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England: The Southern Cotswolds
Traditional Cotswold villages, churches and pubs
Back to Routes
Pittville Pump Room, Cheltenham
Our Fi making her way up Claverton Down
Fi crossing Wormwell Brook, south of Tetbury
View towards Colerne village and church
Castle Combe High Street
A vision of Bradford-on-Avon beyond the water
St Nicholas's Church, Slaughterford
A view of Pulteney Bridge, Bath across the River Avon
The Royal Crescent, Bath
Painswick Beacon
Frampton Mansell
The historic wool town of Painswick, known as 'The Queen of the Cotswolds
Avening Church
Afternoon refreshments in the idyllic grounds of The Close Hotel in Tetbury
The Chipping Steps in Tetbury
Longfords Miill, Minchinhampton
Our route advisor Nicky surveying the journey
Travellers Blog
In the footsteps of Jane Austen’s heroines
Tuesday 9th September | Posted by On Foot Staff
view article
At a glance
7 nights (6 days walking) - the full route. Extra nights possible at all accommodation. See 'Prices' tab for what's included.
Suggested route pairing: Devon, Welsh Borders
How much walking?
Full days: 10-23 km per day, 3-6¾ hrs walking
Using shortening options: No realistic shortening options
Regency Cheltenham to Georgian Bath
‘The Cotswolds’ elicits images of honey-coloured stone villages, fiercely protected against modern intrusive development, churches competing for the prize for the tallest spire, pub gardens with welcoming hosts, excellent ale and terrific food.
Our route between the historic cities of Cheltenham and Bath will not disappoint the rosy-eyed optimist in you. It’s a roll-call of all that is most iconic in the Southern Cotswolds, while staying away from the tourist-trap towns and Cotswold Way hordes in an effort to seek out lesser-known delights.
After a night in Regency Cheltenham, with its broad avenues and fine mansions, walk to Painswick where you can visit your first “wool” church, built with the profits of the early-industrial wool trade that made the area wealthy. It is followed by two days of rambling through villages, but with a reminder of an industrial past in old mills, re-purposed or converted, and ending in royal Tetbury, where King Charles has a country house. Next comes Castle Combe, possibly the most photographed village in England, but wonderfully quiet in the evening. Bradford-on-Avon nestles on a hill above the River Avon, along which you walk to Bath, diverting to a low hill to give you a fine entry into this famous city, source of much inspiration for the novels of Jane Austen.
The accommodation is special throughout, with upgrade and rest day possibilities.
Walked by On Foot staff: Mary and Simon
Consider pairing this route with Devon (1½ hrs by train), Welsh Borders (3 hrs by train and taxi) – for more details click here.
Route Highlights
- Regency Cheltenham and Georgian Bath
- Rolling hills and steep-sided wooded valleys with an industrial past
- Classic Cotswold villages, churches and pubs
- Castle Combe – the most photographed of villages
This route features the following characteristics and interests: Villages and farms, Dog friendly, Food, History
Things you should know
- While the walk is not difficult, the days are quite long – check each day’s itinerary before booking.
- We have some excellent taxi drivers who transfer your luggage BUT they may not be available to help you shorten a walk, so make sure you are happy to walk the full day.
- Expect to encounter livestock – we will provide advice.
We Recommend
Extra nights may be imposed on you at weekends, so it's best to plan these in advance. Extra time could happily be spent in Cheltenham, Painswick (spend Saturday in nearby Stroud and experience their farmers' market), Tetbury with its antique shops, Castle Combe (best to upgrade to the Manor House Hotel and maybe enjoy a round of golf - clubs available to hire), or beautiful Bath.
Eating and Drinking
There is an abundance of excellent gastro-pubs and cafés along the walk and where you stay. Prepare to be well fed, and to down a well-kept pint.
How much Walking?
Using shortening options: No realistic shortening options
Some smaller footpaths are used, mostly signed, though some not – careful attention to route notes needed. Excellent maps.
Medium: Average CUSs per day 350m (140m-550m). Note: Sapperton/Frampton Mansell to Tetbury is Medium-hard, 22 km, CUSs 530m.
Acrophobia/vertigo warnings: None.
On Foot Holidays Companion app available, for GPS navigation/mapping and all other documentation and advice. Separate GPX files for your own device also available.
Important note: Times given for each day are walking times for an “average” walker and exclude stops. “CUSs” stands for “Cumulative Uphill Stretches” and measures the aggregated ascents in each day, expressed in metres of climb. See “Walk Grading” for more information.
When to go?
The best months to walk: April, May, June, September, October
Other possible months: March, July, August, November
This walk is best in spring and autumn, but beware of shorter days at the beginning and end of the season, when it may also be rather wet and muddy! In July and August it may be hard for us to secure accommodation.
