Cotswold Way National Trail

Bath & NE Somerset, Gloucestershire, S Gloucestershire, Worcestershire

The Cotswold Way National Trail meanders along the western edge of the Cotswold Hills, mainly following the often-wooded top of this limestone escarpment, from where there are extensive views over the Severn Vale to the Malverns and the distant hills of the Mendips and the Welsh borders. The trail descends from time to time to visit attractive villages nestling under the shelter of the edge. It crosses stone-walled farming countryside, passing villages and country houses built from the local limestone, and many sites of archaeological interest.

The waymarked Frome Valley Walkway (18 miles and on OS mapping) provides a link from Old Sodbury via Frenchay to the confluence with the Avon in Bristol. The waymarked Jubilee Way (South Gloucestershire) (17 miles and on OS mapping) is another link from Old Sodbury but ending at the Severn Bridge.

For National Trails website alerts see 'Cotswold Way Interactive Map (National Trails UK)' below.


May 2023:
Re-alignment of the 3-mile single-carriageway stretch of the A417 between Air Balloon roundabout (SO 935161) and the Cowley roundabout (SO 949134) is scheduled to begin in the Autumn of 2023. Large parts of the existing road will be 'repurposed' into a multi-user (walkers, cyclists, horse riders) Right of Way. The Cotswold Way will either be incorporated into, or cross, the re-designated route.
https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/cotswold-way/news/
https://nationaltrails.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/A417MissingLinkschememap.jpg
UPDATE February 2026: The realignment scheme is scheduled to continue until 2028

The LDWA National Trails Register offers certificates for completers of several British National Trails.

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Details:

Path Type:	National Trails (England & Wales)
Waymark:	National Trail Acorn
Attributes:	National Trail (England and Wales) Challenging Path Passport Downland/Wolds Heritage
Start:	SP151391 - Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
Finish:	ST751647 - Bath, Bath & NE Somerset
Open Date:	2007
User Group:	Cotswold Way Association Cotswold Way Association
Web Sites:	National Trails - Cotswold Way Cotswold Way Association - Walking the Cotswold Way Cotswolds National Landscape - Cotswold Way National Trail Annierak - Cotswold Way National Trail [blog] British Walks - Cotswold Way [blog] Brian's Walks - Cotswold Way [blog] Trailplanner - Cotswold Way [blog] Walking the Cotswold Way: an in-depth guide [blog] London Hiker - Walking the Cotswold Way [blog] Outdoor Scott - Guide to Walking the Cotswold Way [blog] A walker's journal - The Cotswold Way [blog] Cotswold Way [YouTube video] Chris Stuart's Walks - Cotswold Way [blog] Cotswold Way (five days) [YouTube vodeo] Cotswold Way National Trail [YouTube video] Masarnen Ramblers - Cotswold Way [blog] National Trails - Cotswold Way Interactive Map Waypoint51 - Cotswold Way

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Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook	Cotswold Way National Trail: two-way trail guide: Chipping Campden to Bath  (Cicerone Press  - 2026 reprint )
Guidebook	Cotswold Way: Chipping Campden to Bath  (Trailblazer  - 2023 )
Guidebook	Cotswold Way : National Trail Guide  (Trails Shop  - 2017 )
Guidebook	Cotswold Way : an archaeological walking guide  (History Press  - 2013 )
General Interest Book	Tales from the Big Trails  (Vertebrate Publishing  - 2021 )
General Interest Book	National Trails : 19 long-distance routes through England, Scotland and Wales  (Cicerone Press  - 2015 )
E-Book	Big walks of the south  (Summersdale Publishers  - 2010 )
External download	Exploring the Cotswold Way National Trail : six walks in South Gloucestershire  (South Gloucestershire Council  - 2007 )
Other	BBC Radio 4 : Ramblings : Iconic Walks : Cotswold Way  (BBC  - 2007 )
Other	BBC Radio 4 : Ramblings : the Cotswold Way  (BBC )
Path Passport	Cotswold Way Passport  (Cotswold Way Association  - 2024 )
Certificate	Certificate for National Trails  (Long Distance Walkers Association )
Certificate	Certificate for National Trails  (Trails Shop )
Badge	Badge for National Trails  (Trails Shop )
Badge	Cotswold Way embroidered cloth patch  (Cotswold Way Association )
Badge	Cotswold Way enamel pin badge  (Cotswold Way Association )
Badge	Cotswold Way enamel badge  (Trails Shop )
Other	National Trail mug  (Trails Shop )
General Interest Book	Big Trails: Great Britain & Ireland  (Vertebrate Publishing  - 2020 )
Guidebook	Trekking the Cotswold Way: two-way trekking guide  (Knife Edge Outdoor Guidebooks  - 2023 )
Phone app	https://cotswoldway.app/  (Cotswold Way (app)  - 2026 )

Click to showhide 17 more Publications, Badges and Certificates

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