10 great walks in The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds is a glorious area for walking with pretty villages and beautiful countryside. If you like walking and you are looking for some of the best routes to explore, here are 10 walks in The Cotswolds that you can find on the Oxfordshire Walks app.
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Burford
6 mile walk
This lovely and interesting Cotswold walk starts in the pretty medieval town of Burford and takes you along paths beside the beautiful River Windrush, through fields and water meadows, and along a valley fringed by woodland either side. There is also a small isolated medieval church to visit. This walk also has the bonus of passing through Burford High Street with plenty of pubs, tea and antique shops. There are some paths during the walk which run alongside roads.
You can view the Burford walk route map here.
Woodstock & Blenheim Park
2 walks of 6 miles and 6.5 miles
We have two walks from Woodstock. The first is our recommended walk from the pretty old Oxfordshire market town of Woodstock and as well as exploring the town, it also takes you deep into the beautiful Blenheim Park. On this walk you will be surrounded by lovely fields, wonderful parkland, towering old oak trees and a beautiful lake - all against the backdrop of the magnificent Blenheim Palace itself.
The second, alternative walk also starts in Woodstock. If you don't want to venture deep into Blenheim Park, this route takes you north of the town towards the village of Wootton, passing through some of the Blenheim Park, across open countryside, past the River Glyme and along some country lanes.
You can view a Woodstock and Blenheim Park route map here.
Chipping Norton
3 walks from 3 miles to 8 miles
We have three walks from Chipping Norton which is a typically quintessential Cotswold market town. The first is a lovely short and family-friendly circular walk which takes you through some pretty countryside and the pretty village of Over Norton before heading back to Chipping Norton where you can find plenty of shopping and refreshments.
The second route is an extended version of the first route. It still enjoys the pretty countryside and the village of Over Norton, but it also takes you along Shakespeare's Way through farmers fields to the Cotswold village of Salford on the route. This offers more open countryside and exercise on your walk before getting back to Chipping Norton for your well earned reward at one of the town's eateries.
The third and longest walk also starts from the lovely old market town of Chipping Norton. From here you will walk to the village of Salford and across open countryside and farm fields to visit the famous and mystical Rollright Stones, visiting the small village of Little Rollright on the way. The walk then continues on to the pretty village of Over Norton and then back to Chipping Norton where, after your good leg stretch, you can be tempted by the range of shops, cafe’s and hostelries.
You can view a Chipping Norton route map here.
Swinbrook
4.5 mile walk
Swinbrook is a small Oxfordshire village on the River Windrush. This lovely Cotswold walk starts near the pub by the river and takes you through the village and past the church of Saint Mary the Virgin which dates from about 1200AD. The route continues across fields and heads north through a pretty tree lined valley, along tracks and quiet country lanes before heading back towards the River Windrush. At this point you can either follow the river, across fields back to Swinbrook or we have added a short detour which takes you to the lovely Cotswold village of Asthall which has yet another Pub to enjoy.
Minster Lovell
3.5 mile walk
This is a beautiful short and casual walk between the fabulous Cotswold villages of Minster Lovell and Crawley. Expect water meadows, wonderful rolling countryside and some romantic walking alongside the River Windrush. There are great pubs in both villages to enjoy making this a perfect relaxed pub walk.
You can view a Minster Lovell route map here.
Charlbury
5 walks from 2.5 miles to 7.5 miles
There are plenty of lovely Cotswold walks to choose from around Charlbury, and we have five on the Oxfordshire Walks app. The first is the shortest family-friendly option and even though it's shorter, it packs a lot of variety with a stroll through Mill Field alongside the River Evenlode, some lovely open countryside, a walk through the Wigwell Nature Reserve and of course a walk around Charlbury itself.
The second route is a walk across open countryside and farmland with views of the River Evenlode. This walk also takes you through the village of Charlbury where you can stop for refreshments. There is some road walking.
The third alternative route is a gentle walk through the fields and farmland around Charlbury and it also visits the village of Spelsbury.
The forth is a longer route that heads into the countryside south of Charlbury. If you head clockwise, it enjoys some nice views as you walk down the hill, it visits the village of Finstock and then heads back to Charlbury via the pretty Cornbury Deer Park.
The longest and final walk is our epic adventure route from Charlbury. It enjoys lots of lovely countryside, a visit to the village of Finstock, a stroll through the Cornbury Deer Park and a lovely stretch of walking through the majestic Wychwood Forest.
Milton-under-Wychwood
2 walks of 6 miles and 7.25 miles
We have two walks from Milton-under-Wychwoood. The first route starts in the village and travels through lovely countryside to the quiet unspoilt Cotswold village of Fifield. From here the walk travels along the D’Arcy Dalton Way to the wonderful Foxholes Nature Reserve. The reserve is a delight at any time of year but particularly in Spring for the spectacular display of Bluebells, and there are some pub options in the village.
The second route is basically a simple extension to the first walk that still enjoys all the lovely countryside, the woodland of Foxholes and the villages of Milton-under-Wychwood and Fifield. However, this route heads further west and also visits the village of Idbury with it's pretty church. There are pubs to enjoy on the Milton-under-Wychwood high street.
Spelsbury
2 walks of 2.5 miles and 4.75 miles
There are two Cotswold walks starting from Spelsbury. The first is a nice short family-friendly walk that takes you south west across Coldron Brook, then through and around the Dean Grove woodlands before looping back through countryside to Spelsbury.
The second route is a longer extension of the first route that still visits the Dean Grove woodlands and the pretty countryside around Spelsbury, but it then takes you south along the Oxfordshire Way until it reaches the village of Charlbury. When you get there, you'll discover a stretch of walking alongside the River Evenlode, a pleasant stroll around the village itself and some lovely Cotswold pubs to visit half way around this walk, before working your way back to Spelsbury through open countryside.
Ascott-under-Wychwood
4 walks from 2.5 miles to 8.25 miles
We have four walksThis is a lovely short pub walk in the pretty countryside you'll find around the Cotswold village of Ascott-under-Wychwood. Heading anticlockwise, the walk takes you through Ascott D'Oyley and then into the wonderful open countryside before crossing over the River Evenlode and meeting up with the Oxfordshire Way. It then brings you back to the village where you'll find a wonderful pub to enjoy.
The second walk is basically a much longer extended version of the first route. The extra walking takes you much longer along the Oxfordshire Way, tracking the River Evenlode at times, and it also visits the pretty villages of Chilson and Shorthampton on the way around.
The third option is an alternative route that instead heads southeast out of the village and takes you through more pretty open Cotswold countryside towards Wychwood Forest where you can enjoy a section of woodland walking. There is a busy road to cross a couple of times on this route, so please be careful.
The final route is our longest adventure in this lovely area of The Cotswolds countryside and it is effectively a further extension to the second route. This extra distance takes you on a detour further north from the second route and also visits the pretty village of Chadlington.
Stonesfield
5.5 miles
This pretty Cotswold walk starts in the village of Stonesfield and takes you south for some lovely walking alongside the River Evenlode before visiting some woodland and the remains of a Roman Villa. There is a community pub in Stonesfield - The White Horse, but please call them to check that it's open.
More Oxfordshire walks…
