If you come down to the woods today...

You'll be in for a glorious surprise. Strolling through these ancient woodlands is a delight at any time of year. The diverse flora beneath the soaring tree canopy offers cool tranquility on a hot spring day and handy cover for when the rain inevitably sets in. Whatever the time of year, we recommend sturdy boots or wellies for this 3 mile round trip which takes you north west of Blockley and up into the hills overlooking village.

Begin your walk by turning right from the cottage and turning on to the public footpath at the end of the road heading towards Broad Campden. Use the stile and follow the rough track to the right onto the Northwick estate lands. Be aware this field is occasionally used for cattle grazing. Then keep going diagonally across the field until you reach the brow of the hill. Here you'll see a footpath sign in the far left corner leading into the woods. This is the steepest section of the walk. Once you are in the woods you'll hear plenty of wildlife; pheasants shrieking, rooks cawing and often woodpeckers insistently persuing their prey. Depending on the time of day, you may also be lucky enough to see some wild deer, magpies, foxes and maybe and owl or two.

Follow the rough track as it winds up through the woods. Do not be tempted by any of the paths to the right and follow the path downhill until you come to a cross roads in an open woodland glade. Take the second left turn which takes you back upwards (ignore the left turn which takes you almost parallel with the path you have just followed.) The path is quite steep but takes you up on to the ridge overlooking the village and offers stunning open views of the surrounding countryside so is well worth the effort.

There are several left hand paths from the top of the ridge back to the village if you want to shorten the journey but we recommend continuing along the path and using caution to cross a road back to the village. This route is rewarded by walking through some enormous rhododendrons which are stunning in May but very beautiful at other times of year. The deep green tunnel leads down to a track leading into the village bringing you out on to the High Street. If you turn right at the junction you can extend your walk into the Northwick estate although this is a dead end and you will have to retrace your steps back into the village. Alternatively, you can turn left and follow the quaint High Street footpaths back towards the church and cafe. From here you can continue your journey back to the cottage.

This moderate round trip walk takes about an hour door to door (plus time to recover in the cafe of course).