Essential safety information for walking the Cotswold Way. Be prepared, stay safe, and enjoy every mile.
999
For life-threatening emergencies. Ask for Police, Ambulance, Fire, or Mountain Rescue. If you have no signal, try 112 which connects via any available network.
111
For urgent medical advice that is not life-threatening. Available 24/7. Advisors can direct you to the nearest pharmacy, walk-in centre, or A&E.
999 (ask for Mountain Rescue)
Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group and SARA cover the Cotswold Way. Call 999 and ask for Mountain Rescue if injured on the trail.
Download the What3Words app before your walk. It gives your precise location as three words, making it easier for emergency services to find you in remote areas with no address or landmark.
The Cotswold clay becomes extremely slippery when wet, especially between October and April. Sections near Coaley Peak and Standish Wood are notorious. Wear boots with deep tread and use trekking poles for stability.
Dense fog is common on the escarpment, particularly around Cleeve Hill and Leckhampton Hill. Navigation becomes difficult when waymarks are obscured. Carry a compass and have your GPS app ready with downloaded offline maps.
Exposed ridgelines offer no shelter during thunderstorms. If you hear thunder within 30 seconds of lightning, descend from high ground immediately. Avoid isolated trees and metal fences. Crouch low if caught in the open.
Blister plasters, antiseptic wipes, bandages, painkillers, antihistamines
With spare batteries. Essential if you misjudge timing on winter days
Six blasts in a minute is the international distress signal
Keep your phone charged for navigation and emergency calls
Refill points are limited between some villages
Breathable waterproofs are essential year-round in the Cotswolds
Wind chill on the escarpment can drop temperatures significantly
Energy bars, nuts, dried fruit for unexpected delays
OS Explorer maps OL45 and 167-179 as backup to digital
Sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses for exposed ridge sections in summer
Always close gates behind you, even if you found them open. Farmland relies on gates to keep livestock contained. Use stiles where provided rather than climbing fences.
Keep dogs on leads near livestock, especially during lambing season (March-May). If cattle approach aggressively, release your dog and move away calmly. Never position yourself between a cow and her calf.
The Cotswolds Way follows public rights of way. Stick to the marked path, especially through farmland. You have a right to pass through, but not to leave litter, pick crops, or disturb wildlife.
Carry out all litter, including biodegradable waste like fruit peel. Use designated facilities where available. Wild camping is not permitted along most of the trail without landowner permission.
The Cotswolds Way passes through numerous villages with shops, pubs, and cafes where you can refill water bottles. However, some stretches between settlements are long. Plan ahead.
Multiple shops, cafes, and pubs. Top up before the first section.
Village shops and the Crown & Trumpet pub offer refills.
Well-served with shops. Last reliable stop before the long Cleeve Hill section.
Village stores and pubs. Refill here before the stretch to Middleyard.
Town with supermarket and multiple cafes.
Good facilities. Top up before the remote section to Hawkesbury Upton.
Limited options. The White Hart pub is your best bet.
Full urban facilities at the trail's end.