From: Berkeley and Dursley, Gloucestershire
Started: 20110409
Finished: 20111001
The seeds were sown to walk the Cotswold Way after one of this group had spotted an "I’ve walked the Cotswold Way" badge back in 2010 and it was only a matter of time before the rest of the group unwittingly signed up to the idea. We started in Chipping Campden in April and completed the walk in seven stages, each in a different month, finishing on 1st October. Very fortunate with the weather (or was it Pete’s excellent planning?) as other than a very windy trek across Cleeve Cloud, we had anywhere between good and glorious weather throughout.
Many highlights including Broadway, Belas Knap, Roman snails, Cooper’s Hill, Kev’s commentaries and quizzes, the views, the "half-way" marker, Sue’s geography lessons, getting our completion cards stamped, the hill-top forts, Paddy’s diet tips, the leaning tower of Hawkesbury and a surreal walk through Bath amongst a mass of Saturday shoppers and tourists (oh, plus all the pubs we ended each stage at). Only disappointment was touching the Abbey doors and realising that it was all over.
Many thanks go to our support driver Janet who uncomplainingly picked us up each morning, took us to the end point of each stage (where we would leave another vehicle) and then would drop us off at the start point for our day’s walking.