►Bestwalks home page ►England Menu
Scroll down and click on a title link for a price comparison between these leading online retailers.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
LONG DISTANCE PATHS RUNNING THROUGH THE REGION ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN WHITE
| Cotswold Way (National Trail Guides), Anthony Burton - This work provides a complete description of the route divided into fifteen chapters, each covering one day's walk. It includes: a 1:25 000 Ordnance Survey mapping marked with points of interest along the route; full colour photographs throughout; background information on local history, wildlife, archaeology and landscape; and comprehensive useful information section. This 100-mile (160-km) route is Britain's newest National Trail and will officially open in spring 2007. Starting in the picturesque village of Chipping Camden, it takes the walker through a landscape of steep escarpments, bare plateaux and wooded valleys, passing a number of important historical sites en route, before descending into the Severn Valley and ending at the city of Bath. Whether you are walking the trail from end to end or exploring a part of it, you will find this easy-to-use guide indispensable. Published April 07. New Edition March 2010 available for pre-order. |
AA Leisure Guides - Cotswolds
- This activity guide from the AA
tells you the best places to visit in the Cotswolds and includes mapped
walks, cycle rides and car tours. Inside you'll find easy-to-use and modern
layouts with newly commissioned colour photographs to inspire you and area
maps which show the area in detail. The guide contains 10 walks, 3 cycle
rides and 2 car tours, each illustrated with a colour map. Each chapter
tells you the best places to visit in the Cotswolds and listings pages give
reviews of pubs and tea shops plus information on where to shop, local
specialities, activities, and local events and festivals. Published April
07.
|
AA Walking in The Cotswolds - This beautifully illustrated reference book guides
you through the best places to walk in the Cotswolds. Explore richly diverse
habitats and discover beauty spots best known to the locals. Use the
carefully planned routes and maps to really get to know the areas and enjoy
the superb photography, long after the mud has dried on your boots. There
are 20 mapped walks, based on OS 1:25,000 mapping, with clear, easy to
follow directions. Each walk is rated for steepness and difficulty.
Published April 06. New edition January 2010 available for pre-order
|
|
Cotswold
Way, The Two-way National Trail Description, Kev Reynolds -
This is the third edition of this guide to the
102-mile route (recently designated a National Trail) between Chipping Campden and Bath. The route meanders through the Cotswolds Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty, one of the best-loved regions of lowland
Britain. The path follows the Cotswolds down their western edge with
dramatic and far-reaching views across the Severn Vale towards the Welsh
hills. Beginning in handsome Chipping Campden, not only does the route
explore the sheep-grazed escarpment, it plunges down the scarp slope on
numerous occasions to visit the honey-coloured villages and old market towns
for which the district is justly famed, and ends in the World Heritage City
of Bath. The route is described in both directions, giving the walker a
choice of start and end locations. This new edition takes account of
improvements made to the route for its launch as a National Trail, and is
the perfect companion to a memorable long walk. Published July 2007.
|
Cotswold Way: Chipping Campden to Bath, Tricia and Bob Hayne - The Cotswold Way is a 102-mile National Trail that runs from Chipping Campden to Bath, following the beautiful Cotswold escarpment for most of its course. The trail leads through quintessentially English countryside with little villages of honey-coloured stone to the well-known town of Bath. 5 town plans and 50 large-scale walking maps - at just under 1: 20,000 - showing route times, places to stay, points of interest and much more Itineraries for all walkers - whether walking the route in its entirety over seven to eight days or sampling the highlights on day walks and short breaks Practical information for all budgets - camping, bunkhouses, hostels, B&Bs, pubs and hotels; Chipping Campden to Bath - where to stay, where to eat, what to see, plus detailed street plans Comprehensive public transport information - for all access points on the Cotswold Way. Flora and fauna - four page full colour flower guide, plus an illustrated section on local wildlife Green hiking - understanding the local environment and minimizing our impact on it Bath city guide. Published January 09. |
AA 50 Walks - Cotswolds - Walking is one of Britain's favourite leisure
activities, and with "50 Walks in the Cotswolds" you can find a variety of
mapped walks to suit all abilities - from the casual walker to the
experienced hiker. The book features all the practical detail you need,
accompanied by fascinating background reading on the history and wildlife of
the area, as well as other local points of interest. All walks are annotated
with places to visit along the way: 'While You're There', featuring
churches, country houses, museums, villages and towns. Each walk also has
refreshment information: 'Where to Eat and Drink', including tea rooms and
pubs, with extra details on their character and the food on offer. A 'What
to Look For' panel features more specific details of urban and industrial
heritage, flora and fauna. Every walk is given a summary of distance, time,
gradient, level of difficulty, type of surface and access, landscape, dog
friendliness, parking and public toilets. Published April 08.
|
|
Drive and Stroll in the Cotswolds, Richard Shurey -
Twenty short circular
routes for those who enjoy a country drive to an attractive spot for a
refreshing walk. Includes routes at Winchcombe, Moreton-in-Marsh and Bibury.
