Shipton Oliffe & Withington Circular

I like cows.  And horses.  The problem is that my dog doesn't.  In fact, she wants to eat any animal she sees, and makes it very clear.  Even if the animal is ten times her size, and is in a herd with 25 other large animals.  The result is that my walks around the Cotswolds are getting longer and longer.

That's because I am continuously following some footpath only to discover that it crosses a field full of cows or horses.  Although serious trouble with them is rare, aggressive dogs often provoke their defenses, and can have a very bad result.  So, when this happens, I am forced to turn around and find an alternate route.  This can easily add an extra kilometer sometimes.

This walk, which should have been about 9km, was 12km.  I suppose its for the best.

We started in the little known village of Shipton Oliffe, famous for having nothing in it at all apart from a few houses and two very beautiful Norman churches, and takes in the quintessential Cotswold village of Withington.  Quite a lot of the route follows the River Coln.  Trout, anyone?

In case anyone would like to try this walk, here is the link to my ViewRanger upload:  http://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MzIxNTAyNg==

Idyllic Circular Walk Around Turkdean, Hazelton, and Salperton

I took this circular today, a hot, sunny, Sunday morning, and managed nearly two and a half miles without coming across a single person, apart from when I passed through Hazelton.  The views are incredible throughout- one of the most beautiful Cotswold walks I've been on.  I've included the map at the end, and am happy to share details if anyone wants them.  It starts at a small car park in Turkdean along the Sabrina Way, turns along the Gloucestershire Way, and then uses a few public footpaths over open farmland and pasture.  Give it a try!