Chimney)
- Crickley Hill Country Park
- Barrow Wake
- Birdlip
- Cooper’s Hill
- Painswick Beacon
- Painswick
- Edge Common
- Haresfield Beacon
- Standish Woods
- King’s Stanley
- Middleyard
- Coaley Peak
- Cam Long Down
- Dursley
- Stinchcombe Hill
- North Nibley
- Tyndale Monument
- Wotton Hill
- Wotton‑Under‑Edge
- Newark Park
- Alderley
- Lower Kilcott
- Hawkesbury Upton
- Horton Fort
- Horton
- Old Sodbury
- Dodington Park
- Tormarton
- Dyrham Park
- Dyrham Woods
- Cold Ashton
- Lower Hamswell
- Lansdown Battlefield
- Little Down
- Bath Racecourse
- Prospect Stile
- Weston
- Bath Abbey (Finish)
Cotswold Accommodation Map
Route Breakdown
Chipping Campden → Broadway (6 miles / 9.6 km)
Begin in Chipping Campden, climb to Dover’s Hill for huge views, cross fields to Broadway Tower, then descend into Broadway’s wide, elegant high street.
Broadway → Wood Stanway (6.5 miles / 10.5 km)
Climb back onto the escarpment, pass Shenberrow Camp, descend into Stanton, then cross the Stanway Estate to finish in Wood Stanway.
Wood Stanway → Winchcombe (5.4 miles / 8.8 km)
A steep climb leads to Beckbury Camp, then a descent to Hailes Abbey before farmland paths guide you into Winchcombe.
Winchcombe → Cleeve Hill (5.6 miles / 9 km)
Climb through the Sudeley Estate to Belas Knap, descend through Breakheart Plantation, then climb again to Cleeve Hill.
Cleeve Hill → Dowdeswell (5.5 miles / 8.9 km)
Walk across the highest part of the trail, pass butterfly meadows, then descend through Dowdeswell Wood to the reservoir.
Dowdeswell → Leckhampton Hill (4.7 miles / 7.6 km)
Cross Lineover Wood, climb to Wistley Plantation, descend near Seven Springs, then climb to Charlton Kings Common and Leckhampton Hill’s Devil’s Chimney.
Leckhampton Hill → Birdlip (5.6 miles / 9 km)
Follow quiet tracks to Crickley Hill, cross Barrow Wake’s grasslands, then enter woodland to reach Birdlip.
Birdlip → Painswick (8.6 miles / 13.9 km)
Walk through beech woods to Cooper’s Hill, then climb to Painswick Beacon before descending into Painswick.
Painswick → King’s Stanley (7.8 miles / 12.6 km)
Descend to Wash Brook, climb to Edge Common, pass Haresfield Beacon, then descend through Standish Woods into the Stroud Valleys.
King’s Stanley → Dursley (7.2 miles / 11.6 km)
Climb into Pen Wood, reach Coaley Peak, pass a disused quarry, then climb Cam Long Down before descending into Dursley.
Dursley → Wotton‑Under‑Edge (7.3 miles / 11.8 km)
Climb Stinchcombe Hill, descend to North Nibley, climb to Tyndale Monument, then cross Wotton Hill into Wotton‑Under‑Edge.
Wotton‑Under‑Edge → Hawkesbury Upton (7.4 miles / 11.9 km)
Climb past Newark Park, descend to Alderley, follow a millstream through Lower Kilcott, then climb to the Somerset Monument and reach Hawkesbury Upton.
Hawkesbury Upton → Tormarton (7.7 miles / 12.4 km)
Pass Horton Fort, cross farmland to Horton and Old Sodbury, then walk through Dodington Park into Tormarton.
Tormarton → Cold Ashton (6.6 miles / 10.6 km)
Cross arable land, follow the wall of Dyrham Park, climb through Dyrham Woods, and continue to Cold Ashton.
Cold Ashton → Bath (10.2 miles / 16.5 km)
Descend to Lower Hamswell, climb to Lansdown Battlefield, cross the plateau past Bath Racecourse, reach Prospect Stile for your first view of Bath, then follow parks and streets to Bath Abbey.
Best Places to Stay in Bath
Summary of the Trail
The Cotswold Way is a long, varied, and deeply rewarding journey through the heart of the Cotswolds. Expect steep climbs, airy ridge walks, peaceful woodland, historic estates, and villages that feel frozen in time. The northern half is hillier and more dramatic; the southern half is greener, more wooded, and ends with a triumphant arrival into Bath. It’s a trail that rewards slow travel, curiosity, and a willingness to explore beyond the path.
Tips for Walking the Cotswold Way
Extras: Explore gardens, churches, estates, and viewpoints — they’re part of the magic.
Footwear: Waterproof walking boots are essential; the escarpment gets muddy.
Navigation: Way‑marking is excellent, but a map or guidebook helps with planning.
Pacing: Break the trail into manageable days; the climbs add up quickly.
Weather: The escarpment is exposed — pack layers and waterproofs.
Water & food: Refill in villages; some stretches are remote.
Season: Spring brings bluebells and wild garlic; autumn offers golden beech woods.
Transport: Many sections are accessible by bus or taxi for day‑walkers.
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