With maps and photographs. Published April 05.
|
Shakespeare Country, the Vale of Evesham and Cotswold Walks,
Brian Conduit - This Jarrold Ordnance Survey Pathfinder guide embraces the
region to the north of the Cotswolds traditionally known as 'Shakespeare
Country'. The 28 walks are colour coded to match ability to the likely
degree of difficulty. Published March 98.
|
The Cotswolds Short Walks, Jarrold 4th Edition, Nick Channer - The Cotswolds extend from near Stratford-upon-Avon in the north to Wotton-under-Edge, near Bath, in the South. The name 'Cotswold' has a cosy ring to it-bringing to mind traditionally English images of cottages, lush green fields and rolling hills. It derives from the Saxon, meaning wooded hollows hidden amid gentle hills, which is still an accurate description today. The Cotswold landscape and its buildings owe everything to the underlying bedrock. Honey-coloured limestone characterises the region's picturesque churches and cottages, including picture-book Bourton-on-the-Water, Upper and Lower Slaughter, Bibury, Burford and Minchinhampton. Published November 09. |
|
Paws Under the Table, Helen Peacocks - 40 Dog-Friendly Pubs and Walks
from Oxford to the Cotswolds. Published April 09. Cotswold Canals, Paul Balmer - 10 Walking routes. Published March 07. North Cotswolds Walks: The User Friendly Map and Guide, published May 07. Classic Cotswold Walks, William Fricker. Published July 08. |
Cotswold Walks, Brian Conduit - sequel to the best-selling Pathfinder
Cotswolds Walks. The combination of idyllic stone villages and small towns in gentle, rolling countryside make the Cotswolds quintessentially 'English'. Cotswold stone varies in colour, depending on the area, ranging from light grey through to pale cream, honey and light brown, and this natural variation in the limestone is what helps towns and villages such as Castle Combe, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Arlington, Broadway, Chipping Campden,
Snowshill and Stanton, all featured in walks in this guide, blend so attractively into the natural surroundings. Published August 09. More Cotswold Walks, Brian Conduit and Nick Channer - This companion volume to the tremendously popular Pathfinder Cotswolds Guide, features 28 great country walks set amid the stunning pastoral scenery that stretches from the north of Somerset to the borders of Worcester and Warwickshire. By far the best way to explore this uniquely beautiful and harmonious corner of England is by foot. An extensive network of way marked footpaths enables the walker to take every advantage the landscape has to offer - the fine manor houses, the tranquil villages and the more exercising environs of the Cotswold Hills. This particular title takes in the western part of the area to include the Vale of Severn. Published October 09. |
AA 30 Walks, Cotswolds (Cards) - This original concept takes the most
popular walks from the AA's best-selling and newly updated walks database
and packages them on individual laminated cards in a durable box. The small
and handy size means that the box can be stowed away in a pocket or handbag
and single cards extracted at each walk start point. Clear and concise
instructions plus a full-colour route map make the cards a joy to use.
Published March 2010. Available for pre-order.
|
|
The Cotswolds Insight Guide, Christopher Catling - This 80-page
guidebook covers the Cotswold's highlights for the visitor, ranging from
Roman Cirencester to the market town of Stow-on-the-Wold. Key features: Top
Ten Sights 8 itineraries for tours and excursions Leisure-time suggestions
Practical information section, listing hotels, restaurants, essential
contact addresses and numbers Dozens of top-notch full-colour photographs
Detailed maps of main regions and towns. Published February 05.
|
Cheltenham Circular Footpath, Richard Laycock and Peter Rollins - The
footpath detailed in this guide is 25 miles long and based on existing
rights of way. The walk has been upgraded and waymarked by the Ramblers
Association and is divided into 12 parts, each with its own map and notes.
Published June 96.
|
Oxfordshire Walks: Oxford, the Cotswolds and the Cherwell Valley,
Nick Moon. Published May 98. Cotswold Pack, Peter Beresford and Ian Coulthard - Durable, weather-proof walking cards with route descriptions of 20 outstanding circular walks, graded for suitability. The cards are contained in a box, along with a PVC card/map holder and fully comprehensive, straightforward User Guide booklet. Features Ordnance Survey mapping. Published October 98. |
|
Waterside Walks in
the Cotswolds, Nigel Vile - Circular walks including
the rivers Windrush, Avon and Thames, the Severn Canal and Cotswold Water
Park. Contains maps and photographs. Walks vary in length from 2 to 7 miles.
