walking the english countryside the cotswolds and Cornwalls

I'm starting to get serious about making plans to do this. I cannot afford to spend what the RS costs (approx 5k). Is anyone familiar with walking the Cotswolds on your own? I'm thinking of a small company or self-guided... Maybe someone has recommendations of gentle walking areas / towns / local companies? It looks like Bourton-on-the-water has circular paths: www.hfholidays.co.uk/.../ Thanks.

I'm starting to get serious about making plans to do this. I cannot afford to spend what the RS costs (approx 5k). Is anyone familiar with walking the Cotswolds on your own? I'm thinking of a small company or self-guided... Maybe someone has recommendations of gentle walking areas / towns / local companies? It looks like Bourton-on-the-water has circular paths: www.hfholidays.co.uk/.../ Thanks.

Hi, Cathy, I just saw your post and felt compelled to respond. I was scheduled for the Cotswolds and Cornwall walk for the summer of 2016, and it was canceled. I had already purchased my airfare, so I decided to do my own walking trip, limited to the Costwolds. I contacted a company (Not HF) located in the Cotswolds, and they provided me with reservations at B&Bs and maps, and the plan was to walk from town-to-town... My actual experience: I was frequently lost, once got stuck in a thunderstorm in the middle of... I don't know where and had to return to my starting point (which I was only able to locate when I saw the church spire in town) in ankle-deep mud on a horse path... I blame part of it on the awful "maps" they gave me (poor photocopies taped together), part on the fact that I didn't even think of bringing a compass and in retrospect realized my sense of direction isn't what it used to be. So it was an experience, but not entirely a happy one. Of note, there is very little signage, even on the national paths. I signed up again last summer for the Cotswolds/Cornwall walk through RS, and it was absolutely wonderful. The company that guides that tour is called Footpaths, I believe, and they have a lot of walks, though more strenuous than RS. Next spring, I'm probably going to go on a RS walking tour to the Lakes District and Yorkshire that is actually organized by HF Holidays. I see they are offering it for the second year, so it apparently has been successful. I believe the cost is lower than some of the other walking tours, if you are looking to save $$. Whew--lots of words. Hope this is of some help to you. Hope you find your path, so to speak. Glenna W

Nice pun, and thank you, Glenna! Thanks for the experience sharing. I'll check out Footpaths. I need to email a couple of companies/chamber of commerces to find more information. I'll be sure to ask about signage. I'm thinking of booking myself into a Bourton-on-the-water B&B and just doing their walking paths. Town to town is too far for me. Cathy

Glenna, thanks for the info! This RS trip is on my list. Sounds wonderful!

RS uses HF Holidays for some of their walking programs. They are a UK company. Have a look at their website. They offer a plethora of programs.