The best pub walks in the Cotswolds

If anywhere in Britain was designed for pub walks, it's the Cotswolds. Honey-coloured villages sit a couple of miles apart along gentle river valleys, linked by old footpaths. Almost every one has an inn that's been pouring pints for three or four hundred years.

We've picked seven of our favourite Cotswold pub walks, from an easy riverside loop to a proper climb up the Cotswold escarpment. Each comes with the distance, a realistic time, the pub, and the things worth knowing before you go.

One important tip: many Cotswold pubs close one or two days a week, usually Monday or Tuesday, and kitchens often shut between lunch and dinner. We've noted the ones we know about, but always check before you set off.

The walks at a glance

Times are walking times at a steady pace. Add your lunch stop on top.

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1. Burford & Swinbrook: The Swan Inn

10 km (6.2 miles) · about 100 m of climb · 2.5–3 hours · Circular

This may be the perfect Cotswold pub walk. From the top of Burford's sloping high street, cross the medieval bridge over the River Windrush and head out through Fulbrook and across farmland to Swinbrook. That's the village where the six Mitford sisters grew up; three of them are buried in its churchyard. Carry on to tiny Widford church, standing alone in the fields where a medieval village once was, then follow the river back to Burford.

The pub: The Swan Inn at Swinbrook is a Grade II-listed 18th-century inn on the banks of the Windrush, once owned by Deborah Mitford and lined with family photographs. It appeared in Downton Abbey. Dogs are welcome in the bar and garden. Food is served at lunch and in the evening, not all afternoon.

Good to know: The Swan is a short detour (about 400 m each way) off the main loop. The riverside path between Widford and Burford can flood after heavy rain. There are several stiles, and the last stretch runs on a verge beside a busy road.

Plan a pub walk from Burford →

2. Bourton-on-the-Water & the Slaughters

About 11 km (7 miles) · gentle climbs · about 3.5 hours · Circular

This is the Cotswolds at their prettiest, and the quickest way to escape Bourton's crowds. Cross the Windrush and follow field paths to Lower Slaughter, with its 18th-century mill and the little River Eye running between the cottages. Continue upstream to the even quieter Upper Slaughter, then loop back to Bourton by a different path.

The pub: The Slaughters Country Inn in Lower Slaughter welcomes dogs and drinkers, has a real fire, and serves food at lunch and in the evening. Bourton has plenty of pubs and cafés for afterwards.

Good to know: Bourton gets very busy in summer and at weekends, so start early. Paths can be muddy, so wear boots, not trainers.

Plan a pub walk from Bourton-on-the-Water →

3. Stanton, Snowshill & the escarpment

9.7 km (6 miles) · steep in places · 3.5–4.5 hours · Circular

Stanton is often called the most beautiful village in the Cotswolds, and this walk shows you why. Climb out of the village on the Cotswold Way, cross through National Trust woodland to Snowshill, then rejoin the Cotswold Way along the top of the escarpment past old quarries. Finish with a steep descent and huge views over Stanton and the Severn Vale, ending right by the pub.

The pubs: The Mount Inn in Stanton is a 17th-century former farmhouse with one of the best pub views in the Cotswolds. It welcomes dogs, has a real fire and serves Donnington ales. It's closed on Mondays, and food is served at lunch and in the evening. Halfway round, the Snowshill Arms welcomes dogs and has a log fire in winter.

Good to know: The descent into Stanton is steep and can be slippery. Park in the parish car park by the cricket ground, not in the village centre; the Mount Inn's car park is for customers only. For a shorter walk, skip the Snowshill loop.

Plan a pub walk from Stanton →

4. Chipping Campden & Dover's Hill

7.2 km (4.5 miles) · 2–3 hours · Out and back · No stiles

Chipping Campden is the northern end of the 102-mile Cotswold Way, and this short walk follows its first mile. Start at the 17th-century Market Hall, climb the old track of Hoo Lane, then cross Dover's Hill. It's home since 1612 to the Cotswold Olimpicks, where shin-kicking is a genuine event. Drop through Lynches Wood, carpeted with bluebells in May, then climb to the viewpoint on the summit for one of the widest views in the Cotswolds.

The pub: The Eight Bells is a 14th-century inn originally built to house the masons working on St James' church, and later used to store its bells. It has a real fire and a cobbled courtyard. It serves good food, all day on Sundays.

Good to know: There are no stiles, but there's a long flight of steps out of Lynches Wood, and the boardwalk section can be very muddy. For an easier version, follow the Cotswold Way straight to the viewpoint and back.