Published April 00.
|
Cotswold Riverwalks, Colin Handy - 16 circular walks of between 2 and 7 miles, on the rivers Churn, Coln, Isbourne, Leach, Thames, Windrush, Evenlode and Eye, offering the chance to view the daily life of the riverbank animals, birds and fish. Published June 94. |
Wysis Way, Offa's Dyke to the Thames Path, - Gerry Stewart - linking the Rivers Wye, Severn and Thames and two National Trails, Offa's Dyke Path and the Thames Path. From Monmouth the Wysis Way runs for 55 miles to the Isis, the infant River Thames, rising from the limestone high in the Cotswolds. Published January 98.
|
| Literary Strolls in the Cotswolds, Gordon Ottewell - The 40 walks of up to 3 miles encourage walkers to find out more about the Cotswold countryside through the discovery of its literary associations. Published October 99. | The D'arcy Dalton Way Across Oxfordshire Cotswolds and Thames Valley, Nicholas Moon - The D’arcy Dalton Way was created to mark the Oxford Fieldpath Society's Diamond Jubilee in 1986 to connect Oxfordshire's major long distance paths with the Wessex Downs and public transport links, and named after a notable defender of the county's path network. Published October 99. | St Kenelm's Trail - 60 Mile Trail from St. Kenelm's Church, Romsley to Winchcombe, John Price. Published February 07. |
| Citizen Cotswold Pubwalks, Colin Handy - An illustrated guide to walks around the Cotswolds which have been specially devised to take in various pubs en route. Published December 95. |
Cotswolds (AA 40 Pub Walks and Cycle Rides) This
exciting series of family-friendly walk and cycle ride books offers
routes all over Britain. Written and researched by experts in their field,
the guides are designed to be practical and easy to use for a perfectly
planned day out for the whole family. Each guide includes 25 walks and 15
cycle rides with colour photographs throughout showing sites, views and pubs
along the route. A full colour map accompanies each walk and cycle and there
is practical information such as distance, minimum time and level of
difficulty to make sure you make the most of your family day out. Published
June 05.
|
The Donnington Way Walkabout, Colin Handy - This illustrated guide links all the real ale Donnington Brewery Inns in one long walk of 62 miles, which can also be divided into several shorter excursions. It also serves as a history of the brewery and its inns. Published February 92 |
|
Cotswold Way, British Walking Guide, Tricia and Bob Hayne - 5 town plans and 50 large-scale walking maps - at just under 1: 20,000 - showing route times, places to stay, points of interest and much more Itineraries for all walkers - whether walking the route in its entirety over seven to eight days or sampling the highlights on day walks and short breaks Practical information for all budgets - camping,
bunkhouses, hostels, B&Bs, pubs and hotels; Chipping Campden to Bath - where to stay, where to eat, what to see, plus detailed street plans Comprehensive public transport information.
Published April 09.
Cotswold Way, Mark Richards - one of the original creators of the Cotswold Way, Mark walks the 104 miles from Chipping Campden to Bath, pointing out the various attractions and talking to those he meets along the way. Includes detailed maps, including the official direction changes made in 1998. Cover features a painting by David Bellamy. Published January 95. |
The Cotswold Trail Companion, J M Roland - This guide gives all the practical information needed to help to plan a walk on the Cotswold Way National Trail including which maps and guide books are available, how to get there, contacts for providers of tourist information, organised holidays and luggage transfer, and comprehensive details about accommodation and local services including pubs, cafes, banks village shops etc. The guide also gives information to help you to plan how far to walk in a day including charts to help you work out how far it is from one place to another, a brief descriptions of each of the 15 sections of the trail, with an overview map, and charts indicating the gradients on that section. This Companion is not designed as a route guide, and for books detailing information about the Trail route itself see other entries on this page.
|
25 Walks: The
Cotswolds, B E Fryer - A range of walks with full
colour photographs and maps. Includes iron age forts, Roman roads, medieval
monasteries and grand mansions. Walks vary in length from 2 to 11 miles.
