Cotswold Highlights Trail

Extra Nights & Rest Days

An extra night is the perfect way to explore the sights and sounds of the Cotswolds.

Many people choose to have an extra night in Chipping Campden. It is the loveliest, best preserved and most historically important of all the Cotswold towns. Buildings of interest include the open-sided Jacobean Market Hall, built to shelter stallholders from all weathers; the Town Hall; the 14th century Woolstaplers Hall, where the fleeces were sold and which now houses the town's museum. Opposite this is the magnificent Grevel House built in 1380. St James' Church is one of the best examples of a Cotswold 'wool' church and contains the largest memorial brass in the county, dedicated to William Grevel, 'the flower of the wool merchants of all England'.

Next to the church is the gateway and onion-topped lodges of the old manor of Campden. The manor itself was destroyed during the Civil War. Nearby, on a raised pavement, stands a superb row of Almshouses built during the reign of James I in stunning symmetry.

Stow-on-the-Wold is an attractive town with many good antiques shops and art galleries, while Winchcombe is another popular choice for a rest day. It is a charming small town with two or three inns, many attractive old Tudor houses, cottages with roses clambering over their porches and a fine church containing an altar cloth worked by Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife. Forty-five grotesque gargoyles, each representing a local character from the 1460's adorn its outer walls. Winchcombe is also a good base for exploring Sudeley Castle.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - Most convenient major city and international airports are Bristol and Birmingham.

By Rail - The nearest rail stations to the start of the trail (Chipping Campden) are either Honeybourne (about 5.5 miles away) or Moreton-in-Marsh (about 6.5 miles away).

By Bus - Various bus services run to and from Chipping Campden.

From London - Trains run from London Paddington station to Honeybourne and Moreton-in-Marsh . A taxi/bus will then be required to Chipping Campden.

Return To The Start - The Cotswold Highlights walk is a circular tour beginning and ending in Chipping Campden.