Cotswold Ring Day 1 - 7 April 2022


Walking 3.10pm to 6.00pm
Distance walked 5 miles

This is the first day of a shakedown walk prior to the TGO Challenge next month. I need to check that my legs will carry me for a few days. I'd planned to bring along a new backpack that I finished only yesterday but one of the shoulder straps isn't right so I'm using my Gossamer Gear Mariposa which is tried and tested.

The Cotswold Ring is a circular route of about sixty miles. The official start is on the western edge of Cheltenham and the furthest point of the route on the west is Moreton-in-Marsh. That was a convenient place for me to start and Amanda dropped me off this afternoon. I have to be home on Tuesday so I probably won't go as far as Cheltenham and have identified on the map where I'll shorten the route.

There was a rain and hail shower as we left home but it cleared up very quickly. I located the footpath I wanted in Moreton and set off at about 3.10pm. My route so far has variously followed the MacMillan Way, the Monarch's Way and the Heart of England Way. At Longborough I decided to vary my route so as not to go through Broadwell and Stow-on-the-Wold and, instead, went through Upper Swell and Lower Swell.

I've found a nice woodland pitch just before Lower Slaughter although I have a noisy muntjac for company.