Our favourite Cotswold walks!

24th June 2016

Terriers Rufus and Heidi tell us their favourite dog walks in the Cotswolds!

Rufus and Heidi are part of PetsPyjamas team of pets. Owned by Denise, the co-founder, they have travelled all over Europe on their Terriers Tour. They love the Cotswolds and have already completed the Swinbrook walk and hope to walk the whole Cotswolds Way in the autumn.

Swinbrook
A local walk put together by dog-friendly hotel the Old Swan & Minster Mill, this route will take you and your pet up the Windrush Valley and through the beautiful villages of Asthall and Swinbrook. You’ll pass the isolated church of Widford before heading up onto the ‘wold’ and looping back for the return to Minster Lovell. Stop in dog-friendly pub The Swan Inn at Swinbrook before you head back for some food and doggie biscuits.
Length of walk: 6½ miles
Time: 4½ hours
Difficulty: Moderate, there are some stiles along the way and be wary of muddy patches in wet weather.
Download the Old Swan & Minster Mill walks brochure

From Chipping Campden to Bath, The Cotswold Way offers over 100 miles (160km) of magical walking. Embark on one of its countless trails with your furry friend and enjoy fantastic views, fresh air and lots of off-lead frolics! You may even discover some interesting haunts and historic sites along the way. Here are a selection of Cotswold Way walks.
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/cotswold-way/additional-walks

Chipping Campden
The pawfect way to start the Cotswold Way with your four-legged friend, this short walk will lead you through the charming market town of Chipping Campden, around beautiful shaded woodland and past breath-taking views.
Length of walk: 4½ miles (shortcut: 3 miles)
Time: 2½ -3½ hours (shortcut: 1½-2½ hours)
Difficulty: Moderate, there are some steep sections that may be better suited to more seasoned hikers and high-energy dogs. Take the shortcut to avoid the climbs.

Broadway
An enchanting walk that will lead you and your furry friend through the picturesque high street of Broadway before hiking along the historic tracks up to Broadway Tower which welcomes doggie visitors! Here you can both enjoy the spectacular views across the Severn Vale into Wales.
Length of walk: 4 miles
Time: 2½ -3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate, best suited to walkers and their pets who can handle the few steep sections and stiles.

Stanton Cotswold Way Circular Walk
A beautiful walk that will lead you and your pet through two of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds. You’ll also find yourself hiking over hilltops, down pretty valleys and through shaded woodlands. Despite being more challenging than others, the awe-inspiring views of the Vale of Evesham and a delicious meal at dog-friendly pub The Mount Inn, make this walk very much worth it!
Length of walk: 6 miles (shortcut 2½ miles)
Time: 3½-4½ hours (shortcut 1½-2½ hours)
Difficulty: Moderate, there are some steep sections and stiles which will be better suited to the more seasoned hiker and high-energy dogs. Beware of muddy sections during wet weather!

The Cleeve Hill Ring
Nature lovers, immerse yourself in one of the country’s most fascinating and precious habitats – limestone grassland – on this breath-taking walk. Some of the finest examples of this natural ecosystem can be found on Cleeve Common. You and your pet will also be led over open hilltops, across streams and through pretty woodlands – all with unsurpassed views in the backdrop.
Length of walk: 6 miles (shorter route 4 miles)
Time: 3½-4½ hours (shorter route: 2-3 hours)
Difficulty: Moderate, some steep sections which will be better suited to seasoned hikers and their canine companions. Casual trekkers, take the shorter route which is mostly level.

The Leckhampton Loop
For 4½ miles you can enjoy walking around one of the most beautiful and varied stretches of the Cotswold Way. From rich grassland to peaceful woodlands, from Iron-Age remains to Victorian quarries, this route will give you and your pet a taste of the entire Cotswold landscape.
Length of walk: 4½ miles
Time: 2½-3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate to easy, although there are no stiles there are steep sections that casual trekkers and low-energy dogs may struggle with.

Cranham
This beautiful walk will take you and your four-legged friend around one of England’s most treasured habitats, beech woodlands. These four short miles will also take you through two contrasting spots; the cathedral-like calm of Buckholt Wood and then to Cooper’s Hill, the site of Gloucestershire’s annual cheese-rolling event!
Length of walk: 4 miles
Time: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: Easy, great for casual trekkers and low-energy dogs to ramble along however there are some moderately steep sections.

The Selsley Circuit
Easy to follow, this walk is extremely popular and with good reason. Winding all the way along the National Trail, you and your furry friend will be guided around remnants of the Cotswolds’ industrial past. From sheltered beech woodlands and rich open grassland to Victorian mills alongside the sleepy waterway, this timeless trail makes for a wonderful ramble with your pet.
Length of walk: 5 miles
Time: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate, there are three stiles and some steep sections that will be better suited to the more seasonal hiker and their pooch.

Cam Long Down and Uley
From woodland tracks to open hilltops, this stunning walk will lead you and your four-legged around the ancient history of Uley Bury, as well as to the remains of a centuries-old former hospital. The few hillside climbs will reward you with compass-wide views of the Cotswolds. Have your camera ready!
Length of walk: 4 miles (shorter route: 1½ miles)
Time: 2½-3½ hours (shorter route: ¾-1½ hours)
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult, this route is far better suited to seasoned trekkers and high-energy dogs with its stiles, steps and steep sections.

Old Sodbury
Enjoy a taste of the southern Cotswolds on this wonderful walk with your pet. From the quaint village of Old Sodbury, follow the Cotswold Way to a medieval church, around oak-fringed farmland and along shaded paths to a breath-taking outcrop of an iron-age hillfort.
Length of walk: 2½ miles
Time: 1½-2 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, good for casual trekkers and low-energy dogs as there are no stiles and only a few steep-ish slopes.

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