Plan a pub walk from Chipping Campden →

5. Bibury, Arlington Row & Coln St Aldwyns

9.7 km (6 miles) · about 3 hours · Circular · No stiles

Arlington Row in Bibury is one of the most photographed streets in England: a terrace of 14th-century wool stores later turned into weavers' cottages. This walk lets you see it without just stepping off a coach. From Coln St Aldwyns, climb onto quiet bridleways past an ancient dewpond and the line of the Roman Akeman Street. Drop down to Arlington Row and Bibury's Saxon church, then follow the River Coln back through the valley.

The pub: The New Inn at Coln is a 17th-century coaching inn at the start and finish, with a real fire. It's closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Bibury also has places to eat and drink if you're walking early in the week.

Good to know: This is one of the few Cotswold walks with no stiles, so it's a good choice for dogs that don't like climbing. Bibury itself is busy from late morning in summer; starting from Coln St Aldwyns avoids the crowds.

Plan a pub walk from Bibury →

6. Painswick & the Slad Valley: Laurie Lee's Woolpack

11.7 km (7.3 miles) · about 450 m of climb · 3.5–4 hours · Circular

This is the hilliest walk here, and the most rewarding for book lovers. Slad is the valley Laurie Lee wrote about in Cider with Rosie. Leave Painswick, the "Queen of the Cotswolds" with its churchyard of clipped yews, and follow Painswick Stream to the edge of Slad. Then walk along the valley beside Swifts Hill nature reserve, with its wildflowers and orchids, and Laurie Lee Wood. Return over the hill on bridleways and woodland paths.

The pub: The Woolpack in Slad was Laurie Lee's local. He was a regular, and helped save it from closure. It's a small, traditional 17th-century pub that welcomes dogs and walkers, with a terrace garden. No food on Mondays. Back in Painswick, The Falcon is opposite the church.

Good to know: The Woolpack is about 500 m off the main route. Waymarking is patchy in places, so take a map or use our OS mapping. Expect several stiles, steep sections and muddy streamside paths after rain.

Plan a pub walk from Painswick →

7. Sapperton & the Daneway

9.7 km (6 miles) · about 200 m of climb · about 3 hours · Circular

This is a walk with a difference: woods, a lost canal and a tunnel. From Sapperton church, head through beech woods down to Daneway. Then follow the towpath of the old Thames & Severn Canal for about two miles through the wooded Frome valley. Climb out over the grand stone entrance of the Sapperton Tunnel, once the longest canal tunnel in England, and return through fields to the village.

The pub: The Daneway Inn is right beside the canal near the tunnel's western end. It's a traditional inn with a carved Dutch fireplace in the lounge. It welcomes dogs, has a real fire and a big garden, and serves Wadworth ales. Food is served from lunchtime through to early evening.

Good to know: There are plenty of stiles, and the canal towpath can be muddy. Park considerately in Sapperton near the church.

Plan a pub walk from Sapperton →

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Tips for a Cotswold pub walk

• Check the day as well as the time. Monday and Tuesday closures are common, and many kitchens shut between about 2:30pm and 6pm.
• Book at weekends. Pubs in honeypot villages like Bourton, Bibury and Stanton fill quickly, especially for Sunday lunch.
• Expect mud. Cotswold clay gets sticky from autumn to spring, so wear boots, and carry boot covers or a spare pair for the pub.
• Start early in the honeypots. Bourton and Bibury are busiest from late morning. Walk first, lunch second.
• Respect the farms. Most of these paths cross working farmland. Close gates, and keep dogs on leads near sheep and cattle.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best pub walk in the Cotswolds? For a classic Cotswold day out, Burford to Swinbrook and the Swan Inn is hard to beat. For views, Stanton and the Mount Inn. For literary history, Painswick and Laurie Lee's Woolpack in Slad.

Can I do a Cotswold pub walk without a car? Some, yes. The X52 bus runs to Burford from Oxford and Cheltenham. The 66 runs from Stroud station to Painswick. The 606 links Stanton with Cheltenham and Broadway. Check timetables before travelling, as rural buses can be infrequent.

Are Cotswold pubs dog friendly? Many are. On these walks, the Swan Inn (bar and garden), Slaughters Country Inn, Mount Inn, Snowshill Arms, Woolpack and Daneway Inn all welcome dogs. Always check, and keep dogs on leads around livestock.

What's the easiest Cotswold pub walk? Chipping Campden and Dover's Hill is the shortest at 4.5 miles and has no stiles. Bibury and Coln St Aldwyns is longer but gentle and also stile-free.

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Plan your own Cotswold pub walk

Want something shorter, flatter, closer to home, or with a particular pub in mind? Tell Your next walk where you're starting, how long you've got and what you love. It'll plan village-to-village routes with real pubs and the walking in between.

Plan a Cotswold pub walk, your first 3 are free →

Walks are suggestions only. Always check conditions, follow the waymarks on the ground and use an up-to-date map. Pub details checked October 2026.