Where to purchase maps and guides

[CindyP]

We will be needing maps for driving in England, mainly in the area of Bath and the Cotswolds. And we'll want some detailed guides for walking in the Cotswolds. I've been reading The Cotswolder site which is a goldmine of info, thank you so much Pauline Kenny. We will have our GPS with the UK maps but I do like my paper maps and guides.

Most of the books and maps recommended are not easily available in the US. I can get some used copies but I'm wondering if I would be better off waiting and buying them once we arrive. Just having to pack and carry books adds a lot of weight to luggage and for some reason too many books seem to trigger baggage search.

Would there be somewhere in Bath I could pick up what we will need? We will be getting our rental car after a couple days in Bath. It would be nice to be able to see what I am buying to know if it actually going to cover the area we will be staying in. It's not always easy to tell that with used book descriptions.

Thank you, Cindy P.

 

[Kathy]

Hi Cindy, we're here in the Cotswolds now (Chipping Campden), near the end of a month-long stay.

You can easily find maps and guidebooks for walking when you're here. Check the Tourist Information Office or any bookshop (there are many) in Bath or wherever you'll be staying.

Rather than a big ordnance map, I would suggest a guidebook of circular walks that includes the relevant portion of the map and also detailed instructions for a walk. These guidebooks also usually include some background historical info about points along the way. In the northern Cotswolds you can also purchase laminated maps with directions for (examples) "Walks around Chipping Campden" or "Walks around Stow-in-the-Wold." A circular walk is important so you can walk from your village or from wherever you've parked your car, returning a different route.

This website has some online walks you can download: http://www.escapetothecotswolds.org.uk/walking/ (see links on the right.)

Where are you staying? I might be able to make a suggestion for a good walk.

 

[Eleanor]

For driving, I've always used the AA road atlas to Britain at a scale of 3 miles to 1 inch. These are usually readily available in garages or shops once you get to England, or else you can but in advance from Amazon. The only problem is that it is big being A3 size.
https://www.amazon.com/2018-Big-Roa...r=8-1&keywords=AA+Big+Road+Atlas+Britain+2018

For walking the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 explorer maps at a scale of 1km to 1cm are by far and away the best and are used by all serious walkers. They are usually readily available from all good bookshops one you arrive. Alternatively they can be ordered direct from Ordnance Survey. For the Cotswolds, you are probably wanting this one.
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/explorer-map-the-cotswolds.html

The maps are very detailed with all field boundaries marked. Footpaths are clearly marked as green dotted lines and you can plan your own walks. The map doesn't weigh a lot and buying in advance means you can study it and begin to plan walks before you arrive. Do use the map rather than relying on GPS when walking !!

 

[sierratravel]

We used the A-Z road atlas last year - picked the scale based on whether I could read it without glasses. Was under 5 pounds. Bought it at a Bath bookstore. Here are the addresses of the books stores.
Bath Bookstores

Mr B’s Emporium
14-15 John St, Bath BA1 2JL, UK
mrbsemporium.com
+44 1225 331155
9:00 AM – 6 P.M.

Waterstone’s Bath
4-5 Milsom St, Bath BA1 1DA, United Kingdom
waterstones.com
+44 1225 448515
9:00 AM – 6 P.M.

Topping & Company
The Paragon, 7 Bladud Buildings, Bath BA1 5LS, United Kingdom
toppingbooks.co.uk
+44 1225 428111
9AM–8PM

The Works (discount) had large scale 2017 AA for 4 GBP
13 Westgate St, Bath BA1 1EQ, United Kingdom
theworks.co.uk
+44 1225 332129
9AM–5:30PM

Good Buy Books
6 N Parade, Bath BA1 1LF, United Kingdom
goodbuybooks.co.uk
+44 1225 469625
9:00 AM – 6 P.M.

 

[Pauline]

If you like to do some planning before your trip, order a new/used book in the US. The Cicerone Guide, Walking in the Cotswolds, might be the best because it is small. I used that book in the Cotswolds. This would let you read walk descriptioins ahead of time and plan out your days. When we traveled in the Cotswolds we liked to pick walks in different locations, so we could explore different parts of the Cotswolds.

