Walking Weekends in the Cotswolds

13th-15th August: Lark Rise and the Mitford Sisters

A weekend of walks through countryside and villages where two of our famous women authors, Flora Thompson and Nancy Mitford, spent their childhoods during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In Lark Rise to Candleford, Flora Thompson describes the lives of poor agricultural workers in north Oxfordshire in the late 19th century when the countryside was on the brink of change. By contrast in The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate Nancy Mitford paints a light hearted picture of the privileged and uninhibited lives of the aristocracy between the two world wars, closely modelling her characters on members of her controversial and notorious family.
On Saturday we will walk between Lark Rise and Candleford and see the places where Flora grew up, went to church and to school. [Grade and Distance: An easy to moderate 10 miles on flat ground]

On Sunday we will visit the areas and houses where the Mitford sisters lived and the churchyard where many of the family are buried. [Grade and Distance: A moderate 8 miles]

20th-22nd August: Civil War Battlefields

A weekend of walks over the sites of the first and last battles in the English Civil War before the execution of Charles I. In August, 1642 Charles I of England raised his standard at Nottingham and the English Civil War began. The Battle of Edgehill on 23 October, 1642 was the first major encounter and an estimated 1500 men were killed with many more wounded. Both sides claimed victory. Almost four years later, in March 1646 the last Royalist army of 3000 troops marched from Worcester towards Oxford to meet the King's cavalry. The plan was to meet the King, help him to avoid surrender instead they met the Parliamentarians in battle on the slopes of the hill below Stow on the Wold.

On Saturday we will visit Edgehill and walk over part of the battlefield starting from the Royalist position and follow the course of the battle on the ground. [Grade and Distance: A strenuous 7 miles with one steep ascent]

On Sunday we will retrace the route of the battle to its bloody end in the market square in Stow, and return through typical Cotswold villages. [Grade and Distance: A moderate 6 miles with two gentle ascents].

Save on Walking Weekends in the Cotswolds The ‘Lark Rise and the Mitford Sisters’ and ‘Civil War Battlefields’ weekends attract a 10% reduction in the published prices of £230 for two nights with two people sharing. The price includes dinner, bed and breakfast, guided walks with experienced and knowledgeable leaders and guide booklets. Contact Anne on 01295 811003 for more details & to book.

Venue

Walk the Landscape, Cotswold

Dates

Lark Rise and the Mitford Sisters 13 Aug 2010 - 15 Aug 2010

Civil War Battlefields 20 Aug 2010 - 22 Aug 2010