Cotswold Arts and Crafts

Cotswold Arts and Crafts

Walk Details:

Duration: 6 nights / 6 days
Distance: Each day’s walk is between 3 and 6 miles. All walks are optional.
Grade: Easy

The tour will run with a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 16.
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Prices from:

£2,470 pp for 6 days guided tour


Single supplement: £475

Upcoming tour dates:

4 - 10 May 2025


This tour can operate on any given date subject to a minimum of 4 people. You may be a group of 4 people or join the waiting list until 4 names are added.

Please see Key Points for details.

Day to Day Itinerary

During your holiday we will be based in Chipping Campden for 3 nights and 3 nights in Burford.

NB - On rare occasions it may be necessary to change the sequence of the tours, or a section of a route, due to factors outside our control - i.e. weather, footpath diversions, museum closures etc.
DAY ONE - SUNDAY

Arrive in Chipping Campden

Andrew Guppy will meet you at 2pm to welcome you to the Cotswolds and provide an introduction to the week ahead. We take a stroll into Chipping Campden to enjoy a walking tour of one the Cotswold's finest 'wool' towns, where we will see the 15th-century parish church, the 17th-century alms houses and market hall. We will also have a chance to see how traditional Arts and Crafts are flourishing in the Old Silk Mill being run by a co-operative of artists.
Overnight at your accommodation in Chipping Campden or nearby.
Group dinner included.
DAY TWO - MONDAY

Hidcote Manor and Kiftsgate gardens
Walking distance: 4 miles/6.5 km

We begin our day by walking to one of the greatest Arts and Crafts inspired gardens in England, Hidcote Manor gardens. It was devised by an American, Major Lawrence Johnston. Laid out in a series of outdoor 'rooms' the garden contains many rare plants. Nearby is Kiftsgate Court gardens which has inspired three generations of female gardeners and was instrumental in providing ideas for the formation of Hidcote. We have the chance to walk back to Chipping Campden on a different route, or take a taxi back to Chipping Campden or your accommodation for free time.
Lunch included.
DAY THREE - TUESDAY

Broadway Tower, Cheltenham Arts and Crafts collection and Stanway House
Walking distance: 3 miles/4.8 km

We begin our day by admiring the fine views from the top of Broadway Tower that stretch across the Vale of Evesham and on into Wales. The tower or folly was often used as a holiday retreat by William Morris and Sir Edward Burne-Jones. We continue south to Cheltenham for a guided tour of the impressive Arts and Crafts collection at the newly renovated Wilson museum. After lunch we walk on to Stanway for a guided tour of the house and watermill before finishing in Stanton. We return to Chipping Campden or your accommodation for some free time.
Lunch and group dinner included.
DAY FOUR - WEDNESDAY

Gordon Russell museum and Kelmscott Manor
Walking distance: 4 miles/6.5 km

Completing our tour of Arts and Crafts exhibitions we visit the Gordon Russell museum in Broadway with its fine collection of Arts and Crafts inspired furniture. Making our way south we travel to Kelmscott Manor, a summer retreat shared by William Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti from 1871. The house is a natural, 'organic' example of traditional crafts in perfect harmony with its surroundings, and the gardens gave Morris inspiration for his textile designs. Overnight in Cirencester.
Lunch included.
DAY FIVE - THURSDAY

Sapperton, Selsley and Cirencester
Walking distance: 5 miles/8 km

Our walking tour begins in Sapperton by visiting the local church and admiring the craftsmen's houses. We take a short trek via Pinbury Park and Oakridge to The Daneway Inn for lunch. After lunch we visit the Arts and Crafts church at Selsley before heading back to Cirencester for a guided walking tour of the town or free time to explore the award winning Corinium museum. Overnight in Cirencester.
Lunch included.
DAY SIX - FRIDAY

Bibury and Buscot Park
Walking distance: 6 miles/9.5 km

William Morris considered Bibury to be the most beautiful village in England and what better place to enjoy an idyllic stroll along the banks of the river Coln than at Arlington Row. This picturesque set of former weaver’s cottages serves as a timeless reminder of their craftsmanship and endeavour that Morris’s was looking to preserve. After lunch we visit Buscot Park to admire the fabulous mural painting by Sir Edward Burne-Jones; The Briar Rose Series. The house is set in magnificent grounds and time will allow for an afternoon tea. Overnight in Cirencester and group farewell dinner.
Dinner and lunch included.
DAY SEVEN - SATURDAY

Depart

Depart after breakfast.

