Cotswold Way from Chipping Campden to Broadway

The route in numbers

• Distance: 9.6 km (6 miles), one way.
• Elevation: 173 m of ascent and 241 m of descent.
• Time: about 3 hours' walking, not counting stops or the visit to the tower.
• Difficulty: easy to moderate. A short, steep climb at the start and a long descent at the end.
• Waymarking: it is the first stage of the Cotswold Way, one of England's National Trails, and it is very well waymarked in both directions, with the acorn of the national trails.

The Cotswold Way runs 164 km from Chipping Campden to Bath along the western edge of the hills. This stage is the shortest way to try it in a day.

Step by step

1. Chipping Campden. You set off from the High Street of Chipping Campden, where the Market Hall of 1627 stands.
2. Climb to Dover's Hill. The climb up the Cotswold escarpment begins straight away. At the top is Dover's Hill, a natural amphitheatre on a spur of the escarpment, with open views over the Vale of Evesham. The Cotswold Olimpicks are held here on the first weekend of June.
3. Fields towards Broadway Tower. The path continues across fields to Broadway Hill, at 312 m, the second highest point in the Cotswolds.
4. Broadway Tower. A 20 m tower built in 1798–1799 by James Wyatt for the Countess of Coventry. William Morris stayed here as the guest of a friend, who rented it as a holiday home. Its three upper floors hold a museum and at the top there is a terrace; nearby, a Cold War nuclear monitoring post from the late 1950s can also be visited. Both visits are paid: check hours and prices on the Broadway Tower website.
5. Descent to Broadway. From the tower, the path drops to Broadway, a village linked to the Arts and Crafts movement, where the stage ends.

How to get back

The route is one way only. You have two options: go back the same way, another 9.6 km and the climb to the tower, or take a taxi from Broadway back to Chipping Campden to collect your car. If you are travelling without a car, the nearest station to both is Moreton-in-Marsh, which you can also reach by taxi.

Where to start and park

In Chipping Campden, on the High Street and nearby. Arrive early and park for the whole day.

When to go

It can be done in any season. Clear winter days, spring and autumn give the cleanest views; late spring and early summer, the meadows in flower. If it starts to rain heavily or there is fog on the top, you can cut it short by returning from Dover's Hill to Chipping Campden.

Water, shade, children and dog

Do not count on anywhere to buy water until Broadway Tower, which has a restaurant. Bring water and something to eat.

With children, from about 8 years old and used to walking, especially if the plan is to go one way and come back by taxi. A teenager will like carrying the map and looking for the acorns on the posts. Dogs are fine; in fields with livestock, keep yours on a lead.

Eating and sleeping in Broadway

In Broadway, Russell's Fish & Chips for a meal on arrival, and The Lygon Arms if you stay the night.