A Walk to Remember: Walking in the Cotswolds
Connect your friends and family together, link them with physical activity and nature, and what is possible?
A long, healthy life filled with joyful memories. In the spring of 2024, I bounced an idea off those closest to me. Why not a walk in the bucolic Cotswolds?
What — you might ask — are the Cotswolds? From the Middle Ages, the Cotswolds became prosperous as a result of the wool trade, as evidenced to this day by the stone manor homes, the sheep that dot the countryside, and the ancient water wheels that once powered the textile industry. In 1965, the region was declared an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — the largest in Britain — which helped to preserve it and fend off commercialization.
On the first morning of our eight-day self-guided walking tour of the Cotswolds, we assembled outside our hotel in Morten-in-Marsh for a group photo: my wife and I, our daughter and her partner, as well as a lifelong friend and his partner. We started alongside a busy road and came upon an elder crossing sign showing the outline of two decrepit seniors. Did that mean us? Surely not!
We veered off the motorway: one moment the whoosh of traffic and the next — silence. Footpaths are marked with directional signs such as “The Cotswold Way.” The English public right-of-way system means you are permitted to respectfully cross private land. By day’s end, our twelve-kilometre trek had us in the charming village of Stow-in-the-Wold where we overnighted at the Porch House. Originally built around 1000 AD, it is reputed to be England’s oldest inn.
Day Two found us seven kilometres farther in Bourton-on-the-Water for a two-night stay. It is known as “the Venice of the Cotswolds” because of its canals and their little bridges. The attractive Georgian and Jacobean structures are all made from the notable honey-coloured Cotswold limestone. Worth a visit are the Motoring Museum and the Model Village. On Day Three we made a side trip through the smaller villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter.
Our destination on Day Four was the village of Winchcombe and Sudeley Castle, the sole private castle in England to have a queen — Katherine Parr — buried within its grounds. Queen Katherine was the last and surviving wife of King Henry VIII.
Day Five saw us spend the first of two nights in Broadway. But first, we walked to Stanton, a sleepy village whose one pub happened to be closed that day. Forewarned, we had packed lunches and sat among the gravestones in the local churchyard. From our starting point in Broadway the next day, a taxi transported us back to Stanton. That enabled us to do an extra loop and visit Snowshill Manor and the eclectic collection of its former owner, Charles Wade, an architect associated with the leading lights of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
On our penultimate day, we set out from Broadway. It was a relentless ascent to the crest of a hill to reach Broadway Tower. An eighteenth century folly, the tower is the brainchild of the famous English landscape designer, Lancelot “Capability” Brown. From this beautiful escarpment are commanding views over sixteen counties. That afternoon we entered Chipping Campden. A blue plaque on one of many fine houses informs passersby of writer Graham Greene’s brief stay there in the 1930s. Later, we gathered in the Noel Arms pub for a half-pint and delicious sticky toffee pudding. Pubs such as this one are a connection point for locals and their beloved dogs.
On our eighth and final day there was a pleasant surprise. Midway between Chipping Campden and Moreton-in-Marsh lies Blockley. It’s better known to fans of the cozy whodunnit Father Brown as the fictional village of Kembleford. Lo and behold, they were in the middle of filming, and we were all agog to see the actors parading in costume. We had one last night in Moreton-in-Marsh before parting ways.
The main takeaway? What started out as a bunch of dots on a map slowly connected to become the bigger picture — that of a precious memory to cherish a lifetime.
Michael Lalonde
Michael Lalonde enjoys reading, writing, and hiking near his home on Vancouver Island. He relishes live theatre and musical performances, as well as teaching English to new arrivals from Ukraine. Michael lives with his wife Sharon and their Havanese pup, Tia.