Your Guides





Jane Bingham

Author of The Cotswolds: A Cultural History (Signal Books and Oxford University Press, 2009) and a prolific writer of history books for young people, Jane also writes on English heritage in the national and local press. Jane gives tours and talks on the Cotswolds and has served twice as a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Oxford Brookes University.

Andrew Guppy

Having spent many years as a tour guide for an international travel company finding a career closer to home that was going offer the same rewarding experience was not easy. That opportunity arose when the previous owners of Cotswold Walks were looking for someone to take over the running of the company in 2007. Having successfully grown the company ever since and chosen to specialise in the Cotswold, we have never looked back. Living in the Cotswolds, my passion for guiding walking or cycling tours, enables me to get out of the office as much as possible to meet clients. I hope to see you soon should you wish to join us on one of our wonderful adventures.

Key Points


Accommodation Options

You will need to select and book your own accommodation which we are happy to advise on.

Please contact us for a suggested list of accommodation providers that best suit your budget and we will book these to co-ordinate with the tour and add the cost to the price above.

Our tours are priced to suit all budgets and so is the accommodation you select. Rather than being given no choice as to where you stay you have the chance to book exactly wherever suits your budget. We will give you every assistance to book accommodation in or near Chipping Campden and Cirencester and all clients will be collected at the start of each day and transferred back again the end of the day. You might like to select luxury accommodation such as the Dormy House Hotel in Chipping Campden or The King's Head Hotel in Cirencester or a regular B&B suggestion from our hand-picked list. All accommodations will offer en-suite rooms and breakfast and 3 group dinners will also be included.

Flights

You are advised to purchase a flexible flight ticket in case the tour is cancelled and we need to re-schedule your dates to another tour.

What’s included

  • All entrance fees.
  • All tours will be fully supported and any clients wishing to opt out at any suitable point will be transferred back to the hotel or the next meeting point.
  • Services of our expert local guides.
  • 3 group dinners, all lunches
  • Fully supported transfers each day in order to complete the itinerary as outlined above.

Comments & Testimonials

I just want to say I thought the tour was very well planned. I think all the stops/sights were very worthwhile and certainly enhanced the Arts and Crafts theme, if sometimes indirectly. The pre-trip instructions were excellent. I think an explanation that the lunches will be either in a tearoom or at a pub would be helpful as I have mainly experienced needing to take packed lunches while hiking. Your two guides, Stuart and Steve, were very good. Both were flexible and well-informed. I would certainly recommend your company to others. However, I am age 75 and most of my friends no longer are very active nor even interested in traveling overseas. Best wishes for continued success in sharing your beautiful part of the world.
Carolyn S.
June 2017
I had a great time, my wife thought some of the days were too long with too much trying to be done and seen. I found the walking great, but I am in very good shape and like some challenge in hiking: rain, terrain, distance, views, arriving at a point. It is all part of the experience, but one has to have the correct gear and stamina to fully enjoy. The hike to Hidcote was especially pleasing, but the best day was the hike with Indie and all that we saw. The drive to the church the same day was important to see the windows and the countryside, but probably made the day too long for some, Tracy for one.
Thaddeus S.
USA
August 2012

This is the first year we have run the tour and we have made some adjustments following client feedback. In 2013 the tour will be 7 nights instead of 6 and allow for a greater mix between walking and attractions. 
Overall we would describe the holiday as excellent. More walking—yes!
Joe and Stephanie P.
Oregon, USA
August 2012

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We would love to hear from you if you have any questions or queries regarding our walks or if you would simply like to gather more information.

Please visit the contact page to get in touch.
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