The Cotswolds
Green rolling hills. Ancient tracks. Stately homes.
Slow down. Golden-stone villages and market
towns. The new Cotswold Way National Trail.
Meadows and woodland. Famous cottage scenes.
An easy walking break in the heart of England.
The Cotswolds are famous for all that is quintessentially
English, with golden stone villages, handsome manor houses,
rolling cornfields and green valleys.
Our guided Classic Walking holidays are perfect for beginners allowing you to discover this most English
of landscapes. There are village-to-village walks as well as delightful paths
through woodlands, meadows and across the Cotswold plateau. The Cotswold
Way provides some of the most scenic walking with medieval churches,
country estates, ancient sites and Roman villas.
- Enchanting Cotswold villages and market towns; unique in their appearance
- Shorter, half-day walks option on some Classic Walking weeks
- Stay in a charming historic house in one of the region's most popular villages
Detailed information
| Classic Walking programme details |
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A typical Classic Walking day…
… will offer you a choice of 2 or 3 guided walks, each
of varying length and ascent. If you are new to walking, start
at the easier level, where the pace is the gentlest. We have
plenty of stops to enjoy the views and to rest. As your holiday
progresses you may feel confident to try a more challenging
level, or stick to the same level - it's entirely your choice.
More information on the type of footpaths you're likely to find in the Cotswolds.
On holidays before Easter and from 24 October, your daily choice of walks will
generally comprise a medium and a harder walk chosen to suit guest numbers and the cooler weather.
On dates marked *, there will be an additional Easier option: 3 to 4½ miles with easy
gradients but some stiles and up to 350ft of ascent in a day. These shorter walks will finish after a picnic
lunch and then return to Harrington House in the early afternoon.
Itinerary One
The following walks will be offered for holidays commencing on these dates:
9, 30 March; 11 May; 6*, 10*, June; 4, 8, 18* July; 15, 19, 29* August; 2*, 26*, 30* September; 19, 26 October; 20 November; 4 December 2009.
| Arrival day |
| Shorter Easier Walk: The Slaughters |
4½ |
175 feet |
| Easier Walk: The Slaughters |
5½ |
400 feet |
| Medium Walk: The Slaughters and Lower Harford |
7¼ |
575 feet |
| Harder Walk: Naunton and The Slaughters |
10¼ |
700 feet |
| Shorter Easier Walk: Westwell to Burford |
4¼ |
200 feet |
| Easier Walk: Barringtons to Burford |
6½ |
225 feet |
| Medium Walk: Cotswold villages from Windrush to Burford |
8½ |
525 feet |
| Harder Walk: Sherborne Park and the
Watermeadows To Burford |
11½ |
650 feet |
| Shorter Easier Walk: All the Dunts to Daglingworth |
4 |
175 feet |
| Easier Walk: All the Dunts |
7 |
250 feet |
| Medium Walk: Winstones Way to Cirencester |
8½ |
300 feet |
| Harder Walk: Ermin Way and River Churn to Cirencester |
9½ |
625 feet |
| There are no organised walks today to allow you time to explore the area independently or just relax in Harrington House and grounds. |
| Shorter Easier Walk: Blenheim Park and Palace |
4¼ |
300 feet |
| Easier Walk: Blenheim Park and Palace |
5 |
350 feet |
| Medium Walk: Slates, fossils and Blenheim Great Park |
7¼ |
375 feet |
| Harder Walk: Oxfordshire Way to Blenheim |
10½ |
650 feet |
| Shorter Easier Walk: Stanton on the Cotswold Way to Broadway |
3¼ |
350 feet |
| Easier Walk: Quiet walk to Broadway |
7 |
625 feet |
| Medium Walk: Three villages and a hamlet to Broadway |
9 |
650 feet |
| Harder Walk: Hidden Cotswolds with the Tortoise and The Hare |
11½ |
1125 feet |
| Departure day |
Itinerary Two
The following walks will be offered for holidays commencing on these dates:
2, 13 March; 10, 14, 20 April; 30 May; 20, 24 June; 11, 15, 25, 29 July; 8*, 22 August; 9, 19 September; 3, 7, 23 October; 6, 23 November; 14 December 2009.
