Day 3 of our guided Story of the Cotswolds hike brought a real contrast in the weather. The light rain did not dampen spirits as we set out from a small Cotswolds village with Stow-on-the-Wold in our sights!
We began our hike in a small Cotswolds village well off the typical tourist trail, and admired a 1300-year-old Yew tree in the small churchyard. Inside the church, we sat in the pews to soak up the atmosphere of this ancient place.
Our hike led us across a magnificent village green, dotted around its edges with the most delightful Cotswolds stone cottages and houses. We had great fun picking out which cottage we would love to own.
Soon we turned off the village road and through a natural archway made by Beech trees. Their leaves had already begun to turn and fall, creating a rust coloured carpet for us to walk on.
A few miles later we arrived in Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds. Stow-on-the-Wold was famed for its sheep markets, where up to 20 000 sheep a day could be traded.
Here we took a tour with David as our guide. We admired the impressive looking wooden church doorway at the church with two Yew trees, said to have inspired author Tolkien to write about the ‘ doors of Durin’ in Lord of the Rings. And we passed the old stocks!
Our guests enjoyed some free time in the town before we headed to a local delicatessen for lunch.
Refreshed after delicious warming soups and salads with a slight kick, we set out again on our trail. This time we headed to our new country inn for the evening.
We hiked for over two and a half hours and gradually the rain and low cloud cleared, drying up the day. Weather-wise, it was a day of two halves.
On route our feet fell into a steady rhythm. We chatted amongst ourselves, and at times everyone was quiet, enjoying the silence of this area of Cotswolds countryside. We paused at times to take in the magnificent views of the countryside on the onset of autumn. Changes were evident in the countryside.
Eight miles later we were all excited and happy to arrive at our country inn for the evening, set in a small Cotswolds village that is also off the beaten path. Here the first fire of the season had been lit, glowing red in the huge fireplace and the table was set for our dinner with beautiful fresh flowers. Dinner was an enticing thought!
Many of us enjoyed British fish and chips for supper and again we talked, exchanging stories of our lives and enjoying discovering the differences between English and American culture.
If you feel inspired to hike the Cotswolds in 2027, browse our selection of Cotswolds trips or drop us a line.