Walking in the Cotswolds, (Cicerone, 2014): 30 classic hill and valley routes, by Damian Hall. Good maps and descriptions, plus photos, in a small, "easy to carry in your pocket", format. A great selection of walks/hikes.

The other books that I used all the time in the Cotswolds (copied in from Cotswolder):

Cotswold Classic Walks (Goldeneye, 2014): These are my favorite walks in the Cotswolds. This book has 25 circular walks with excellent maps and hike descriptions, plus information about the area. Most hikes are two to three hours long, some have shorter versions.

The Cotswolds - Short Walks (Pathfinder Guide, 2009): 20 walks ranging from one to three hours (most are two hours long) covering all the main areas of the Cotswolds. Good descriptions and detailed maps, plus interesting notes about the area.

The Cotswolds - Walks, More Cotswolds - Walks, (Pathfinder Guide, 2009): These two Pathfinder Guides for the Cotswolds give very good coverage for the Cotswolds, with easy, medium and harder hikes. They are light and easy to tuck into your backpack. The maps and hike descriptions are excellent.

I agree with @Kathy that you don't need the Ordnance Survey map. The ones in the books are good. But I do remember getting lost on one hike where having the OS map would have saved me. There is an OS map app for your phone. I think you pay per year (I get it free with my Country Walking subscription). The ViewRanger app lets you purchase OS "tiles" -you can purchase them for the specific area you are walking.

You will love the Cotswolds!!

 

[CindyP]

Kathy, how wonderful to have a whole month in the Cotswolds. We've never been to England before so we wanted to move around a bit, but I'm very happy to have allowed 6 nights in the Cotswolds. It sounds ideal. Coincidentally we are staying in Chipping Campden. We have rented a Kettle Cottage on Leysbourne, High Street.

I have used the big old Ordnance maps before, on a driving trip in Ireland, and they are cumbersome. If we can manage without a big book it would be great. If we need one, well that's ok too. Thank you for the link, I will check it out. If you are able to share any walks you particularly enjoyed it would be very much appreciated.

Eleanor, we have ordered the one map you specified. It's OL45 . We also ordered a driving type map, it's OS#8 of South east England. I'm trying to avoid getting a map book of all of England but may end up buying one when we get there. GPS 's are handy when driving, I think we'd still be driving around in Ireland if we hadn't had one! But I am old school and love real maps. I will be manned with maps for both driving and walking for sure.

Sierra, oh my! I'm a bookstore addict. 5 bookstores just in Bath. Heaven. I'll have to limit how long I spend in each one or I'll use up all of our time there. I wish books weren't so darned heavy. It's such a nuisance packing them for flying.

Pauline, Your website has helped us so much. I can't thank you enough. I'm going to look for the Cicerone book again. I was having some trouble with my search earlier. I think I looked at so many versions of guides that both my mind and my Kindle shut down. Oddly the Pathfinder books you recommend are all due for new versions and of course won't be available in time for my trip in September. I will probably wait until we get there to see if we want to purchase any of them. I am going to look into the downloadable maps and see how user friendly they are. I dislike walking along with my phone always in my hand.

As always you are all fonts of wisdom!

Cindy P

 

[Eleanor]

I love maps - I like to see what is around me when I'm driving and you can't do that with sat nav. I'm not the best of map readers, so we do get lost - but we have found some amazing places when we have.

This hardly qualifies as a walk, but if you are in the area, this is a lovely short distance between two churches and across an old clapper bridge.. Begin at the lovely old church of St Michael and St Martin in Eastleach St Martin (nearest post code fro sat nav is GL7 3NN and grid reference SP202052). Walk across the graveyard. Turn left to pick up a footpath along the river. Cross over the clapper bridge and turn right to reach St Andrew's Church in Eastleach Turville (nearest post code GL7 3NH and grid reference SP202054) . Return across the road bridge for a circular walk.

If you like old churches there are some wonderful ones to find in the area. One of our favourites was the tiny old church of St Oswald reached by walking across the fields in Widford. It still has the remains of wall paintings. The nearest post code for sat nav is OX18 4DU and the grid reference is SP273121. Cars have to be left on a minor road. Walk over the cattle grid and it is a fifteen minute walk across the fields. This can be muddy after a lot of rain which may explain the scraper and sign by the south door “Please leave your mud outside”. Climb up to the churchyard and enter through the small gate. The footpath continues to Swinbrooke with its much larger church of St Mary which has some splendid tombs on the chancel wall. (Post code OX18 4DY and grid reference SP280121.)