The best days to start: Any day, though try to plan round two-night Friday-Saturday stays in your preferred rest stop.
Start Dates
Weather Chart
Temperature and rainfall chart for Tetbury
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive in Cheltenham
Settle into your accommodation and have a look around the Regency splendour of this spa town.
Day 2 - Birdlip to Painswick
After a mid-morning taxi to Birdlip, your first walk takes you out of the village through bucolic woodland to the village of Cranham where you can enjoy a light lunch at the Black Horse Inn (not Mondays), before continuing to the magnificent promontory of Painswick Beacon, with its view over the Severn vale. Your walk into classically Cotswold Painswick takes you through the well-kept fairways of the local golf club. (Easy-Medium: 3 hrs walking (allow 4 hrs) 10 km (6 miles), CUSs 400m)
Option
Consider an extra night in Painswick. If staying over a Saturday, take a local bus into Stroud (hourly, takes ten minutes) and experience the bustling farmers' market - everything from local produce through pottery to street food in a great atmosphere.
Day 3 - Painswick to Sapperton or Frampton Mansell
Out of Painswick, a scenic walk to pretty Sheepscombe, then south through woodland for lunch (we suggest) at the Bear Inn at Bisley. The afternoon takes you across farmland to finish through beechwoods at Sapperton, and tea (why not?) in the gardens of a famous pub/restaurant. (Medium: 4¾ hrs walking (allow 6 hrs,) 16 km (10 miles), CUSs 550m).
Walkers requiring twin bedded rooms will continue along the old Thames and Severn Canal to an equally attractive pub/restaurant at Frampton Mansell (Medium-hard due to extra length: 5½ hrs walking (allow 7 hrs,) 19 km (12 miles), CUSs 575m)
Day 4 - Sapperton or Frampton Mansell to Tetbury
Today’s long walk has many different facets. After walking down to the Sapperton Tunnel portal, it continues as an easy walk along the towpath of the Thames and Severn canal with its 18th century industrial heritage (mills and mill houses), before rising up to the plateau at another great stone village, Minchinhampton, where you can find some lunch. A dramatic walk down to the valley at Gatcombe Water is followed by the pretty village of Avening with its remarkable church. A stretch along a valley to Chavenage (coffee shop in a barn!) leads to a final scenic parkland walk to the outskirts of royal Tetbury, where your next accommodation welcomes you. (Medium-hard mainly by virtue of its length: 6¾ hrs walking (allow 8 hrs,) 22 km (14 miles), CUSs 530m). Those starting from Frampton Mansell have a shorter day (5¾ hrs walking (allow 7 hrs,) 19 km (12 miles), CUSs 530m).
Option
An extra night spent in the pretty little town of Tetbury would mean relaxing and is an excellent choice for a rest day. Search out the best antique shops, have (another) pub lunch and take tea in the Close Hotel gardens!
Day 5 - Tetbury to Castle Combe
A long walk through some pretty, tiny Cotswold villages and alongside quiet streams. Leaving Tetbury, walk through the Estcourt Estate parkland, before continuing on to the Rattlebone Inn in Sherston (for lunch?). The small Cotswold churches found along the route are a pleasant respite with their cool interiors and medieval history. Continue on through Luckington and Littleton Drew before arriving, via its immaculate golf course, at picture postcard Castle Combe, its two pubs and your comfortable accommodation. (Medium: 6 hrs walking (allow 8 hrs,) 23 km (14½ miles), CUSs 140m)
Option
An extra night spent in Castle Combe would be great for golfers. Book a round on the 18 hole course amid rolling scenery. Clubs available to hire. Or just relax and take a day off walking (upgrading to the Manor House Hotel, of course!).
Day 6 - Castle Combe to Bradford on Avon
Leave the quiet beauty of Castle Combe in the morning before the inquisitive tourists arrive, and follow the gently burbling By Brook stream leading you gently downhill through quiet wooded valleys to picturesque Box. You may stop for refreshment at the Longs Arms at South Wraxall before your final stretch to stone-built Bradford-on-Avon and the (relatively) mighty River Avon, which you will follow to Bath the next day. (Medium: 5¾ hrs walking (allow 7¾ hrs,) 22 km (14 miles), CUSs 290m)
Day 7 - Bradford on Avon to Bath
A shorter day, but one with a lot of interest. Set off along the towpath of the Kennet and Avon canal, which shadows the River Avon itself for a long level stretch to the famous Dundas Aqueduct where the canal crosses the river, before (we suggest) a snack or even early lunch at the Angelfish Café at Brassknocker Basin (really!). After refuelling, climb up through the fields to Claverton Down for fine views of the world-famous Georgian city as you descend to journey’s end. (Easy-medium: 3 hrs walking (allow 4 hrs,) 11½ km (7 miles), CUSs 290m)
Departure day
Depart for home or choose to stay further nights. There is a lot to discover in this protected Georgian city. We like just wandering the streets, but the shops are also great. You can take the waters (from the same thermal spring the Romans used), visit the Abbey, take a punt on the Avon, and dine well in any number of quality restaurants including Michelin-starred. And remember that 2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, and there are many events in the city celebrating this event.
