The Cotswold Way: Our Plan

It’s time for another hike! This opportunity has been triggered by a wedding invite from friends we saw on our Grasmere rest day during our Coast-to-Coast adventure last summer (thank you Grace and Peter). After the wedding festivities, we will head south to the Cotswolds, but will hike it in a new way. So why are we doing this hike differently? Let me explain.

There are different ways to hike multiday trips. Samuel and I have loved our backpacking trips where we camp in the wilderness, gaining a great sense of independence and flexibility. Last summer, Team Sloth used a luggage service to prebook hotels for the eighteen day Coast-to-Coast, giving us a bed every night and a bag-shuttler, but it was more expensive and the accommodation reservations were unchangeable, setting each day’s distance. However, we also learned the simplicity of using transportation to get you to/from the trailhead each day, so that you don’t have to stay “on trail,” though continuing the walk directly from the B&B is the most satisfying. So, for this hike, we are using a hotel in Cheltenham as “base camp” for five nights, getting to and from the trail each day. This gives us some flexibility about how far we hike each day and introduces the adventure of finding transport. Also, it is just Janet and I, having officially become empty-nesters last week. We hope to use these experiences to plan a Lands End to John O’Groats (LEJOG) walk, a full length of Britain from bottom-left to top-right (~ 1000 miles), recently inspired by Jane’s Big Walk.

What is the Cotswold Way and how are we doing it?

The Cotswolds is a region in southwest England designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and known for its rolling hills and picturesque villages. The Cotswold Way is a 102-mile National Trail on its western edge, following the tops of the hills from Chipping Campden to Bath.

Our plan is to hike the first half from north to south, shuttling back-and-forth from Cheltenham.

We have guidebooks (Cotswold Way and Trekking the Cotswold Way), and maps (OS Maps, AllTrails, and Farout).

While the walk is hilly, it won’t be as tiring as the Lake District, though we have struggled to train in the relentless heat of Houston’s summer. The challenge will be the shuttling. While we most probably can just take a taxi each morning and afternoon, other public transport options will be cheaper and more adventurous. There is a steam railway and a bus service close to the trail, though the service frequency varies from infrequent to not-at-all. We are using the train to get to and from Cheltenham.

We will be travelling with only carry-on luggage. This makes the flying much simpler, and we want to get into the minimalistic mindset for a future LEJOG trip. However, including wedding outfits will make this a bit more challenging. Also, I hear that airline security often don’t allow trekking poles in carry-on. We will pick up a couple of sets in England, and will try flying back with them in our carry-on.

We start hiking on August 25th, so watch out for the first day’s blog. Thank you, Kylie, for looking after Saydee and our house during this adventure. The weather forecast shows rain for almost every day of the trip, so typical English weather is expected which will be a welcome change from the Houston furnace.

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