Active Travel Adventures podcast I Inspiring Multi-Day Adventure Trips Around the World · Kit Parks

Uk's Cotswold Way Long Distance Walking Holiday - Part II

·45 min·2 clips

Kit says she is not a purist about hitting every mile and happily takes a lift up a steep hill.

1. Active Travel Adventures podcast finishes its Cotswold Way series with Kit Parks walking the southbound leg from King Stanley to historic Bath. 2. Kit Parks hosts the show, and Simon appears as a recurring friend whose parents host her in Dursley after her West Highland Way connection. 3. The episode asks how the 100-mile Cotswold Way feels on foot when the route moves from villages and pastures toward Bath. 4. Kit starts from King Stanley, hears cows outside her window, and climbs uphill past a memorial tree and a sign reading "sheep racing." 5. She describes the Cotswold stone, the hedge-lined farmland, the Cotswold lion sheep, and late-summer plants like bluebells, thistles, orchids, and blackberry hedgerows. 6. Kit detours into Dursley, walks through a private vineyard with grapes ready for harvest, and arrives early at Simon’s parents’ house. 7. She says she is welcomed inside, has a home-cooked grilled meal, checks messages on Wi-Fi, and realizes it is her birthday. 8. After lunch she climbs Stinchcomb Hill, calls the extra ridge walk the prettiest part, and says the shortcut misses the best viewpoint. 9. She passes the Tyndale Monument, built in 1866 for William Tyndale, and notes the 121-step spiral staircase and the 100-foot tower. 10. She also sees the pine trees planted in 1815 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo and the end of the Napoleonic Wars. 11. Kit says the route is full of history, from 500-year-old cottages to hill forts, burial grounds, and Roman remnants. 12. In Wootton-under-Edge she likes the town’s everyday vibe, but she also says she got lost for about 20 minutes among the signs and posts. 13. She stops at a brook, talks about carrying her own water because water sources are scarce, and says the babbling water helped reset her mind. 14. On a road section she notices a sign warning "drive slow, frogs and toads in road," which she says makes her nervous about traffic. 15. Kit later walks through a ravine that feels like Jurassic Park, crosses an orchard with a hawk-shaped bird deterrent, and spots pheasants that locals say are stocked into fields. 16. She describes walking past Sir Dyson’s estate, meeting two bulls in a ravine, and taking a snack break under a tree before meeting another hiker from Oregon. 17. The tone stays conversational and observational, with Kit speaking like a solo hiker narrating each day’s landmarks, detours, and practical choices. 18. The format is a travel diary with route tips, history notes, and short side comments about food, weather, and trail etiquette. 19. Travelers planning the Cotswold Way or UK walking holidays. 20. Listeners wanting high-level travel stories without hiking logistics.

As heard by us

A scenic, conversational look at the Cotswold Way with grounded detail.

The Cotswold Way comes across as a long, easy to picture walk through honey-colored cottages, rambling gardens, pubs, friendly people, and wide views.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you want a magical Cotswold Way walk-in holiday, start here.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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