Cross Cotswolds pathway walking holiday, England
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Walking through ‘England’s green and pleasant land’ is central to our holidays. We research and meticulously plan walks to take in selected sites of historic interest, such as prehistoric barrows, Roman roads and villas, medieval manor houses and stately homes, as well as top pubs and tea shops.
As there is no need for a car, we advise on the best ways of getting to and from the start of the holiday by public transport. Our planning saves you time and effort, and your journey on public transport helps save the planet! There are regular trains to stations along the Cotswold line and through the counties, with bus services or taxis to the small towns and villages, so getting there and back is really quite easy.
For the most part, walking uses our own internal energy, so we utilize little of the ever more precious fossil fuels. We need to refresh and renew of course, and do this through a good night’s sleep after healthy exercise, hearty breakfasts in B&Bs, and lunches and dinners in local inns and restaurants.
We are passionate about the history and natural history of the English countryside, and the Cotswolds and the Heart of England are packed with things to see and places to visit. Our walks pass by some of the best, and we explain the background be it a Neolithic long barrow, Roman Road, Regency Country House, 19th century railway line, wild flower or bird. By learning about their unique value we hope you will also want to protect such features not only on your holiday but also when you get home.
Many of the B&Bs and inns that we use are in properties dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. By supporting them we are helping to maintain for the future, these old buildings that give the area true local character.
We also aim to leave no impact other than our footprint, not even an apple core.
Community
The Cotswolds and the Heart of England have distinct cultural identities maintained by their people and we support communities and activities whenever and wherever we can.
We use the finest of all that is local and over time have got to know excellent B&Bs, inns, tea shops, restaurants and taxi firms throughout the Cotswolds and the Heart of England, with whom we work in partnership. These are trusted places to stay, eat and relax.
We also know where to find delicious ice-cream, tasty cheeses and fine local crafts. We recommend, visit and sample them when passing by. We seek out country pubs with excellent reputations for fine foods and good beer brewed in local breweries. We find traditional tea rooms that sell delicious and irresistible cakes, and when possible visit the farmers markets held monthly in Cotswold towns and villages.
We respect the rich culture of countryside, are enthusiastic about and support its legacy. We publicise markets, fairs and traditional events such as the Cotswold Olimpicks, the Stow Horse Fair, cheese rolling and the medieval football at Bourton-on-the-Water. Not only that, we plan some of our holidays to visit and enjoy the fun and games. For example, the shin kicking competition, bonfire, fireworks and torchlight procession of the Cotswold Olimpicks is an event not to be missed.
Landscape
Enjoying and appreciating the stunning scenery and varied landscapes of the Cotswolds and the Heart of England is fundamental to our company, our raison d'être.
Our passion for the landscape extends to all times of the year, from the bright yellow-greens of the unfurling leaves in spring, to the deep blue summer skies, the vivid autumn colours and crisp white winter frosts.
You can visit Cotswolds and walk along high escarpment with magnificent views to the west over the Severn Valley and beyond, or hike across the high windswept Wold to drop down into honey coloured limestone villages in the valleys to the east.
On our long distance trails, you can walk over the Chiltern hills with their steep dry chalk valleys, brick and flint buildings and extensive beech woodlands. And, by contrast, amble through Oxfordshire with its affluent villages in rich farmland, deep green in early spring turning golden brown in mid-summer as the cereal crops mature.
And last, but definitely not least there’s the Thames valley. You can walk the length of the river from the spring where it starts as a trickle near Cirencester and follow the its route as wends its way across the country, picking up water from its many tributaries, until it turns into the mighty tidal river that flows through our capital.
All this on one of our holidays that are specially planned for you. We offer handpicked places to stay, eat and drink, trusted firms to transport your luggage and well researched walks that display the best of the landscape. With your help we plan, we book and you simply go!
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