When it comes to getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, there’s nothing better than walking in the countryside. Immersing yourself in peace & quiet; wandering quiet footpaths away from the crowds.
This is exactly what we (David, Becky and Emma) were looking forward to with our latest trip to the Cotswolds. We were checking out a new route in the region that promised to be all things Cotswolds (but without the crowds).
Starting in a quiet village outside the local country inn, an ancient creeper-clad cottage with a slate roof and a wonderful shady beer garden, we resisted the urge to call in this early in our walk and set off down a quiet country lane. The sun was shining with white fluffy clouds being blown across the sky by the breeze. We walked on, past budleia bushes teeming with butterflies, and into shady woodland echoing with the song of blackcaps, wrens, finches, robins and blackbirds, accompanied by the ever-present cooing of wood pigeons.
We ambled past meadows of wildflowers humming with bees and other insects, savouring the sounds of nature and letting our eyes wander to the horizon. After a while, our route took us to an old towpath alongside an abandoned canal. Originally built in the late 1700s and abandoned at the start of the 20th century, the canal is now a tranquil, wooded haven for wildlife. In fact, it was hard to imagine how it would once have been a hive of industrial activity with colourful narrowboats transporting cloth made from Cotswolds wool from factory to market.
Following the old canal route, we stopped for lunch at a local cafe in a wonderful village nestled in a steep-sided valley; formerly a weaving hub, ancient weavers cottages still cling to the side of the hill giving the village an almost ‘Alpine’ feel. Wandering through the quiet lanes past these quaint and quirky buildings was a real treat. After a refreshing stop, we continued on. Leaving the canal for the open countryside, we weaved our way through fields, woods, and quiet country lanes; the only people we encountered were local dogwalkers and the occasional family out foraging for some of the many blackberries in the hedgerows. It genuinely felt that we were a million miles from anywhere.
On the final stretch of our route, we came across the entrance to an old canal tunnel. It was a surprisingly grand structure. Adorned with turrets and crenelations, it looked as if it had come straight from the pages of a Tolkien book.
From here, it was a short walk to our destination (the beautiful country inn where we started out from) and where we now stopped for a refreshing cold drink in the beer garden. This was a beautifully tranquil walk in the Cotswolds, peaceful countryside, quaint villages, rolling farmland and a fascinating glimpse into a bygone industrial age. All in all, a wonderful walk.
If you’d like to know more about our walking & hiking holidays in the Cotswolds and South West England, simply visit our holidays page or send us an email.