TREKKING THE COTSWOLDS
A scenic journey through the U.K.
The preparations for our four-day walk across England’s enchanting countryside took more than a year. Coordinating travel opportunities for six women, friends from several different North American cities, was no easy task. But somehow the details fell into place and we found ourselves setting out in early September on an epic trek, walking and talking and solving life’s problems, big and small, one step at a time.
With the guidance of a very wellorganized walking tour company, Cotswold Walks, we self-navigated the ancient trails of the English countryside with a guide book and map app and managed to cover approximately 65 kilometres over 4 days — or in today’s Fitbit lingo, about 100,000 steps.
These steps were taken along one of the routes that connect hundreds of kilometres of pathways crisscrossing the gorgeous hills and valleys of central England.
The Cotswolds is one of the largest of the UK’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
AONB is an official designation from the public body Natural England, a conservation program of national importance to the UK. Essentially, these designations protect areas of pristine environment or historical significance and help provide access to the general public, free of charge.
You can walk carefully along centuries-old paths, through private properties and farms, passing through gates and over bridges with relative ease to see the countryside from a completely peaceful perspective, instead of through the window of a moving vehicle.
Our Cotswold Walks tour company took our suitcases from village to village as we walked 16 km each day, on average.
The elevations provided the most difficult challenge, as none of us were at marathon runner fitness level. But the daily treks were never insurmountable, and the guidebook allowed for stops along the way to visit historically important places, charming pubs for lunch and other delightful distractions, to keep up our momentum and accomplish our destination goal.
We stayed in five very comfortable and classic countryside inns along our way. Other walkers from around the world were quite easy to spot in the restaurants at night, with their guidebooks and hiking garb setting them apart from the locals. We met some of those locals, of course, and the service industry people were very gracious and helpful.
At times, Beatrix Potter seemed to be channelling herself through the characters we came across. It was all very enchanting.
And then of course there were the sheep. Thousands and thousands of woolly sheep dotted just about every field as our pathways traversed their gorgeous green pastures. The name, Cotswold comes from the word “cot” for sheep and “wold” for hill. At least, that’s one theory.
Much of the Cotswolds was built around the wool industry in the 15th and 16th centuries. But if it wasn’t sheep in our immediate vicinity, it was stunningly beautiful equestrian horses.
One of our ladies in the group, being a Calgary Stampede official, knew horses like a sommelier knows wine. She enlightened us on the equine types we were encountering and their probable value.
“That’s a million-dollar horse, right there,” she would say.
We actually walked through one of the top riding estates where world-class equestrian athletes and their horses train. An American heiress from Philadelphia owned it. We walked for a while with one of the estate staff and learned a bit about the legendary place.
Then there were the trees. The pathways across The Cotswolds have names like The Cotswold Way, The Winchcombe Way, and The Monarchs Way, and most of our route was marked on signposts, fence posts and gates with an acorn.
The mighty oak trees were no doubt the reason for this easy to identify icon. They rose up out of the fields and vales like giant storybook illustrations.
At times, we were expecting Robin Hood to appear or the Knights of the Round Table.
Our tour package included not only the accommodations in quite comfortable inns, but also an English breakfast each morning to get us fuelled for the day. Very generous portions of toast, eggs, beans, tomatoes, bacon, sausages, fruit, yogurt, and granola were offered. French press coffee and fresh juices were always available. It was never disappointing.
Lunches in authentic pubs with beer and cheeses and salads, etc., made for perfect stops midday.
Each of us had taken responsibility for a night and made reservations before our trip at recommended restaurants. Only one place didn’t quite hit the mark, but that’s a pretty standard holiday stat.
Also, heads up: some beer on tap is served warm and completely fizz-free; a bit disappointing if you’re yearning for a refreshing post-walk brew.
We walked from Moreton-in-Marsh, to Stow-on-the-Wold, to Bourton-on-the-Water, through Nanton, Guiting Power, and Broadway, and finally to Chipping Campden.
We fell in love with the churches and cottages and buildings made from the Cotswolds’ legendary limestone. We marvelled at the castles and historic monuments.
We patted at least a dozen lovely sheep dogs and other beautiful pets along the paths.
We talked as we walked and learned about each other’s lives. We tried to solve small problems and completely forget about the big world problems that have taken over daily conversations back home. We comforted each other and commiserated on common troubles and we marvelled at the spirit and sense of community women can have when we simply get-together.
Our final night was in central London as we enjoyed the musical Everybody’s Talking about Jamie. It was playing at the Apollo Theatre, just off Trafalgar Square.
It’s a story about finding your tribe and feeling like you belong, no matter what your circumstances are, or where you find your footing in life. It was the perfect way to end a walk with friends in a place you’ve never been before.