Walking Pages 2025
The North Cotswold Diamond Way explores some of the best countryside of the north Cotswolds. The route is 60 miles long and roughly a diamond shape, bounded in the north by Ebrington, in the east by Oddington, in the south by Northleach and in the west by Guiting Power. No part of the route is further than 11 miles from Stow-on-the-Wold.
The route was devised specially to go through some of the many delightful small villages, with their golden stone cottages and welcoming country pubs. The terrain is varied and interesting, sometimes across open fields with stone walls, often through little spinneys or along the banks of streams. The hills are gently undulating and provide very pleasant views.
As far as possible lesser-known footpaths are used, but all should be in reasonable condition depending upon the time of year. In a few places the route coincides with other well-known walks. There is very little road walking and then it is along pleasant minor roads and lanes.
This updated 3rd edition guidebook provides a comprehensive description of the route starting from Moreton-in-Marsh, although you could start anywhere by finding the relevant section in the guidebook and walking in an anticlockwise direction. If you prefer to walk the route in separate day walks the companion guidebook '30 Sparkiling Short Walks' may be preferable as it provides 30 circular walks covering the entire North Cotswold Diamond Way.
Very detailed sketch maps support the navigation text to make route finding easy and there are some attractive ketches throughout the book. The whole Way was re-surveyed in 2023 for this new edition of the guide. The route was originally devised for the Ramblers' Association Diamond jubilee in 1995 and provides a great introduction to long distance walking.
Places visited include Aston Magna; Paxford; Ebrington; Chipping Campden; Broad Campden; Blockley; Hinchwick Manor; Crabs Corner; Taddington; Temple Guiting; Guiting Power; Notgrove; Northleach; Farmington; Bourton-on-the-Water; Wyck Rissington; Icomb; Bledington; Oddington; Adlestrop; Evenlode.