If you do come across any churches during your walks, it is worth popping in to have a look as there are some real gems to find from the large wool churches as in Chipping Campden to tiny Norman churches.

 

[Pauline]

I've gone walking in the Eastleaches many times Eleanor! I love that little bridge. There is a good 2 - 3 hour circular walk from there that even goes along Akeman Street, an old Roman road.

 

[Kathy]

We did a circular walk to Swinbrook from Burford last summer. The Fettiplace monument in the Swinbrook church is a total surprise! And in the cemetery you'll find graves of several of the famous Mitford sisters. This is a good walk... not difficult, and Burford was a good place to start and end.

 

[Kathy]

Cindy, I've been thinking more about the walks you want to do during your time in Chipping Campden. If you're spending six nights, I guess you have five days. You also mentioned that this is your first trip to England. There is so much to see and do in the Cotswolds... you'll have to decide how much of that time you want to spend walking vs. other touring and visits. I hope you'd be able to do at least one longer walk and perhaps a short walk. One short walk a lot of people enjoy is the walk across the fields from Chipping Campden to Broad Campden, about a mile each way. There's a pub in Broad Campden where you could enjoy a beer or cup of tea before heading back (arrive by 2:30 pm, as they close at 3 pm).

These are the maps/guides I have for walking around Chipping Campden. (Sorry the photo is a little fuzzy.)

The blue map (top right) is what we use for driving. There are many very small roads, sometimes one lane with pullovers for passing. I expect you can buy this map in Bath and you can use it for your drive from Bath to Chipping Campden and then onto Oxford.

The yellow map (top center) is the big ordnance map for the Cotswolds. If you are just here for six nights, I would not buy this.

The other items are all resources I bought at the Chipping Campden tourist office. Bottom center - these are some hikes with maps and notes that I printed off the Cotswolds AONB website. These are great because they do give you the detailed directions, plus the specific area off the ordnance map. The top left is a laminated portion of the ordnance map (which includes topographical info and other details) but just for the area around Chipping Campden. If you are good with this type of map and want to create your own walk, this is a good resource. Bottom left includes relevant portion of maps and directions for five specific walks around the village. And the bottom right is a somewhat-easier-to-read map of the area around Chipping Campden with a little info about walks. See below for a close up of these three.

The Chipping Campden tourist office is a great resource. I'd suggest visiting there as soon as you arrive. You can buy their Visitors Guide for just a pound; it includes a map of the village, a history, and all sorts of other useful info. One nice walk is a village walk down the High Street and around the "Back Ends" of the village. The people in the Tourist Office are always happy to help answer questions. And they sell hiking guidebooks that include many more hikes around the Cotswolds, plus lots of free tourist literature.

The Cotswold voluntary wardens offer "Town Walks" one or two times a week, offering a lot of insight into the history and architecture of this wonderful village. Ask about this at the Tourist Office and they can tell you the schedule. They just ask for a small donation... well worth it!

 

[CindyP]

Oh my! That church is fantastic. We love visiting churches. The history, beauty and peacefulness is something we look for.
We hope to walk at least 5 miles or so every one of the 5 full days we are in the Cotswolds. Knowing hubby there will be at least one longer walk. Of course we want to see some of the towns too. Ideally I'd like to drive to a town in the morning and visit a bit. Then get on a trail with a packed lunch and walk through the afternoon. Husband would love it if we could walk to a pub for lunch. Be back to the car and either have supper out somewhere or head back to our rental for a simple meal. Of course a lot depends on weather. We have no problem hiking in some rain but an all day downpour would put us in the car sight seeing. Which is good too.

My husband has jumped into the deep hole that is the Cotswolds AONB site. He is clicking and exclaiming and I hope to see him out in time for lunch. That's in about 3 hours!

The map and brochure pictures are very helpful. I can't wait to get to TI!

