Jean M
10+ Posts
My husband and I will be in the Cotswolds for two weeks in April, having rented a National Trust cottage. We have not been in the Cotswolds but have hiked, among other places, in Italy, Sicily, and the Dordogne. Much of what we did on those trips was influenced by things we learned from information we found on Slow Travel. We are a little older these days and, due to a recently diagnosed illness, are looking forward to the tamer pace of the Cotswolds. Based on Pauline's recommendations in her costwolder.com site, I purchased and am studying diligently the Golden Eye Cotswold Classic Walks, and two of the Cotswold Pathfinder guides. Some of these hikes are enticing but many are longer than we will be able to do. The AONB site has shorter hikes but those don't look as interesting as the ones in GE and the Pathfinders. It's a hard choice but I think I can merge several together and come up with hikes that will work for us. I am concerned about mud in April and realize it will not be easy to tell until arrival which trails will be muddy and which drier. My Oboz Sawtooth are waterproof. Nonetheless, I don't relish having them swallowed in mud.
We enjoy walks through rolling countryside with no crowds and interesting sites. The walk from Burford to Swinbrook and the walk between the two Eastleachs, both recommended elsewhere on this forum, sound just grand. The hikes around Winchcombe also sound fine but it's hard to tell how much incline there is. ("Go up a hill" etc. is not very definite and just knowing the highest point on a trail is not helpful as knowing the total elevation gain.) Slight inclines we can handle but extreme inclines are difficult. Any recommendations on 3-4 mile scenic and/or interesting hikes with not too much incline (and hopefully not too much mud) would be much appreciated.
On another note, I was disappointed to see the cotswolder.com site is no longer active. Is there a way to access Pauline's hiking notes from that site?
Slow Travel and now Slow Europe, along with Pauline's suggestions and the other great posts thereon, greatly enriched our past trips to France and Italy. I'm now enjoying this site and look forward to learning all sorts of interesting tips about the Cotswolds from generous travelers willing to share their knowledge.
Thanks, Pauline for making it possible.
We enjoy walks through rolling countryside with no crowds and interesting sites. The walk from Burford to Swinbrook and the walk between the two Eastleachs, both recommended elsewhere on this forum, sound just grand. The hikes around Winchcombe also sound fine but it's hard to tell how much incline there is. ("Go up a hill" etc. is not very definite and just knowing the highest point on a trail is not helpful as knowing the total elevation gain.) Slight inclines we can handle but extreme inclines are difficult. Any recommendations on 3-4 mile scenic and/or interesting hikes with not too much incline (and hopefully not too much mud) would be much appreciated.
On another note, I was disappointed to see the cotswolder.com site is no longer active. Is there a way to access Pauline's hiking notes from that site?
Slow Travel and now Slow Europe, along with Pauline's suggestions and the other great posts thereon, greatly enriched our past trips to France and Italy. I'm now enjoying this site and look forward to learning all sorts of interesting tips about the Cotswolds from generous travelers willing to share their knowledge.
Thanks, Pauline for making it possible.