Day One

 It’s time for another hike, so as the blog name suggests, I’m attempting to walk the 102 mile Cotswold Way (CW for future abbreviations). 

The path is a National Trail between the market town of Chipping Campden in the north of Gloucestershire to Bath in Somerset. There is approximately 12000ft of climbing to be done by the time I finish, so it will be a fairly tough challenge. 

Even though Chiiping Campden is only 65 miles north of home ( in a direct line) it took over 5 hours to travel there by public transport. Firstly, I caught the train from Warminster, which was 20 minutes late! Luckily, I had a 35 minute stopover at Bristol Temple Meads. I then caught a cattle train to Cheltenham! It was standing room only in a corridor next to the luggage rack. By the time I arrived in Cheltenham, I was glad to stretch my legs, with a two mile walk along a nice pathway to the city centre.

I then caught a bus to Chipping Campden. You could tell you were heading to a wealthy area, coz even the ‘normal service bus’ had leather seats! 

 What would normally be a half hour journey if you went directly by car, took over 2 hours, because the bus went on a circuitous route, around and round in circles quite often. 

However, in the sunshine, the scenery was spectacular. 

Due to the lack of camp sites in the vicinity, I stayed the night in a pub/hotel (Volunteer Inn) with in the town. 

Chipping Campden is one of the jewels in the Cotswold Crown. I was so lucky to see it at its best, in brilliant sunshine. The Cotswolds are famous for their golden limestone, but it is particularly honey coloured in Chippy  (as the locals call it).  

I had a nice burger in a different pub (Eight Bells Inn) to the one I’m staying in. 

There are several pubs and restaurants in Chippy and they were all very busy on a Friday evening. 

I didn’t sleep particularly well. Firstly, the pub remained open until 1am, so even though I went to bed at 10, I couldn’t go to sleep because of all the laughing and shouting. Then when everyone did go, I slept restlessly. 

I got up at 6:30 and had another look around the village before a nice cooked breakfast to set me up for the day. 

I set off at 8:20 and immediately had a climb up to Dovers Hill. However from there, I got my first view of the Vale of Evesham. 

I then went through an OSR field which looked magnificent against the blue sky. 

After that, I wandered over to Broadway Tower. I didn’t go in, because there was a charge and I didn’t really have the time to look around. 

There was the a steep descent into Broadway village. Luckily, I got there just after 10:15 and it wasn’t too busy! It was very pretty though. 

I stopped at a cafe and had a coffee and flapjack and also got them to make me up a ham sandwich for lunch. 

There was then quite a steady climb up to Shenberrow Hill before another steep descent into Stanton. Well, if Broadway was pretty, Stanton was gorgeous. 

I walked through the village but then realised that I was getting low on water. I couldn’t find a tap, so had no alternative but to retrace my steps to the Mount Inn. 

Mind you it was called the Mount Inn for a reason, because it was up a very steep drive. Whilst there, I felt obliged to sample the beer! 

After Stanton, there was another beastly climb up to Stumps Cross. By now I was flagging and had to take some electrolytes and jelly babies, to make it up the hill. It wasn’t a bad view from the top! 

There then followed a steep descent down to Hayles Fruit farm ( just north-east of Winchcombe) where there is a campsite. 

It turned into a 17 mile walk. My legs are fine, but may share a bit stiff. I’m also quite pink from all the sunshine!