Travel Information
ARRIVING BY TRAIN
Nearest railway station:
Start: Cheltenham
Finish: Bath Spa
ARRIVING BY CAR
There are long stay car parks in Bath, and at least one in Cheltenham at Cheltenham Spa Station. Bath parkers can transfer by train to Cheltenham to start their holiday. However our recommendation is to park at and stay one night at Local Contact Nicky’s comfortable B&B at Breadstone – Pond Cottage (£150 per room, dinner available at £40 pp, 8 nights parking and transfers to Cam & Dursley Station included). Nicky’s delightful house and garden can be seen on the National Garden Scheme website. Enquiries through On Foot Holidays.
ARRIVING BY AIR
The best “local” airport is Bristol. Intercontinental flights use London Heathrow, Manchester. and other London airports.
BRISTOL:
Land by: 16:00 for public transport connections to Cheltenham (~2 hrs).
Return flight earliest: 11:00 for public transport connections from Bath (~1½ hrs)
LONDON HEATHROW:
Land by: 16:00 for public transport connections to Cheltenham (~ 2½ hrs).
Return flight earliest: 13:30 for public transport connections from Bath (~2½ hrs)
MANCHESTER:
Land by: 16:00 for public transport connections to Cheltenham (~ 2½ hrs).
Return flight earliest: 14:30 for public transport connections from Bath (~3½ hrs)
Flight information can change rapidly and not all flights run daily. Please do check directly with the airlines’ websites or Skyscanner (see below) before finalising any booking with us. Do not book your flights until we have confirmed that we have provisionally reserved accommodation for you.
For up-to-date schedules and flights from all airports check Skyscanner.
See “Getting to the start of the walk” below for transfer information.
Getting to the start of the walk
The first accommodation is in the centre of Cheltenham and the last in Bath.
AIRPORT TRANSFERS
BRISTOL:
Outward: Shuttle bus to Bristol Temple Meads station (every 10-15 mins, 30 min journey), train to Cheltenham Spa (40 mins) then local taxi to first hotel.
Return: Walk or local taxi to Bath Spa station, train to Bristol Temple Meads (15 mins) then airport shuttle as above.
LONDON HEATHROW:
Outward: Train to Cheltenham Spa (~2½ hrs, change London Paddington), or National Express bus to Cheltenham, then local taxi to first hotel
Return: Walk or local taxi to Bath Spa station, then train to London Heathrow (~2 hrs, change London Paddington), or National Express bus.
MANCHESTER:
Outward: Train to Cheltenham Spa (~2½ hrs, 1, 2 or 3 changes), then local taxi to first hotel.
Return: Walk or local taxi to Bath Spa station, then train to Manchester (~4 hrs, change Bristol Temple Meads and Stockport).
ARRIVING BY TRAIN
Outward: Local taxi from Cheltenham Spa station to accommodation.
Return: Local taxi (or walk) to Bath Spa station.
Buy your train tickets in advance for cheaper rates. Use www.thetrainline.com for the most user-friendly site (booking fee applies).
ARRIVING BY CAR
See above. Pond Cottage stayers will be transferred to and from Cam & Dursley station (Cheltenham 34 minutes, Bath 1-1½ hrs change Bristol).
Full transfer advice, including timetables, is provided in your Walkers’ Pack/App. Contact us if you would like additional pre-booking information.
Where You'll Stay
The accommodation along this route is above average, making use of comfortable pubs and boutique hotels.
Clients may self-book other hotels in Cheltenham and Bath (if in itinerary) not on our partner list and receive a discount of around £100 per person per night.
Night 1
Cheltenham – No 38 The Park (B&B)
Luxurious Georgian townhouse hotel accommodation with a warm and homely feel.
Night 2
Painswick – St Anne’s Guest House (B&B)
A former wool merchant’s house with antiques, a log fire and relaxed family atmosphere.
Night 3
Sapperton – The Bell Inn (B&B)
Idyllic family owned country pub with award winning food and drink plus a lovely pub garden.
Night 4
Friendly hotel with a great restaurant serving fresh local produce.
Night 4 (Upgrade)
Tetbury – The Close Hotel (B&B)
Impressive town house dating back to 1535 with a walled garden, fountain and an excellent restaurant.