| Arrival day |
| Shorter Easier Walk: Windrush Valley and the Quarry Lakes |
4 |
200 feet |
| Easier Walk: Windrush Valley & Clapton on the Hill |
6 |
400 feet |
| Medium Walk: Windrush Valley, Clapton-on-the-Hill and Little
Rissington |
7¼ |
550 feet |
| Harder Walk: Windrush Valley and Sherborne |
10½ |
700 feet |
| Shorter Easier Walk: By fields, woods and a Castle to Winchcombe |
3 |
75 feet |
| Easier Walk: By fields, woods and a castle to Winchcombe |
6¼ |
700 feet |
| Medium Walk: From Naunton to the ancient capital of Mercia |
8½ |
900 feet |
| Harder Walk: The Warden's Way to Winchcombe |
11 |
1100 feet |
Shorter Easier Walk: Stow on the Wold by the Monarchs Way
|
4¼ |
125 feet |
| Easier Walk: Monarch's Way to Bourton-on-the-Water |
6½ |
525 feet |
| Medium Walk: South from Longborough
with Charles Stuart |
8½ |
675 feet |
| Harder Walk: From Moreton-in-Marsh on
the Monarch's Way |
11¼ |
875 feet |
| There are no organised walks today to allow you time to explore the area independently or just relax in Harrington House and grounds. |
| Shorter Easier Walk: From St Aldwyns to Bibury along the river |
3¼ |
275 feet |
| Easier Walk: Coln Valley |
7 |
500 feet |
| Medium Walk: Cotswold Water Park and the River Coln |
8½ |
550 feet |
| Harder Walk: River Coln and the Saltway |
11 |
575 feet |
| Shorter Easier Walk: Hidcote Manor to Campden |
3½ |
125 feet |
| Easier Walk: Ilmington & Ebrington |
6½ |
600 feet |
| Medium Walk: Through Hidcote, Lark Stoke and Foxcote |
9 |
925 feet |
| Harder Walk: Ilmington Down |
10¾ |
1300 feet |
| Departure day |
[Back to the top]
| Footpath information |
|
On these holidays there is a choice of up to three walks for varying abilities each day. For maximum
choice we offer two weekly itineraries - ideal if you wish to book a 14-night holiday or return for a
second visit.
 |
Easier Walks:
5 to 7 miles with easy gradients. Up to 700ft of ascent in a day. (On dates marked *, there will be an additional Easier option: 3 to 4½ miles with easy
gradients but some stiles and up to 350ft of ascent in a day. These shorter walks will finish after a picnic
lunch and then return to Harrington House in the early afternoon.) |
 |
Medium Walks: 7 to 9 miles with easy gradients. Up to 925ft of ascent in a day. |
|
Harder Walks: 9½ to 11½ miles with gently undulating gradients. 630ft to 1,300ft of ascent in day. |
All levels of walks use a combination of riverside, field and woodland paths, with some stiles and kissing gates, to reach picturesque towns and villages.
Bourton-on-the-Water is particularly recommended if you are new to walking or prefer easier terrain.
[Back to the top]
| Average temperatures |
|
| Feb |
1°C |
7°C |
| March |
2°C |
10°C |
| April |
4°C |
13°C |
| May |
7°C |
16°C |
| June |
10°C |
20°C |
| July |
12°C |
22°C |
| Aug |
11°C |
21°C |
| Sept |
10°C |
18°C |
| Oct |
7°C |
15°C |
[Back to the top]
| Other walking holiday ideas |
|
We also offer the following holidays at Harrington House, find out more below:
Alternative, guided walking holidays in and around the Cotswolds include
For the independently minded we also offer a self-guided
walking break along The
Cotswold Way.
[Back to the top] |
| Where you'll stay |
You'll be based in our fine Country House accommodation, Harrington
House, in the picturesque town of Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds
Dating from the Tudor period, and of
considerable historical interest, Harrington
House mirrors the mellow architectural
style of the Cotswolds. Tucked away in a
quiet location, it is just 100 yards from the
charming centre of Bourton-on-the-Water,
one of the Cotswolds’ showpiece villages.
A cosy lounge, croquet lawn and walled
garden can all be enjoyed in this peaceful
atmosphere. There are 26 bedrooms,
mostly en-suite, located in the
main building and adjacent
cottages.
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