Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean and the Cotswolds

The pretty Cotswold village of Snowshill – an excellent starting point for walking!

Gloucestershire is a county full of variety and great walks. Gloucestershire is linked firmly to industrial waterways and offering flat, historic and impressive walks around Gloucester docks, along Seven Beach with its views of both the bridges across to Wales and towpath walks along the canals.  If history is your thing then there are also plenty of Gloucestershire walks to take in the best of the historical sites – whether that’s the chocolate box town of Tewksbury, Gloucester Cathedral, Cirencester or in the pretty Gloucestershire countryside surrounding Chedworth Roman Villa.

For those seeking to escape the urban completely, Gloucestershire hides away one of the best spots for walking in the South of England – the Cotswolds. Steep hill climbs with fantastic views at the top, hidden valleys and pretty-as-a-picture Cotswold villages with their warm stone houses, the Cotswolds are a weekend walker’s paradise. Long distance trail walkers can head off down the 100 miles or so of the Cotswold Way, explore the ancient borders with the Offa’s Dyke Path or even start that epic National Trail – the Thames Path – at the river’s source at Thames Head. Children and all-terrain pushchair walkers are not left out either. The many Cotswolds commons, many of which still allow locals to exercise their ancient grazing rights, offer huge spaces for kids to run wild, fly kites or for pushchair walkers to get out in the countryside with their young charges.

Gloucestershire hill walkers who have exhausted the Cotswolds ‘ best vantage points also have the option of exploring the Malvern Hills whose southernmost stretch reaches into northern Gloucestershire. Those who prefer a good forest wander to open hill-tops should be sure not to miss out on exploring the beautiful woodland wandering and arboretum at Westonbirt as well as of course the acres of excellent walks and biking in the Forest of Dean. There are plenty of family friendly country parks to take a wander in too!

Take a look at the Baby Routes tried and tested walks in Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds at the bottom of the page or check these local links for more walking inspiration in the county.

• National Trails website  – all you need to know about walking the Cotswold Way, Offa’s Dyke Path and Thames Path National Trails!
• Gloucestershire County Council – details of Gloucestershire’s country parks and suggested walks.
• The  Forest of Dean and Wye Valley website has lots of suggested walks in the area, including easy walks and those suitable for dogs.
• Cotswolds Tourism site has information on walking in the Cotswolds as well as some links to suggested routes.
• Escape to the Cotswolds has a great selection of walking routes which you can download, some of which are suitable for families or those with accessibility requirements.
• Dog Friendly Cotswolds provides useful information for dog walkers in the region, including dog-friendly pubs and ideas for parks, walks and dog-friendly attractions.