Trailblazer Guide Books

wonderful handbooks
 - The Bookseller

INTRODUCTION

PART 1: PLANNING YOUR WALK

About the Cotswold Way
History of the trail 9 – Geology 9 – How difficult is the Cotswold Way? 11 – GPS 11 – How long do you need? 12

Practical information for the walker
Accommodation 13 – Food and drink 17 – Money 19 – Other services 20 – Taking dogs along the Cotswold Way 20 – Information for foreign visitors 20 – Disabled access 22 – Walking companies 22

Budgeting 23

When to go
Seasons 24 – Daylight hours 25 – Annual events 26

Itineraries
Highlights 28 – Suggested itineraries 30 – Which direction? 31 – Side trips 31 – Facilities along the Cotswold Way 32

What to take
Keep it light 35 – How to carry it 36 – Footwear 36 – Clothes 36 – Toiletries 37 – First-aid kit 38 – General items 38 – Camping gear 39 – Money 39 – Travel insurance 39 – Maps 39 – Recommended reading 40 – Sources of further information 41

Getting to and from the Cotswold Way
Getting to Britain 42 – National transport 43 – Local transport 46

PART 2: MINIMUM-IMPACT AND SAFE WALKING

Minimum-impact walking
Economic impact 49 – Environmental impact 49 – Access 51

Health and safety
Health 53 – Outdoor safety 55

PART 3: THE ENVIRONMENT & NATURE

Conserving the Cotswolds
Government agencies and schemes 58 – Campaigning and conservation organizations 59 – Beyond conservation 61

Flora and fauna
Trees and shrubs 61 – Wild flowers 62 – Butterflies 65 – Birds 65 – Mammals 69 – Reptiles 71

PART 4: ROUTE GUIDE AND MAPS

Using this guide 73

The route guide 74
Chipping Campden 74

Chipping Campden to Broadway 82 (Broadway 82)

Broadway to Winchcombe 88 (Buckland 88, Snowshill 90, Stanton 90, Stanway 92, Wood Stanway 92, North Farmcote 92, Hailes 92, Winchcombe 94)

Winchcombe to Cleeve Hill 101 (Postlip 101, Cleeve Hill 104)

Cleeve Hill to Leckhampton Hill 104 (Cheltenham 108, Where to stay and eat around Cheltenham: Southam 110, Ham Hill 110, Charlton Kings 112, Nr Dowdeswell Reservoir 112, Upper Coberley 114, Coberley 114, Seven Springs 114, Leckhampton 114)

Leckhampton to Birdlip 114 (Little Shurdington 118, Around Crickley Hill 118, Birdlip 118)

Birdlip to Painswick 120 (Little Witcombe 120, Cooper’s Hill 120, Cranham Corner 120, Painswick 124)

Painswick to Stonehouse/Ebley 128 (Edge 128, Randwick/Westrip 128, Stonehouse/Ebley 130)

Stonehouse/Ebley to Pen Wood 130 (King’s Stanley 134, Middleyard 134, Selsey 134)

Pen Wood to Dursley 135 (Nympsfield 136, Uley 136, Dursley 140)

Dursley to Wotton-under-Edge 142 (North Nibley 144, Wotton-under-Edge 144)

Wotton-under-Edge to Old Sodbury 150 (Alderley 150, Hillesley 150, Kingswood 152, Lower Kilcott 154, Hawkesbury Upton 154, Horton 154, Little Sodbury 154, Old Sodbury 156)

Old Sodbury to Cold Ashton 156 (Coomb’s End 156, Tormarton 158, South of the M4 158, Pennsylvania 160, Cold Ashton 160)

Cold Ashton to Bath 164

Bath 166

APPENDIX
A: GPS waypoints 184
B: Map keys 185
C: Distance chart 186

INDEX 188