Cotswold Way: Chipping Campden to Broadway

Introduction

We’ve finally begun the Cotswold Way! The section of the trail from Chipping Campden to Broadway offers stunning views, rich history, and unforgettable experiences. In this post, we’ll explore the highlights of this section, including its distance, how to get there, notable landmarks, and essential trail information.

Before we dive in, you should make sure you have suitable gear to hit the trail. If I were to complete this as a through-hike with Finch(ie. the whole trail at once), I’d be sure to get the items on my Gear Wishlist. For the humans, be sure to have appropriate footwear! Even though it wasn’t as muddy as we expected, we still saw a few people take a tumble. Be sure to have boots with grip, and maybe poles as well for stability. Now let’s dive into it!

Section Overview

• Distance: 6 miles (9.6 Km)
• Time it Took: with quite a few photo & water breaks, this section took us 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Getting There: We drove to Broadway and parked at the Short Stay Broadway Car Park. This cost us £3 for 4 hours. From there, we caught the 1 Bus (it looks like the 606 is another option) to Chipping Campden, this was £2 each. If you want to get a picture with the beginning of the trail, you want to get off at the Town Hall stop and make your way to Market Hall.
• Highlights: Chipping Campden, Dover’s Hill, Broadway Tower, Broadway
• Trail Information: We went at the end of March, so were prepared for lots of mud! To my surprise it wasn’t too bad. There were obviously muddy patches, but nothing compared to what we’ve seen on some of our walks around Bristol – not once was I at risk of mud going over my boots. Overall the route was suitable for beginners – it was mostly flat, except for a slight incline near Broadway Tower.

Key Highlights

• Chipping Campden: the Cotswold Way starts in one of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds. We got a picture at the trailhead marker, which is found just near Market Hall. We didn’t spend too much time browsing shops, as we were keen to hit the trail – but I would definitely stop in Toke’s Food and Drink if we were to go back.

• Dover’s Hill: the beautiful area around Dover’s Hill was a dog walker’s paradise. Vast open fields that are fenced off to ensure your furry friend doesn’t run into traffic. The one downside was that this also happens to be a Bridal Way, so if your pup is anything like Finch, you have to be a high alert for them trying to stop for a little snack of horse droppings.

• Broadway Tower: a destination in its own right, the tower at the top of the hill is a site to behold. You can get tickets to enter the tower, click the link for more details.

• Finch’s Highlight: the descent from Broadway Tower. Finch helped shift my perspective on this section of the trail. It was really busy, as the tower is a destination in its own right. Typically I don’t like a busy trail and tend to pick up my pace to get away from the crowds. But the increased number of people meant there were more dogs too! Finch loved racing around the fields on our descent with about ten other dogs. I would say it was easily his favourite part of the trail.

• Broadway: the end of this section of the trail is Broadway, which is another stunning little village in the Cotswolds. By the time we got there, it was about 1pm and it was busy! Though we were there on a sunny day on Easter weekend, so perhaps it’s not a fair assessment of a regular weekend. As a Canadian, I’m still not used to just how crowded these little touristy towns get, so I still find it quite overwhelming – but even so it was adorable. We had a quick bite from The Market Pantry, which was decent and quick and we were able to snag a bench along a grassy section in town which was a lovely spot for lunch.

Trail Information:

• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Trail Conditions: The terrain was mostly flat, with a slight incline up to Broadway Tower. The downhill section after Broadway Tower was slightly muddy, and we saw a few people slip and fall during this descent. Make sure you wear suitable footwear and you should be fine.
• Facilities: I was very pleased to see the Short Stay Broadway Car Park had toilets which were in really great condition. There was also a public toilet along the path soon before your ascent up to Broadway Tower.
• Additional Tips: Choose appropriate footwear. We were wearing our hiking boots, which are waterproof and have good grip and managed to avoid any slips and falls.

Conclusion:

The first section of the Cotswold Way was a wonderful journey through quaint villages and stunning scenery, offering hikers a chance to immerse themselves in the beauty and history of the region. Whether you’re a seasoned trekker or a casual explorer, this section has something to offer for everyone. You can read about the next section in my post about Broadway to Wood Stanway. I can’t wait for our next adventure along the Cotswold Way!

Have you completed sections of the trail? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear all about it