Night 5
Castle Combe – The Castle Inn (B&B)
Former retreat of Oliver Cromwell with original 12th century features and an award winning food menu. Golfing available (with clubs hire)
Night 5 (Upgrade)
Castle Combe – The Manor House (B&B)
Quintessentially English country hotel retreat dating back to the 14th century, set in 365 acres of parkland. Golfing available (with clubs hire)
Night 6
Bradford-on-Avon – The Priory Steps (B&B)
Family owned bed and breakfast with panoramic views in a central location.
Night 7
Bath – The Queensberry Hotel (B&B)
A luxurious family-run boutique hotel in the heart of Georgian Bath serving exceptional food.
Cheltenham – No 38 The Park (B&B)
Luxurious Georgian townhouse hotel accommodation with a warm and homely feel.
Website
Cheltenham – Laurel House (B&B)
A family run B&B in an elegant Victorian house with generous proportions,
Website
Painswick – St Anne’s Guest House (B&B)
A former wool merchant’s house with antiques, a log fire and relaxed family atmosphere.
Website
Painswick – The Falcon Inn (B&B)
A beautiful Georgian townhouse set in the village, the rooms combine original features with modern amenities.
Website
Sapperton – The Bell Inn (B&B)
Idyllic family owned country pub with award winning food and drink plus a lovely pub garden.
Website
Frampton Mansell – The Crown Inn (B&B)
A seventeenth century traditional English village pub surrounded by countryside.
Website
Tetbury – Priory Inn (B&B)
Friendly hotel with a great restaurant serving fresh local produce.
Website
Tetbury – The Royal Oak (B&B)
Charming late eighteenth century free house with a beautiful beer garden and outdoor seating.
Website
Tetbury – The Close Hotel (B&B)
Impressive town house dating back to 1535 with a walled garden, fountain and an excellent restaurant.
Website
Castle Combe – The Castle Inn (B&B)
Former retreat of Oliver Cromwell with original 12th century features and an award winning food menu. Golfing available (with clubs hire)
Website
Castle Combe – The Manor House (B&B)
Quintessentially English country hotel retreat dating back to the 14th century, set in 365 acres of parkland. Golfing available (with clubs hire)
Website
Bradford-on-Avon – The Priory Steps (B&B)
Family owned bed and breakfast with panoramic views in a central location.
Website
Bradford-on-Avon – Timbrell’s Yard (B&B)
Boutique hotel on the banks of the River Avon with 17 rooms and a fantastic riverside terrace.
Website
Bath – The Queensberry Hotel (B&B)
A luxurious family-run boutique hotel in the heart of Georgian Bath serving exceptional food.
Website
Bath – The Roseate Villa (B&B)
A 5 star boutique hotel in a Victorian villa overlooking Henrietta Park.
Website
Two-night stay requirements
While the itinerary listed here may be possible, please be aware that most hotels will demand a two night stay on Fridays and Saturdays, so try to plan a rest day accordingly.
In Cheltenham and Bath there are a large number of accommodation options should our partnered hotels not be available.
Prices
Total 7 nights in double/twin room, 7 breakfasts, short transfer at the start of Day 2 and luggage transfers throughout; full Walkers Pack with route directions, maps, transfer and background information; local telephone support.
Also included: On Foot Holidays Companion app, providing navigation/mapping and digital version of the Walkers’ Pack as above. Separate GPX files for your own device also available. If choosing to walk with app only (no printed materials): Discount of £40 per pack (based on one pack per room).
All prices are per person unless otherwise indicated, and are based on a standard booking in May. Prices may vary seasonally and a fixed price will be given to you before you commit.
Single Room Supplement (SRS): From £500
Lone Traveller Additional Supplement (LTAS): From £150
Maximum party size: 6 (more with accommodation variation)
Please note that weekend stays (Fri and Sat nights) in most places may be subject to a minimum 2 night stay and a supplement.
Add Ons
Extra nights in any hotel along the route: Contact On Foot Holidays (seasonal pricing)
Sending Walkers Packs to addresses outside the UK: Supplement payable per pack, location dependent.
Golfing Packages at Castle Combe: From £100 pp plus club hire
Travellers Blog
In the footsteps of Jane Austen’s heroines
Tuesday 9th September | Posted by On Foot Staff
view article
Our local team
Nicky Fussell
Nicky knows the Southern Cotswolds well, and has lived in Gloucestershire for many years. After a varied professional life in large corporations, followed by the establishment of a family business and a decade in academia, she’s now taken early retirement in order to concentrate on the complete restoration of her former family home and garden near Berkeley.
Nicky has a passion for outdoor pursuits, and as an On Foot Holidays client of many years, she’s thrilled to have the chance to design this route, and to share her unique corner of England with fellow On Footers!