Limited availability. Published December 96.
|
|
Guide to the Cotswold Way, Richard Sale - Step-by-step guide for walkers, exploring the geology, history and natural history of the Cotswold Way, which is suitable for walkers of all abilities, and can be enjoyed in small sections or taken as a whole. Illustrated in black & white plus route and town maps. Limited availability. Published February 89. |
Cotswolds (Ordnance Survey/AA Leisure)
- The books in this series provide full A-Z gazetteers of information on
some of the most beautiful areas in Britain and present ten walks and two
car tours, plus information for cyclists. A small atlas is included to
assist with travelling. The guide includes a weekend itinerary from Friday
night to Sunday afternoon, and describes the customs, traditions, history
and legends of the area as well a providing a checklist of places to visit
and shop with addresses and telephone numbers. Limited availability. Published April 02.
|
Cotswold Ring, Christopher Knowles - This guide covers the Cotswold Ring, a 55-mile circular route which takes in much of the northern Cotswolds, making use of existing rights of way and long-distance footpaths. The walk may be undertaken over several days, or in sections. Limited availability. Published April 96. |
| Walks around Chipping Norton, Mark Richards - Handwritten and illustrated in the Wainwright style, this guide features walks which start from Chipping Norton, leading the walker to nearby villages and locations of special interest. Limited availability. Published August 92. | Walks around Burford, Mark Richards - This walking guide also presents a history of the Burford area. All the walks start from Burford itself and cover the surrounding countryside, taking in the villages of Fulbrook, Widford, Shilton, Signet, Holwell, and Westwell. Limited availability. Published January 95. | Walks around Stow on the Wold, Mark Richards - This guide presents the opportunity to take a grand eight-mile circular walk, starting from Stow-on-the-Wold and visiting all the nearby villages. The overall distance may be divided into several shorter excursions. Limited availability. Published May 91. |
| A Year of Walks: The Cotswolds, Roy Woodcock - One leisurely circular walk for each month of the year, visiting a range of exceptional locations in the Cotswolds. Gives the option of a full or half day walk (8 - 12 miles) to each spot. Limited availability. Published August 98. | Cotswold and Severn Vale Walking Routes, Mark Turner - 10 circular walks all in full colour with easy t follow maps with details on wildlife and historic places. Limited availability. Published December 00. |
More Favourite Walks in the South Cotswolds, Brian Panton.
Limited availability. Published July 99.
|
| Cotswold Tea Shop Walks, Jean Patefield - 20 short circular walks based on good local teashops. Limited availability. Published March 96. | Tea Shop Walks in the Cotswolds, Norman & Jane Buckley - 26 walks of between 2¼ and 10 miles, covering the length and breadth of the Cotswolds. Limited availability. Published June 96. | Family Walks in the Cotswolds, Gordon Ottewell - 16 walks of between 1 and 6 miles. Limited availability. Published March 96. |
| Pubwalks in the Cotswolds, Colin Handy - Whether new to walking or looking for a challenge, readers will have no difficulty in following these footpaths and bridle ways to a worthwhile watering hole. Easy to follow and never too far, each walk is laid out in such a way that planning a "pub stop" is simplicity itself. This book takes readers to traditional pubs and inns where they can be sure of receiving the traditional "Cotswold" welcome. Limited availability. Published June 03. |
Great Walks from
Pubs in the Cotswolds, Nigel Vile - 20 walks of
between 2 and 5 miles. Includes Withington, Slad, Sapperton, Cold Ashton,
Stanton, South Woodchester, North Nibley, Hawkesbury, Bourton-on-the-Water,
Bibury, Painswick and Castle Combe. Limited availability. Published March 98.
|
Pub Walks in the Cotswolds, Nigel Vile - 30 walks of between 2 and 6
miles. Routes take in Snowshill, Naunton, Broadway, Painswick and Chipping
Campden. Includes photos and details of speciality menus and ales. Limited
availability. Published
June 92.
|
| Cotswold Walks (Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Guide), - 28 varied routes from easy strolls to exhilarating hikes - 9 easy walks (3½ - 6½ miles), 13 moderate (4 - 8½ miles) and 6 more challenging (8 - 10 miles). Distance, timing, refreshment stops and advice included. Clear OS mapping at 1:25,000 scale. Includes Castle Combe, Blenheim Park, Wychwood Forest, Chipping Campden, Claverton Down, Cleeve Common and Bredon Hill. Limited availability. Published July 90. | North Cotswold Diamond Way, Elizabeth Bell - This is a walking guide put together by the North Cotswold Group of the Ramblers Association, that contains details of 30 walks on the North Cotswold Diamond Way. Limited availability. Published November 01. | Bourton on the Water Walkabout, Peter Reardon - Bourton on the Water Walkabout. A Village Trail by Peter Reardon. The Cotswolds is an area of really outstanding natural beauty. With its rolling hills, wide open views, cosy valleys, rivers and streams and its enchanting little towns and villages there is nowhere else in the country quite like it. One of these charming little villages is Bourton on the Water. Limited availability. Published July 00. |
|
The Echo's Second Book of Cotswold Walks,
Christopher Knowles - The walks in this illustrated guide are, once again,
collected from the "Lifestyle" supplement of the "Gloucestershire Echo".
