Walking Short Breaks

A series of 1, 2 or 3 night breaks. These are single centre breaks and are designed to get the best out of the area.

The Cotswolds - A Wealth Of Walks

From important Roman town to affluent Cotswold market, Cirencester has a long and vivid history that is evident in magnificent church, the many other fine buildings and the award winning Corinium Museum which displays many exquisite mosaics. The walks from here show three different aspects of the rich surrounding countryside; the landscaped woodland and polo grounds of the Bathurst Estate, the pretty, sheltered villages of the Churn Valley and the open farmland around the source of the River Thames.

More Attractions
Abbey Grounds, Roman Amphitheatre, Brewery Arts Centre, 18th century Canal tunnel, North Cerney church and Cerney House Garden

The Cotswolds - Wanders of the Wolds

Bourton-on-the-Water is the best known and most popular destination in the Cotswolds and, in the mornings and evenings when the crowds have gone, a pleasant and picturesque village. These walks will quickly take you out into peaceful, unspoilt countryside. A rich, rolling patchwork of pasture, crops, woods and meadows full of rare wildlife, winding river valleys with ‘lost’ mediaeval villages, handsome farms and manor houses and, of course, other delightful villages of honey coloured stone cottages away from the crowds.

More Attractions Bourton Model Village, Birdland, Dragonfly Maze Cotswold Pottery, Motor and Toy Museum, Perfumery, the Slaughters, Folly Farm Domestic Fowl, Old Mill Museum

Bath- A Hot Spring In Your Step

Bath’s elegant terraces, parades, crescents and squares make this Britains finest Georgian city, amongst the most beautiful in Europe, with the amazing remains of the Roman town of Aquae Sulis and the hot baths just below. Today it is a vibrant and cosmopolitan place with a wide range of cultural events and entertainment as well as thriving shops, but remains compact and intimate with everything within walking distance. The surrounding green hills are never far from sight and offer some good walking with fine views across the city and wealth of interest from pre-history to the industrial revolution.

More attractions- Costume and Building Museums, Abbey, boat trips on the R. Avon, 18th century aqueducts and pumping Station, Solsbury Hill, Beckford Tower

The Cotswolds - Bibury, "The prettiest village in England"

According to William Morris, Bibury "is the prettiest village in England". Stay at a luxury hotel and enjoy the fine views, excellent food and impeccable service. Surrounded by idyllic countryside, quiet villages, country pubs and lovely gardens with plenty of interesting sights and attractions just a short walk away this is the ideal walking holiday for those who wish to relax.

There are up to three days of varied walking with a choice of route distances every day (average distance 6 to 12 miles, 10 to 18 km per day).

The Cotswolds - The Wonderfull Way

The elegant spa town of Cheltenham is a lively and pleasant base from which to explore some of the best of the Cotswold Way. Hilltop grassland, shady woods and the dramatic slopes of the escarpment include many special protected habitats that shelter a variety of rare flora and fauna as well as the relics of the areas historic inhabitants from prehistory to the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. From the top of the escarpment wide views stretch across the Severn Vale to the Malvern Hills, the Royal Forest of Dean and, beyond that, into the Welsh mountains.

More Attractions
Belas Knap long barrow, Crickley Hill Fort, Sudeley Castle, Cleeve Hill, Leckhampton Hill, Cranham Woods

Lake District - This Boot is made for Walking

The Lake District has long been a Mecca for serious hikers but this break has more leisurely walks around its western edge that still allow you to enjoy the best of the spectacular landscape. From the craggy flanks of Scafell Pike, Harter Fell and Whin Rigg down through woods to green pastures they encompass the full range of Lakeland scenery from rugged to rural without climbing all the way up and down it and will also keep you clear of the crowded honey pots. A trip to the coast at Ravenglass by steam railway adds even more variety.

More attractions
Muncaster Castle and Owl Centre, Muncaster Mill, Hardknott Pass and Roman Fort

Walking Holidays

These week long self led tours have been carefully created to mix the best walks with varied attractions, historic sites, pleasant lunch stops and, of course, friendly comfortable accommodation. The itineraries combine place to place walks with luggage transfers and circular routes that allow you to get the most from the areas, each exploring a different aspect of the English countryside. With two nights in most places you can settle in properly and have the opportunity to take a day off if you feel like it. The walks use a mixture of footpaths, tracks and quiet country lanes with lots of short options while our clear and detailed Tour Pack keeps you on course and well informed about the places you are visiting.

