Walking at any time of year, you are presented with a collage which alters constantly but delights consistently. Are you after a splash of spring colour, or the still magic on a winter’s day? We have just the walk for you.
Woodlands spring to life in the blue haze of bluebell forests. For an even more magical experience, visit Badbury Hill or take a wander around the Sapperton Woods with dappled sunlight streaming through dense treetops and birds are chirping away over blooms that cover forest floors under oak canopies. If you pack a picnic, it is an ideal time to capture nature at its best.
The summers are meadows so green and long, with evenings of gold. Carved out of the Windrush Valley, which meanders past villages like Burford and Swinbrook – strewn with wildflowers and riverside pathways hemmed in by quintessential Cotswold stone cottages. Take a breath of fresh air at one of the local pub gardens. For Cotswolds Guided Tours, visit https://cotswoldtour.co.uk/cotswolds-private-tours/classic-cotswolds-guided-tour/
The golden hues and deep red crimsons that autumn lays upon the earth offer an exciting palette of woodland hues. The last gasps before winter. Westonbirt Arboretum is a feast for the eyes at this time of year. Thousands upon thousands of trees putting on a show. Another favourite is the Slad Valley, made famous by Laurie Lee for its hillsides flowing like waves of fire hedges.
And when the snow falls, you’ll have a picture perfect winter wonderland in the Cotswolds. The likes of Broadway and Chipping Campden are almost otherworldly, snow-dusted villages through which the air seems crisper and the lanes quieter. You can go for a winter wonderland walk and end up with some hot cocoa by the fire.
The Cotswolds can be explored on foot all year round and every season presents a different personality in terms of how you walk so you become that bit more closer to nature, getting up close and personal with the rural examples of natural beauty easily accessible in this timeless part of England.