 

[CindyP]

I forgot to add. I am an avid gardener. Of course Hidcote is on my list. Any other recommendations for a garden we can walk or drive to ? 5 days already seem too short.

 

[CindyP]

I am looking at the aonb interactive map. I do know there are more gardens than I could see in a month, so "best" recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I'm guessing if I do a search this has already been asked an answered. I think I too will be jumping into the vast hole of the internet for several hours.

 

[Eleanor]

Very close to Hidcote is Kiftsgate Court Gardens. They are completey different to Hidcote and get fewer visitors. It's a while since we visited, and we actually preferred them. A bit further away in the opposite direction are Misarden Park Gardens. They aren't the easiest to find and you will need your map. They are well off the tourist map. My pictures are here.

You really are spoilt for churches in the Cotswolds. We spent a couple of holidays just pottering around visiting and photographing the churches. Once you have decided where you are going, you might want to check out my website to see if there are any churches in the neighbourhood that take your fancy. Chipping Campden is a good place to start!

 

[Kathy]

We've spent perhaps five months total in the Cotswolds over the past 18 years, much of it based in Chipping Campden. (We lead small group tours here.) The first time we came for just three days and knew we had to come back. We continue to make new discoveries all the time.

I second Eleanor's suggestion of Kiftsgate, much smaller than Hidcote and just five minutes away... a garden developed by three generations of women. You could actually walk to the two gardens from Chipping Campden (it's a couple of miles, uphill to get there) and make a day of it. That said, I'm not sure what you will find at Kiftsgate in autumn. They open on a limited schedule in September (Monday, Wednesday, Sunday afternoons, 2 - 6 pm) and I don't think they're open in October at all. http://slowtraveltours.com/blog/cotswolds-kiftsgate/

Also not far from Chipping Campden are Batsford Arboretum outside Moreton-in-Marsh (might be quite good in autumn since it's mostly trees and shrubs) and Bourton House garden in Bourton-on-the-Hill. Maybe you could park your car in Blockley and walk to/from those gardens. I think the round trip from Chipping Campden would be eight miles or so. You can leave the far end of the garden to visit the tiny village of Batsford, which has a pretty church, then re-enter the garden to return to the parking. You could easily walk a few miles within the arboretum and get a peek at the manor house too.

 

[Felicity]

I am slow to this thread because I have been so busy picking raspberries this week! All at once, and lots of them...

I must have missed when you were coming to this area, Cindy, but I gather from other posts we might be talking October?
Seizincote Gardens http://www.sezincote.co.uk/ are still open then (very limited hours) although the house is closed unfortunately. Very close to Batsford Arboretum, which is one of my favourite places to walk in Autumn. The colours are wonderful. Above is a beech wood (can't you just hear the crunching sound as you walk through!?) but they are known for their Acers which are best in about October. They have a cafe - probably fine for a coffee and a cake but I can't say they are known for their fine dining for lunch!

 

[CindyP]

To clarify, our stay in Chipping Campden is in September. We arrive the 11th, depart the 17th. Just a month from now! We have 5 nights in Bath prior to that, and 5 nights in London after.

I am hoping to visit all of the gardens you have mentioned. Of course anything can happen when our feet are actually on the ground. We've been places that we enjoyed so much that we tossed out our lists. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I love gardens in the fall. There may be fewer flowers blooming, but you can see the bones of the garden and the smells of falling leaves are wonderful.

Thank you all.

Cindy

 

[Cameron]

Not on topic for driving, but for walking around London, I highly recommend CityMaps2Go.

Download the map so that it's offline, then it operates off your phone's GPS and doesn't use cellular data. I use it all the time in Paris, but also San Francisco, New York, and recently -- London.

 

[CindyP]

Cameron. TY. I had downloaded Citymapper for London but don't know if it's available off line. I'll check this out for sure since I won't have much data to use in England.

 

[Rome Addict]

If you have a hotel/bnb booked in Bath you can buy stuff on Amazon UK and eBay UK. The mail service is phenomenal. 2 to 3 days max for point to point UK. Word of experience here. I bought on line guidebooks which were great when I was planning but a true pain in the tush to use in a car. I ended up duplicating Lonely Planet Ireland and UK. Electronic edition at home, physical on the road.