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NOTE: This article is part of an ongoing series of multi-day inn-to-inn hikes through the Cotswolds of England. You can read the other posts here (Matt’s why), here (Lisa’s why), here (day 1), here (day 2), here (days 3-5), here (day 6), here (days 7-8), and here (day 9).
The final morning of our Cotswold walking tour (day 10) dawned, and after a hearty breakfast at the inn, we hit the trail.
Other than a wickedly hot first few days, we’d been extremely lucky with the weather, enjoying cool temps and sunny skies.
Then came our walk from Chipping Campden to Moreton-in-Marsh. A chill wind blew rain into our faces as we plodded along a steady uphill section of trail that lasted several miles. We were heading back to our starting place.
For the first hour or so, the rain and wind was bracing. Invigorating. After awhile, it got tiring and harder to keep up our positive attitudes.
I definitely fought crabbiness when my foot slipped in the mud and sent my phone, which I’d been using to navigate via our Ride With GPS hiking app, flying into the air. I caught my balance before falling on my butt, then wiped the mud from my phone with a frustrated sigh.
It didn’t help that my right knee was throbbing. I’d started having trouble with it about a month before we left for this trip, but my slip-on knee brace had been sufficient to manage the symptoms until this point. Today, I was experiencing sharp pain with every step.
Then came the bull.
We’d been warned that we could encounter bulls in some of the fields we would cross, and to take them seriously. As we turned a corner, we saw a herd of cattle lying on the ground on the other side of a short barbed-wire fence that bordered our narrow trail.
A large dude immediately got to his feet and stared at us. I’d never thought about it before, but up close, these animals are massive. The short wire fence suddenly looked incredibly flimsy.
We walked slowly and quietly, keeping our eyes on the bull as he turned to follow our every mooo-ve (Sorry! Dad joke!).
Fortunately, we made it past the herd unscathed, and the bull returned to ignoring us.
We soon reached the small village of Blockley, the midway point of the day’s hike. We gratefully snagged the last table at the only cafe in town and dried off with a slice of carrot cake and some hot drinks (latte for Lisa, chai latte for me).
Much refreshed, we continued on our route through town toward a beautiful old church. As we entered the churchyard, we were surprised to see large tents, plastic-covered equipment, and portable lights on poles. It reminded us of visiting the set of the CW network show Nancy Drew, when our actor daughter Kennedy McMann played the titular character for four seasons.
That’s when we remembered a nugget of Blockley trivia we’d read about during our trip prep. The village is a primary filming location for the popular BBC mystery television series Father Brown. We’d wandered onto the set as they were preparing to shoot a scene at the old church! As our route was part of England’s Public Right of Way, they apparently aren’t allowed to keep hikers from walking right past their production tents.
After ascending yet another hill, we finally began our descent. The rain gave way to lovely blue skies, making my knee pain more bearable.
Lisa realized that somewhere along the trail, she’d lost her precious chapstick, a small round container she’d carried in her pocket for years. You must understand that Lisa has a very strong emotional attachment to her chapstick. I think she loves it more than me. Needless to say, she was crushed. As evidence, she softly sang the classic ‘70s love song “Just When I Needed You Most.”
To the chapstick. (Chorus lyrics: “And yooooou left me, just when I needed you most”).
No, this is not a joke.
One of the final fields we had to cross had been left fallow, and the rain had turned it into a muddy plane. We squished our way across, then used the fencing on the other side to try to scrape the mud off our Gortex water-resistant shoes. A local came by with her dog and flashed a friendly, knowing smile. “Next time, walk the perimeter of the field like I do. It keeps you out of the mud!” And so we pass this vital information along to you.
As we approached Moreton-in-Marsh, trekking the final mile of our long walking tour of the Cotswolds, we felt relief. A sense of pride that we’d done what we’d set out to do. I’d achieved a life-long dream. And surprisingly, given my knee and the rain, we felt a little sadness that it was over.
That seemed like a good sign that we’d done something worthwhile. Something special.
Our Cotswold walk is finished, but our stories aren’t! Coming up is a summary post for the entire trip, where we’ll share what we loved, what we didn’t, and what we’d do differently next time. We’ll also throw in some tips and resources in case we’ve enticed you to try the magic of the Cotswolds for yourself.
And keep watch for our upcoming post on our trip to Bath, England, that immediately followed our Cotswold walk…because as it turned out, our walk on the Cotswold Way wasn’t quite over after all.
Have you ever been to the Cotswolds? Are you considering it? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for following along!
Did you know? Lisa’s New York Times Bestselling THE UNWANTEDS magical fantasy series for ages 8 and up has sold nearly 2.5 million copies and won multiple state awards. Try book one, The Unwanteds in hardcover, paperback, e-book, or audiobook.
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