# Holiday 3 - Our Weekend Away in the Cotswolds

In September 2013 Jo, one of our members who transferred to us from the Gloucestershire Walking Group (GWG) organised a weekend away in the Cotswolds for us and her previous walking group. The centre of activities was Stow-on-the-Wold, where we met up on Friday evening and where we dined both evenings.

Two walks had been planned for us. Jo led a 10½ mile walk on Saturday that followed the first section of the Cotswold Way. Steve (one of the GWG members) led an 8 mile circular walk on Sunday around the Wychwood Forest area and Charlbury, starting from Ascott-under-Wychwood.

Friday 20th September - Arrival at Stow-on-the-Wold

![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/bourton-on-the-water.jpg)

Those of us that were able to take Friday off work made it into a long weekend by doing our own exploring of the Cotswolds before we all met up in Stow-on-the-Wold that evening. The people I was car-sharing with stopped of at Bourton-on-the-Water, where we had a pub lunch, perused the shops and wandered around this picturesque Cotswold village, taking pictures and eating ice cream.

By mid-afternoon we made the short trip to Stow-on-the-Wold where we met up with some of the others that had already arrived and headed off to a Tea Shop. About half of our group were staying at the YHA, so once the tea was drunk we checked in and made our beds. The rest of the evening was spent in one of the pubs in the square, where we had supper and gradually accumulated more of our group as they arrived.

Saturday 21st September - The Cotswold Way

![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/stow-on-the-wold.jpg)

After breakfast on Saturday we assembled by the YHA ready for our first walk. It was a bit chilly first thing but soon warmed up.

This was a linear walk, which required a little organisation of the cars and passengers. We drove to the small village of Stanton where we met up with a couple of GWG members. Leaving some of the cars there, we all travelled in the remaining cars to Chipping Campden to begin the Cotswold Way.

Chipping Campden is a market town with an impressive High Street, lined with buildings of mellow limestone architecture. From there we set off north-west up Dover's Hill, and then we headed south-west toward Broadway Hill.

![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/chipping_campden.jpg)

On the way we stopped off at the Broadway Tower, an 18th century folly at the second highest point in the Cotswolds. Even without ascending the tower, the views of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire were impressive.

Continuing on the Cotswold Way we descended the hill to Broadway village, stopping on the way down for our picnic lunch. While we sat relaxing on the hillside, we were passed by numerous runners, one of which told us that they were doing a 24-hour run along the Cotswold Way! We reached Broadway village and took a break to use the facilities and to enjoy an ice cream. Although not particularly sunny, it was quite a warm day for September.

Relieved and refreshed, we continued our journey, ascending Burhill, descending into Buckland Wood, ascending Shenberrow Hill and finally descending into the picturesque village of Stanton.

![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/broadway_tower.jpg)

For a 10½ mile walk, this certainly felt like a real work-out. Goodness knows how those runners we met would feel when they finished! Returning by car to Chipping Campden to pick up the other cars, some of us had a quick wander round the shops and then finished off the afternoon at a Tea Shop.

Back at Stow-on-the-Wold, showered and changed, we headed down the market square to a pub for supper. Jo had booked a function room above the pub, where some other GWG members joined us for our evening meal.

Sunday 22nd September - Ascott-under-Wychwood and Charlbury

![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/stanton.jpg)

Steve, a GWG member who joined us for the Saturday evening meal, was the walk leader for Sunday. After checking out of our accommodation we took a cross-country route to Ascott-under-Wychwood, a tiny village with one shop, from where the walk started. Quite a few GWG members were there to join us for the walk.

We set off more-or-less eastward through a mixture of farmland and footpaths, eventually crossing a railway line and the River Evenlode as we reached the small town of Charlbury. Entering the town we found a green where we stopped for our picnic lunch. It was an ideal spot, complete with bins and toilet facilities. There was even a Co-op store close by that proved useful to those that hadn't brought a packed lunch with them.

As the sun started breaking through the clouds it felt quite hot sitting on the green. Lunch complete, we doubled back and left Charlbury. We were now following the Oxfordshire Way, heading north-westerly along the approximate course of the River Evenlode.

![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/charlbury.jpg)

At some point the Oxfordshire Way merged with the Wychwood Way and we continued west following the combined trail. This took us close to where the walk had started. Diverting from the Oxfordshire Way, we crossed the river and railway line again to finish outside the village shop in Ascott-under-Wychwood. A shorter, flatter walk than Saturday's one but nonetheless enjoyable and it finished with plenty of time to get home.

At this point some made their farewells while the rest of us headed off to the local pub to slake our thirst. Then we made our farewells and went our separate ways home. It seemed a little bit sad to say goodbye to fellow walkers that we'd only just met but it mostly felt good to have had such an excellent weekend away.

We must thank Jo for organising the weekend and leading one of the walks, Steve for leading the other walk, and other GWG members that helped with the pre-walk preparations.

![Click to englarge](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume0/images/wychwood_way.jpg)