Cotswolds Autumn Cycling – 4 Day Break

What You'll Do

Cycle through honey coloured Cotswold villages and busy little market towns, over rolling hills and down country lanes. Enjoy the rides from palaces to country pubs. With stunning views around every corner, excellent accommodation, wonderful pubs and beautiful cuisine, this will be an experience you won’t forget.

This 4 days/ 3 nights guided cycling tour will take you through the pretty villages in the Cotswold such a Chipping Campden, Burford and the “most beautiful village in England”, Milbury.

The Cotswolds is perfect biking country, taking the quietest roads you will feel transported back into England as it was before mechanisation, where sheep and dry-stone walling were the biggest industries.

You will visit the imposing Broadway Tower, from where you can see 16 counties and to the Black Mountains of Wales, as well as stunning gardens and woodland. You will cycle to Blenheim Palace, where Winston Churchill was born and a World Heritage Site as well as Bampton, where Downton Abbey was filmed.

You will have to chance to sample great food and beer in quaint local pubs and you will get to try the ‘Parade of Seven Traditional Puddings’ and the famous ‘Trio of Trout’.

Stay in beautiful country or prestige hotels and totally relax, as your local guide takes care of everything, allowing you to simply soak up the wonderful rural atmosphere.

Experience
Highlights

Discover the birthplace of Churchill and the stunning gardens of Blenheim Palace

Explore 'the most beautiful village in England' and try the local cuisine at a cosy pub

Stay in beautiful country hotels and spend your days cruising the rolling country roads

Experience Itinerary

Arrive in the Cotswolds

You will be collected at 9am from Moreton in Marsh train station and set up to your bikes, ready to cycle straight out into the majestic Cotswolds countryside. Pedalling at your own pace, take in some of the most well-known towns and villages including Broad Campden with its magnificent topiary, the golden-stoned Chipping Campden with its impressive market hall, built in 1627 and its fascinating civil war history – lived-out in the ruins on the outskirts of the town. Cycling up and out of town we pass Dover’s Hill, home to the ‘Cotswolds Olympics’, founded by Robert Dover in 1612 and still going to this day! Popular competitive events include hay bale carrying and the Shin-Kicking World Championships! We visit the imposing Broadway Tower, from where you can see 16 counties and to the Black Mountains of Wales, the perfect lunch spot with a view. Today we also visit the stunning Hidcote Gardens for coffee and to explore its internationally renowned gardens – special because of its series of outdoor rooms and as the first National trust property to be purchased for its gardens rather than the building itself. For garden lovers there is the option to visit Kiftsgate gardens 200m around the corner, run by three generations of women and home to the famous Kiftsgate Rose. We organise an evening of entertainment to celebrate Great British Puddings; a light main course followed by a ‘Parade of Seven Traditional Puddings’, a true highlight of the week, with a vote for your favourite dessert over coffee – from Eton Mess to Sticky Toffee Pudding and Gooseberry Fool – which will you pick?

Cycling 20-40 miles on rolling terrain

Accommodation

You can choose between a 3* country hotel or a 4* prestige hotel

Churchill's Birthplace and Village Life

We cycle out from the hotel through the beautiful Cotswolds to Blenheim Palace, where Winston Churchill was born and a World Heritage Site. The morning’s ride is around 20 miles, through rolling countryside, stopping off at the famous organic farm shop, Daylesford. Complete with cheese rooms, their own range of English wines, an incredible delicatessen, it is well worth a visit. Our coffee stop is the community run café de la post at Chadlington – boasting the ‘world’s best carrot cake’ – as voted for by Jeremy Clarkson, one of the regulars here! At Blenheim itself, guests can eat lunch over-looking the Capability Brown parklands and have ample time to explore the historical palace on a guided audio tour and walk through some of the 3000 acre estate. There is the option to visit the tucked away and little-known graveyard of Churchill and his relatives, hidden just outside the Blenheim Estate. We cycle out of the palace in the afternoon with the option to cycle along country lanes all the way to your hotel in Burford, ‘Gateway to the Cotswolds’, in the evening. There are options to cycle or take the support vehicle on the way back, perhaps via the pretty country pub at Swinbrook, famous as the home of the Mitford Sisters – a great option for a pint or dinner along the lazy river Windrush.

Cycling 20-40 miles on rolling terrain

Accommodation

You can choose between a 3* country hotel or a 4* prestige hotel

The Most Beautiful Village in England

We cycle South out from Burford down quiet lanes and past old manor houses towards Bourton-on-the-water, known for its beauty in the Summer and for the stream running through the centre of the village. We cycle from here in a loop back towards Burford, stopping in Bibury, famous for its row of weavers’ cottages, Arlington Row, pictured inside the cover of British passports. It’s easy to see why William Morris called Bibury ‘The most beautiful village in England’ – with it’s wonderful stone buildings strung out along the banks of the River Coln. If you are peckish – taste the delicious and famous ‘Trio of Trout’, reared less than a mile away; smoked, baked and poached! We return in the evening to Burford and your hotel, by bike or support vehicle.

Cycling 25 miles on gently rolling terrain

Accommodation

You can choose between a 3* country hotel or a 4* prestige hotel

Downton Abbey and Iconic Oxford

From Burford we cycle along a beautifully flat path towards Bampton, winding alongside fields before arriving into the village where the outdoor and village scenes in Downton Abbey were filmed, including St Mary’s Church – renamed St Michael and All Angels in the hit TV show. From here we cycle on to lunch at the quirky Aston Pottery and transfer in the early afternoon into Oxford. Oxford station has frequent departures to London and our guides will say their farewells and help you with any ongoing travel arrangements you have.

Cycling 15 miles on flat terrain

Location Information

Your tour begins in the village of Moreton-in-Marsh, a gorgeous little market town at the north end of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It’s an excellent base to venture into the Cotswolds themselves, to discover breathtaking towers, England’s prettiest villages, remote, cosy pubs where you can sample the local cuisine and relax after a day in the fresh air and the rolling green hills.

The adventure ends in the iconic Oxford, where we will help you with any plans you need for your onward journey.

Stay in beautiful country or prestige hotels and totally relax, as your local guide takes care of everything, allowing you to simply soak up the wonderful rural atmosphere.

FAQs

This tour is rated 2/5 for difficulty meaning it’s appropriate for guests going for a good ride and can handle an incline or two. The terrain we cover is varied. We’ll enjoy some rolling hills, with wonderful downhills and a few climbs which will be a bit more demanding.

Your holiday, however, will be tailored by your guide to suit your individual preferences. Rewarding views are guaranteed. Daily distances range from 15-40 miles and options for shorter or longer rides are available on all days.

You will spend one night staying in The Manor or Redesdale in Moreton-in-Marsh, one night in The Highway or The Lamb in Burford, and one night in The Bird in Bath, or hotels of a similar standard and location.

All options are luxurious, comfortable and bursting with country character, and guarantee you a pleasant stay in the Cotswolds. There is free parking, wifi and upgrades available at every option.