Cotswolds Day One

As I write this, we are sitting by a beautiful open fire at the Eight Bells Pub at the top end of Chipping Campden. Simons having a second pint and I’m enjoying a Prosecco. Lots of Americans here and locals with their pooches.
The special locals have their own steins hanging in the bar.
Today after devouring a delightful full English breakfast we departed Chipping Campden the town where the Cotswolds Way commences,
Our walk today was 18km to a little village called Stanton. The temp was around 13c and overcast.
We hiked on little paths through small farms. There were many little gates to open and go through to the next paddock or section of the track. The gates are known as kissing gates and stiles. The gates are pretty cool and very well maintained. I loved feeling the smoothness of the rails which only occurs because thousands of hikers have opened them over the years.
It’s the middle of autumn 🍂 and this particular area has received incredible amounts of wild weather and high rainfall over the last week so the tracks were quite muddy. One track had horses running up and down it so it was very treacherous and slippery.
The Cotswolds have some very unusual sheep including a breed known as the Lion Sheep
🐑. We also saw some belted Galloway cattle.
People have lived worked and farmed the Cotswolds for over 6000 years.Read more