These family walks are from three to five miles long. Information includes
details of parking facilities. Limited availability. Published May 94. The Echo's Cotswold Walks, Christopher Knowles - The walks in this illustrated Reardon guide are collected from the "Lifestyle" supplement of the "Gloucestershire Echo". These family walks are from three to five miles long, cover some of the most attractive hidden byways of the Cotswolds and include places of refreshment along the way. Limited availability. Published May 93. The Echo's Third Book of Cotswold Walks. Limited availability. Published November 95. |
St Kenelm's Way, Gerry Stewart - Saint Kenelm is one of the most important Saints of medieval England, one referred to in the Canterbury Tales and venerated throughout England. His legend identifies him as a member of the royal family of Mercia, a boy King and martyr, murdered to further the interests of an ambitious relative. After his body was concealed, it came to light by virtue of miraculous intervention and was transported by the Monks of Winchcombe to a major shrine where it remained for several hundred years. The two places most commonly associated with the legend of Kenelm are the Clent Hills, south of Birmingham, identified as the scene of his murder and and the small Gloucestershire town of Winchcombe, near Cheltenham where his body was eventually interred. Kenelm's Way is a newly devised sixty mile walk which link these places and recalls the journey recorded as being taken by the monks of St. Peter's Abbey, Winchcombe, with the Saint's remains. It is a journeys across many memorable landscapes, visiting numerous ancient villages, passing by several places of historic interest. Limited availability. Published January 03. |
The Macmillan Way,
Peter Titchmarsh - the 290 mile coast to coast path
from Boston to Abbotsbury.
The original Macmillan Way was
developed to raise money for the Macmillan cancer relief charity and was
opened as a fully signed and waymarked route in 1996. A lengthy extension,
the Macmillan Way West, followed in 2001.
The fully
waymarked Macmillan Way and follows existing footpaths, bridleways and
byways, and small stretches of minor roads when these are unavoidable. It
runs across beautiful open fen country for its first thirty miles and for
the rest of its journey it then follows, as near as possible, the course of
the oolitic limestone belt, comprising stone known as 'Cotswold' in the
area, but which runs in slightly varying form all the way from South
Yorkshire to Dorset. It passes through a number of small towns and villages,
the architectural features which have much in common. Limited availability. Published January 03.
|
|
South Cotswolds Walkcards,
Reardon Publishing - 12 walks of between 5 and 12
miles. Each waterproof walkcard has a colour map with highlighted route on
one side, and full directions and info on the other. Includes Seven Springs
and the Devils Chimney, Hanging Hill and Bath Racecourse, and Heresford
Beacon. Limited availability. Published July 98. North Cotswolds Walkcards, Reardon Publishing - 12 walks of between 5 and 12 miles. Each waterproof walkcard has a colour map with highlighted route on one side, and full directions and info on the other. Includes Mickleton and Hidcot, Blockley to Draycott Hill and Guiting Power. Limited availability. Published August 98. |
The Monarch's Way, Trevor Antill - A long distance walk that closely follows the route taken by Charles II after his defeat by Cromwell's forces at Worcester in 1651. Starting from Worcester it goes first north, then south through the Cotswolds and the Mendips to the coast, then South Downs to Shoreham where Charles escaped to France. Visiting many historic places, perhaps previously known to readers only through the history books, it also goes through some of the finest scenery in western and southern England.
Book 1, Worcester to Stratford-upon-Avon. 175 miles Limited
availability. Published June 05. ►Get these books for 10% discount off published price and free postage.
|
|
|
MORE MAPS The Cotswold Way, a Walker's Map, Roger Noyce. This map was created by Roger Noyce afer several years of walking and mapping the route. The mapping is based on pre-1947 Ordnance Survey material supplemented by information located using satellite navigation. Published Nov 97 Cotswold Way XT 40 (Walker's Route S.), Harvey. Published May 07 Cotswold Way Map, Reardon. Published Oct 96 Philip's Red Book of the Cotswolds. Published Aug '08 The Cotswolds Leisure Map. Published June 02
South Cotswolds Walks, Goldeneye Map. Published May 05 |
|
AUTHORS/PUBLISHERS
LOCAL LINKS Cotswold Gateway - packed with information about the area. www.cotswolds-stay.co.uk - Cotswolds accommodation and tourist guide. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
If you are looking for a book which is not listed here or find a broken link, please email me
