Cotswolds Meander

The Cotswolds offer some of the best cycling routes and scenery in the south of England. Comprising rolling hills, stunning scenery and some great attractions, the region is a joy to explore; as a result, you could spend weeks cycling here and never run out of things to enjoy. This ride starts in Kingham and takes in plenty of charming villages and sights along the way. The route passes close by to both Diddly Squat Farm and the Hawkstone Brewery, both made famous by the Jeremy Clarkson TV show ‘Clarksons Farm’.

Route Description

From Kingham station, the route travels north, and then quickly passes through the village of Kingham itself. From here, the route runs north-westerly through Daylesford and then crosses the A46. After crossing the A46, the route continues for around 1.5 miles until it turns left and heads towards Broadwell.

Passing through Broadwell village, the ride takes on its first testing climb of the day as it makes its ascent to the small town of Stow-On-The-Wold in the heart of the Cotswolds. If you fancy a rest after the climb, there are plenty of independent cafes and tea rooms to help refresh those tired legs. Leaving Stow-On-The-Wold, it’s a short, sharp downhill run through Lower Swell before another up-and-down section as it passes through the villages of Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter.

Shortly after passing through Lower Slaughter it’s a dog-leg across the A46 and on to the highest point of the ride at Upper Rissington. After the climb the next nine miles or so are a glorious downhill run through Nether Westcote and Fifield to skirt south of Shipton-Under-Wychwood and then on to Ascott-Under-Wychwood.

From Ascott‑under‑Wychwood, the route then rises over a small Cotswolds ‘hump’ on the B4437 before moving on to Charlbury. After passing through Charlbury, it’s the final climb of the route as it passes through Spelsbury before turning slightly south to skirt around Chipping Norton before dropping down through the village of Churchill and back to the start at Kingham

Route Summary

Start Point – Kingham Railway Station OX7 6UP, O.S. Grid Ref -SP 25647 22721

Distance – 39.5 miles / 50.5 km

Elevation Gain – 2345 feet /

Places of Interest

• Hawkstone Brewery – just off the route at the 12.7 mile point.
• Greystones Farm Nature Reserve – just off the route at the 12.7 mile point.
• Wychwood Wild Garden – just off the route at the 21.8 mile point.

Refreshment Stops 

• Lucy’s Tea Room, Stow-On-The-Wold – on the route at the 8.0 mile point.
• Ascott Village shop – just off the route at the 24.2 mile point
• Cauldron Cafe Emporium – just off the route at the 29.0 mile point

Local Bike Shops

• Unfortunately, there are no bike shops close to this route

Nearest Railway Stations

• Kingham – at the start / finish point.
• Ascott-Under-Wychwood – on the route at the 24.1 mile point.
• Charlbury – on the route at the 27.9 mile point.

Ride With GPS Link – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/55408280

GPX file direct download – Click Here

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