Walkin' the Wolds

The journey is the reward, they say, and planning a walk in the Cotswolds is a journey in itself. There are a number of long (>100 miles) walks to choose from and several enthusiastic hiking web sites to get you on your way. Oddly, it's not easy to find a useful (and free, since I've waited til the last minute, of course) map of the entire region on-line.

The All Great Britain-All the Time web site

Britain Express

has lots of history information and links as well as great map links to rental cottage sites.

There is the jaunty

Go 4 A Walk

and its cousin,

SherpaVan

provide real muddy walking guides, maps, and insight. Sherpa Van provides hiker and biker back-up on long-distance footpaths and bike trails.

Go 4 A Walk, on which someone's dog wrote, "Suddenly, and usually about ten minutes before sunset, that "only half a mile to go before we get back to the car", becomes a brutal two hours of deep heather, falling into holes, blasphemy, bad language, heresy, disloyalty to the Crown and emergency sardine eating frenzy," provides walking maps and hill climbing advice with an Electrolyte Energy Gels and verve.

The steadier

Ramblers

and

National Trail

are full of steady advice and historical insight.