There is a particular pleasure in a walk that ends with a pint and a plate of something hot. In the Cotswolds, that pleasure is rarely more than a field away. The villages sit close together, footpaths thread between them, and almost every settlement of any size has an old inn that has been feeding walkers for centuries. What follows are five circular routes, each starting and finishing within easy reach of a good pub table.
None of them are secret. The Cotswolds is popular, and on a summer Saturday the honeypot villages fill up by ten in the morning. But each of these walks has a quieter half — usually the second half — where the crowds thin out and you get the countryside to yourself.
Bourton gets busy, so start early or arrive late. Park at one of the village car parks and head upstream on the Windrush, following the riverside path north-west out of the village. Within ten minutes the coach parties are behind you.
The route runs across flat water meadows to Lower Slaughter, where the river passes an old mill and the cottages seem to lean over the water. It is one of the most photographed spots in England, and rightly so. Carry on up the lane to Upper Slaughter, quieter still, then loop back north-east across fields to Bourton.
Distance: about four miles. Terrain: flat, with a few stiles and one short climb out of Upper Slaughter. Muddy after rain — the meadows hold water. The village has plenty of pubs; the ones slightly back from the river tend to be calmer and better value than those on the main stretch.
This is the walk to choose when you want a view with your lunch. From the High Street, pick up the Cotswold Way and climb north-west out of the village. The path is steep in places but short, and the reward comes quickly: from the top of Dover's Hill you look out over the Vale of Evesham, with the Malverns on a clear day.
Dover's Hill is famous for its annual summer games, but on an ordinary weekday you may have the whole escarpment to yourself. Drop down through the woods and return on field paths and quiet lanes, coming back into Campden past the church of St James, whose tower is worth a look before you eat.
Distance: roughly six and a half miles, with about 200 metres of ascent. The paths are well drained underfoot for most of the year.
Campden has a handful of inns along and just off the High Street. Two things worth knowing:
Broadway's wide green and honey-coloured houses make it one of the most attractive villages in the region, and the walk up to the tower is the classic introduction to the northern escarpment. Head up through the woods from the village, climbing steadily to the folly on the ridge.
From the top the views stretch across the Vale of Evesham and, on the clearest days, to the Black Mountains. Come back down on the Cotswold Way, dropping through sheep fields into the village.
Distance: about four miles, with a steep and sustained climb. The woodland section is slippery when wet, so take your time on the descent. Broadway is thick with tearooms and pubs; for a proper meal after a walk, the hotel dining rooms in the village tend to be the most reliable. Most have gardens, which matters in July.
Winchcombe is a real town rather than a show village, and it makes a good base for a longer day. Walk out towards Sudeley Castle, following the footpaths through the estate parkland. The castle gardens charge for entry, but the surrounding paths are public and give you the best views of the building anyway.
From there, climb up to Belas Knap, a Neolithic long barrow on the ridge above the town. It is a strange, quietly impressive place, and the walk up through the beech woods is lovely in autumn. Return by way of the lanes and a stretch of the old railway path.
Distance: five to seven miles, depending on how much of the ridge you take in. The climb to Belas Knap is steady rather than brutal, but the ground is uneven around the barrow. Note that Hailes Abbey, a short way along the ridge, is a separate ticketed site — check opening times before you plan a detour.
Back in Winchcombe, the pubs along the main street serve food most of the day. Ask about dogs and muddy boots when you book; policies vary.
Stow sits at the top of the hills, and the walking from the town is open and expansive. Head south-west on the Macmillan Way towards the Swells, a pair of villages so small that many visitors miss them entirely. The paths cross big fields with wide skies, and the light here is superb in the late afternoon.
Return via the Salt Way and the lanes on the edge of the town. Distance: about five miles, with gentle gradients rather than steep ones. The going is generally dry on this limestone, though the fields are exposed in wind and rain.
Stow's inns cluster around the market square, and several have open fires in winter. The town is also the best of the five for a post-walk wander, with antique shops and a couple of good delis for provisions.
A few habits make these walks better. Check food serving times before you set out; many village pubs stop serving between about half two and six, and arriving at three o'clock to a closed kitchen is a familiar disappointment. Ring ahead for groups of six or more, and mention if you have a dog.
Pack a paper map or a charged phone with an offline map, because signal is patchy in the valleys and some field paths are faint on the ground. Wear boots from October to April — the clay and meadow sections hold water for days after rain. Carry water even on short routes; the villages are not evenly spaced and you cannot rely on finding a shop mid-walk.
Finally, if you plan a long route or a winter walk, look up sunset times and take a torch. Dusk arrives quickly under the escarpment, and the last mile back to the pub is much more enjoyable when you can see it.
Photo: tianya1223 / Pixabay
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