- Distance: 6 miles or 9.7 kilometres
- Duration: 3 to 4 hours (without pub stops)
- Difficulty: Medium, some steep hills at the beginning
- Pubs: 2 pubs, both of which currently closed due to lockdown
- Parking: WR12 7NG, Parish Council car park next to the cricket ground
If you’re looking for a great all-round walk in the Cotswolds, then this is it. Nestled amongst some of the Cotswolds’ most popular villages, this walk begins in Stanton, just 4 miles from Broadway and 13 miles from Bourton-on-the-water. Spoilt with steep hills, stunning views, pretty villages and rolling fields, this walk has everything and has probably been my favourite Cotswold walk, yet. If the pubs had been open, I would have probably given this walk full marks.
The walk starts at the Parish Council car park along the main road, right next to the cricket ground. The route immediately takes you through a typical, quintessential Cotswold village, Stanton. If I hadn’t stopped and admired every single thatched cottage, painted door and pretty wreath we would have made it through the village in just a few minutes, but it was definitely worth the slower pace. Heading uphill, the route leaves the village and steeply climbs Shenberrow Hill. Don’t forget to look behind you, or else you’ll miss the views. At the top we were greeted with snow on the ground and a herd of cows and their calves.
The route continues along muddy footpaths, across fields, through woodlands and over stiles. After a little over an hour, we reached the beautiful village of Snowshill. The Snowshill Arms was closed unfortunately, but looking at the online reviews, I can see why it’s so popular with walkers and families. Dogs are welcome and I’ve read that they do a particularly good fish and chips. We also passed Snowshill Manor and Gardens, which belongs to the National Trust.
The final stretch of the walk takes you down and then uphill through rolling fields and across The Edge. By this point the snow was coming down pretty thick and fast, but it wasn’t long before we were back at Stanton and the car. I’ll definitely do this walk again, but I think I’ll wait until the summer arrives and the pubs reopen! Click on the button below to download a PDF of the walk.
I absolutely loved this walk and will definitely return in the summer. Too far for younger kids, but perfect for dog walkers, families and older children.
ODD. Score = 4/5