Cotswold Village Tour

The charming cottages, the dignified manor house, the historic church, the pub and the green; all the elements of the classic English village that are so well represented by the famous names of the Cotswolds. Stow on the Wold, the Slaughters, Bourton on the Water, Northleach and Moreton in Marsh, these villages and small market towns draw people from around the world to admire their handsome stone buildings and carefully tended gardens that seem to capture the spirit of a lost age. They stand amidst peaceful countryside; winding footpaths lead across pastures and through woodland to other villages off the tourist trail, less well known but often as delightful and even more tranquil. The grander architecture and landscaped parkland of country houses is shown off at its best in the setting of this affluent farmland which has been designated as England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.Be sure to bring plenty of film for this trip full of Kodak moments

More Attractions
Batsford Park Arboretum, Bourton Model Village, Bourton House Garden, Chedworth Roman Villa, Cotswold Heritage Collection , Cotswold Pottery, Mechanical Music Museum, Motor and Toy Museum, Old Mill Museum, Sezincote Manor,

Cotswold Adventurer

Some typically picturesque Cotswold villages such as Winchcombe feature on this tour but here they are seen in the context of more varied and rugged landscapes. As well as the rich, rolling farmland these walks take you across open hilltop grassland, through extensive shady woods and up and down the dramatic slopes of the Cotswold escarpment. These include many special protected habitats that shelter a variety of rare flora and fauna as well as the relics of the areas historic inhabitants. On a journey through the layers of Cotswold history you will find fascinating reminders of every period. Mediaeval buildings are almost commonplace, Saxon stonework can be found in several churches, you can visit the country’s best Roman villa site, cross the mounds and ditches of Iron Age hillforts and look into the burial chambers of a Neolithic long barrow. Their settings are mostly tranquil and unspoilt, some almost isolated, allowing you to unwind and soak up the timeless ambience.

By contrast, following the Cotswold Way along the top of the escarpment, the wide views can be exhilarating stretching north into the Midlands, across the Severn Vale to the Malvern Hills and Royal Forest of Dean and, beyond that, into the Welsh mountains.

More Attractions
Belas Knap, Crickley Hill, Chedworth Villa, Hailes Abbey, Stanway House, Sudeley Castle,

Avon Valley - Bath and Bradford on Avon

The architectural splendours of Bath are well known and have been officially recognised in its status as a World Heritage Site. Its elegant terraces, grand parades, magnificent crescents and squares make this Britains finest and most complete Georgian city, amongst the most beautiful in Europe, with the amazing remains of the Roman town of Aquae Sulis and the hot baths just below. Today it is a vibrant and cosmopolitan place with a wide range of cultural events, exhibitions and entertainment as well as some of the regions best shopping. However it remains compact and intimate with everything within walking distance and the surrounding green hills never far from sight.

This countryside offers some good walking with fine views across the city and wealth of interest from pre-history to the industrial revolution. Bradford on Avon also flourished in the 18th century but as a centre of the wool and cloth trade rather than a sophisticated spa. Here the Georgian merchants houses are complemented by more ancient building such as the great Tithe Barn and the narrow winding streets still follow their mediaeval courses.

More Attractions
Costume Museum, Abbey, boat trips on the R. Avon, 18th century aqueducts and pumping Station, Iford Manor Gardens, Barton Farm Country Park, Solsbury Hill, Beckford Tower

Cornwall - The Lizard Peninsula

The southernmost tip of England combines a wonderfully mild climate with a beautiful varied coastline. These walks take you to picturesque little fishing harbours, follow the Coastal Path along dramatic cliffs to sandy coves and beside the sheltered, tree lined creeks that inspired the novels of Daphne du Maurier. Further inland they explore the wooded shores of Loe Pool and cross the open heath of Goonhilly Downs.

This is a tour that can be enjoyed on so many levels. Wild flowers arrive early then flourish through the year in the special habitats of cliffs, hedgerows and Downs. The geology is unique and complex, creating amazing natural formations, as at Kynance Cove, and a thriving cottage industry working the Serpentine stone. Birdwatchers will find plenty of interest, both on the coast and inland. The powerful influence of the sea on the area is always evident with tales of shipwreck and smuggling woven into the rich Celtic history. And naturally, if you love the seaside, there’s plenty of opportunities to take of your boots and paddle on the beaches!

More Attractions
Goonhilly Earth Station, Helford, Helston, Lizard Lighthouse, Mullion, Penrose Estate, Porthallow Vineyard, St. Keverne,

Guided Walking Tours

Dates

Arrive 7th of April - Depart 14th April FULL
Arrive 5th of May - Depart 12th May FULL
Arrive 26th May - Depart 2nd June LIMITED PLACES
Arrive 9th June - Depart 16th June
Arrive 7th July - Depart 14th July
Arrive 25th August - Depart 1st SeptemberLIMITED PLACES
Arrive 1st September - Depart 8th September
Arrive 13th October - Depart 20th October