There are some Sundays where all you want to do in snuggle up on the sofa, watch silly films and eat all day. Other Sundays, usually the sunny ones, you fancy going out, exploring, walking and enjoy the great outdoors. This was one of those Sundays.
It's rare that we should be seeing bright blue skies and glorious sunshine at the end of September, why not enjoy it! It's also starting to feel like Autumn, the colours in the trees are changing, the mornings are misty and a fire is needed in the evening. The perfect time of year for us! So, on one of these rare sunny Autumn Sundays we decided to make the most of the weather and give our old dog a much needed long walk. So, we headed to beautiful Bibury, for just that.
Bibury is a very popular tourist village in The Cotswolds and you can see why. It is stunning. It looks like a Cotswold postcard and that's just why coach loads of tourists visit every day. With picturesque cottages, a flowing river running through the high street and Bibury Trout Farm where you can catch your own trout for dinner, it deserves to be as busy as it is. However, Bibury has kept its local, quaint charm. Its not been taken over by tourist attractions, tea rooms and souvenir shops. Instead, it has a select few and people visit for the tranquility and pure beauty.
Rather than visiting the main strip in Bibury we decided to walk off the beaten track. We parked for free by St Mary's church and walked down towards the river. Turning off to the left, across the bridge and following the yellow arrows onto the bridleway.
We stayed on this path for the next hour and a bit, following clear signs, foot paths and passing many other walkers on the way, all of which cheerily saying "hello" as they passed. The walk takes you through Bibury Court Estate, through wooded areas and into beautiful open fields. Following the river the whole way into Quenington.
The scenery was just so beautiful. Early signs of Autumn, fallen leaves, trees turning a gorgeous burnt orange but with a summers day feel. Walking next to the water is always special. The sunshine was reflecting off the water and great for dogs, Winnie enjoyed a few doggy paddles herself.
With lots to see, lots of bridges, gates and stalls, you can't get bored on this walk and knowing their is a pub stop half way always spurs you on.
As we arrived in Quenington, we only had one thing on our mind... pint. So, we continued our walk to The Keepers Arms. A small, family run pub buzzing with locals, walkers and dogs. We took a seat outside, ordered ourselves a refreshing pint of San Miguel and enjoyed resting our feet in the sunshine. Half way through our drink, we became peckish (no surprise there) so decided we'd have a spot of lunch too. I chose classic fish and chips and Harry fancied ham, egg and chips. Proper pub grub! Both very reasonably priced, quick and delicious. Exactly what we fancied and it perked us up for the long treck back to the car. Just one more pint first.
We were impressed with the friendly, community feel of the pub. The landlord took Harry's name for the tab and when he went back into pay, he treated Harry like one of the locals, remembering his name and chatting away to him about his day. Very dog friendly with pooches big and small wagging their tails at the bar and we can only imagine how cosy the place must be with the fire roaring in the winter. A great little find.
On the way back to the car, I decided to put my Lorna Jane App on to measure just how far we had walked and how long it had taken. This is a great free App to use when running or walking. Exactly 1 hour on the way back.
We loved this walk from start to finish. Bibury it's self is well worth a visit. The walk was a good length with the bonus of a great Cotswold pub half way and the most stunning scenery. We can't wait to walk this route again in all seasons; when the Autumn colours are at their best, in the snowy Winter and in the height of Summer with a picnic.
Where's your favourite Cotswold walk? Millie and Meg x
We stayed on this path for the next hour and a bit, following clear signs, foot paths and passing many other walkers on the way, all of which cheerily saying "hello" as they passed. The walk takes you through Bibury Court Estate, through wooded areas and into beautiful open fields. Following the river the whole way into Quenington.
The scenery was just so beautiful. Early signs of Autumn, fallen leaves, trees turning a gorgeous burnt orange but with a summers day feel. Walking next to the water is always special. The sunshine was reflecting off the water and great for dogs, Winnie enjoyed a few doggy paddles herself.
With lots to see, lots of bridges, gates and stalls, you can't get bored on this walk and knowing their is a pub stop half way always spurs you on.
We were impressed with the friendly, community feel of the pub. The landlord took Harry's name for the tab and when he went back into pay, he treated Harry like one of the locals, remembering his name and chatting away to him about his day. Very dog friendly with pooches big and small wagging their tails at the bar and we can only imagine how cosy the place must be with the fire roaring in the winter. A great little find.
On the way back to the car, I decided to put my Lorna Jane App on to measure just how far we had walked and how long it had taken. This is a great free App to use when running or walking. Exactly 1 hour on the way back.
Where's your favourite Cotswold walk? Millie and Meg x
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