| It's difficult to imagine a more perfect destination for a | | | | slow-flowing rivers and waterways. |
| walking holiday than England. Certainly, walking in the | | | | Dating back to the Middle Ages, the wool trade and |
| Cotswolds is always a treat with its green and rolling | | | | the area's signature Cotswold sheep were the |
| countryside. You can immerse yourself in the ancient | | | | economic mainstay of the region. Some of the |
| world of the Romans at Bath, imagine yourself as | | | | revenue from wool was used to build beautiful |
| Shakespeare as you walk along the banks of the | | | | churches, now known as "wool churches." |
| Avon, or dream of being the character in a Jane | | | | An extended stay in the Cotswolds must certainly |
| Austen novel. Whatever your fantasy, walking in | | | | include visits to towns such as Chipping Campden, |
| England is a dream vacation. | | | | Stow-on-the-Wold, Broadway, Winchcombe and |
| The Cotswolds are often referred to as the Heart of | | | | Chipping Norton. The village of Bilbury was described |
| England. To explore the richness of the region, you | | | | by William Morris, the 19th century artist and founder of |
| must be on foot. You'll walk among centuries-old | | | | the Arts and Crafts Movement as "the most beautiful |
| homes built with honey-colored Cotswold stone and | | | | village in England," a claim that's hard to refute. |
| steeply-pitched thatched roofs. This is England as | | | | Although the towns of Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, |
| you've always imagined it, filled with history, charm, and | | | | and Bath are not technically in the Cotswolds, they are |
| set in rolling hills of green. | | | | close enough than any visit to the area always seems |
| Located less than an hour from London, the | | | | to include at least a few days in these historic towns. |
| Cotswolds are compact enough that you can either | | | | Bath, with its ancient Roman baths and elegant |
| base your stay in one location and enjoy daytrips or | | | | Georgian architecture is a popular day excursion. |
| plan an itinerary along a route that enables you to stay | | | | Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William |
| in a different town each evening. Walking tours of the | | | | Shakespeare is a fascinating place to spend a day or |
| Cotswolds are generally available on a guided, | | | | more, especially if you are able to attend a |
| self-guided, or independent basis. Even independent | | | | performance at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the |
| walkers can arrange for luggage shuttle, so you | | | | most famous classical theater in the world. Oxford is |
| needn't carry all of your gear with you, but arrive each | | | | home to the oldest university in the English-speaking |
| afternoon to find your bags waiting for you at the inn | | | | world, and is know as the "city of dreaming spires" for |
| or bed and breakfast where you're staying. | | | | it's elegant and architecture. |
| To be precise, the Cotswolds are a range of hills in | | | | A typical day walking in the Cotswolds is flexible, but |
| south central England. This low-lying range-the highest | | | | may involve 4-6 hours a day of walking, allowing plenty |
| point is only 1,083 feet high-is about 90 miles long and | | | | of time to explore the region's history and other sites |
| 25 miles wide. The region has been recognized as an | | | | of interest. You'll also be able to find unique and |
| Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, an official | | | | intriguing items in the shops and farm markets |
| designation similar in status to a National Park. The | | | | throughout the Cotswolds. Come prepared for lush |
| main attraction and appeal in a visit to the Cotswolds | | | | scenery, great history, typical English charm and a |
| are the charming small towns and villages separated | | | | grand adventure in the Heart of England on a walking |
| by hills, pastures and woodland, and crisscrossed with | | | | vacation in the Cotswolds. |