From: Arundel, Maine (USA)
Started: 20150624
Finished: 20150706
We flew into Heathrow on a sunny Tuesday morning and took a train and then a bus to Chipping Campden, where we spent a couple of days day resting up and getting our walking legs going. Loved Chipping Campden and the wonderful old St. James church and gardens, and exploring the great pubs & inns on High St. We stayed at a fantastic B & B – The Chance – just out of downtown and they gave us a good start. We walked up onto Dover Hill and had our first experience with sheep – lots of sheep! – and walking some eight miles through fields of barley and rapeseed into Broadway, where we spent the night. Of course we stopped just out of town at the Broadway Tower for a “cuppa” tea and a scone.
Dinner at the Crown & Trumpet pub, where we stayed for a group of local musicians who played great trad jazz. Walking back to our B & B afterwards, we happened upon a Morris dance (and drinking) group hard at practice outside the Swan on the main street.
Our plans took us to Hailes, just outside of Winchcombe, where we spent a couple of nights at Ireley Farm, a real working farm within easy walking range of downtown. Don’t miss the ruins of the Hailes Abbey on the way in. Cromwell’s men left there mark all over this area in the Civil War. The walk out of Winchecomb on a misty Sunday morning, church bells pealing as we left, through fields of cows and sheep, past the cricket pitch and up onto the fields on the Cotswold escarpment was wonderful. We we alone most of the way too, and stopping at Belas Knapp for lunch felt special. Finally we got to Cleeve Hill -a windswept gold course and the highest elevation on the Way – and spent the night at the Cleeve Hill Hotel.
Then on to Birdlip and next night to Painswick. Great old town, wonderful St, Andrews church grounds to explore. Ask about the 99 yews too. Just out of Painswick is the half-way marker, which made us feel good that we could make it.
Spent the next night at the Black Dog Inn in North Nibley and then into Wooten-under Edge. A lovely stretch from there into Old Sodbury, where Joan – the owner of the Dog Inn – took extra good care of us on our Independence Day- July 4th – with American flags in the pub and even Budweiser beer! Local ales are best though,
On the next to last stage into Cold Ashton, we picked up a Norwegian walker in Dyrham Park and shared life-stories for miles. That’s the very best part of walking like this -we met such wonderful people! There actually were not many people on the trail until we got close to Bath.
Bath was a highlight and lived up to our hopes. the Abbey at the end of the Way is so impressive and goes back well over a 1000 years. We stayed at the Henry House and arriving soaked after walking several hours in pouring rain – our first real taste of “English Weather” in our fortnight of walking – our hosts made us feel at home with hot tea and home-made bread.
All in all, this was a wonderful experience. We’ve walked a good chunk of the Camino in Spain too and the Cotswold Way was equal to (different of course) that life-changing experience. The path is extremely well marked and the people we met along the way made us feel welcome and at home. We plan on doing this again!