Alwen Lyons says...
We really enjoyed our holiday and the electric bikes were great, helpful for the hills!
...
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From the city of Oxford, home to the oldest university in England, cycle between the villages of the southern Cotswolds on your way to Bath, with its Roman baths and stunning Georgian architecture. Beautiful scenery, charming villages and some outstanding Estates will be seen along the way through England's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
This 8 night cycling holiday starts in the city of Oxford before heading off along the Oxford Canal towards the Georgian town of Woodstock. You route takes you through some of the best of the Cotswold villages including Minster Lovell with its Cotswold stone and thatched cottages on the River Windrush, the medieval town of Burford and Bibury, 'The most beautiful village in England' according to William Morris. Stay in Castle Combe, used as the film set location for War Horse where you can admire the pretty high street which is lined with former weavers' cottages.
Discover some of England's Roman history with a visit to Chedworth Roman Villa with its spectacular mosaics, Cirencester, the second largest town in Britain during Roman times and head to the Roman baths in Bath.
Overnight accommodation is in a range of warm, welcoming and friendly B&Bs and Inns, many of which are in historic buildings.
Cycling is mainly on quiet country roads, alongside canals and on dedicated cycle paths. Bikes need to be carried up footbridges and taken over railway lines on a couple of occassions.
Arrive in Oxford. Visit some of the treasures of the city from the Bodleian Library to the Ashmolean.
Staying overnight at Oxford Coach & Horses or similar
Follow the canal out of Oxford with pubs and tea shops available for a pit-stop. Leave the canal and visit Rousham Gardens, designed by William Kent in the 18th Century which remains much as he left it. Continue on to Woodstock and time permitting visit Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at The Kings Arms or similar
After a visit to Blenheim Palace head to the village of Bladon where Sir Winston Churchill is buried. Follow country lanes through farmland and visit picturesque villages like Minster Lovell and Swinbrook on the way to Burford, known for its its three-arched medieval bridge.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at The Highway Inn or similar
Follow the River Windrush towards Sherborne with a chance to visit the National Trusts' Sherborne Park Estate before continuing to Northleach where you can find half-timbered buildings and merchants' houses dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. There are two short detours off the main route to visit Chedworth Roman Villa and North Cerney Gardens before turning towards Bibury and follow the River Coln into this beautiful village.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at Cotteswold House B&B or similar
The route goes to Cricklade via Fairford, known for its fine 'wool' church and once an important coaching town, and then turns toward Cirencester and follows a cycle route through the lakes, near the Thames Path. Cirencester, the 'capital of the Cotswolds' has many attractions including the Corinium Museum, dedicated to the city's Roman history and the Abbey grounds, site of St Mary's Abbey.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at The Old Brewhouse or similar
Today the route is shorter allowing time for visiting one (or more) of three spectacular Estates. Rodmarton Manor (open Wednesdays and Saturdays) is a unique 20th Century Arts and Crafts Manor with an 8 acre Cotswold garden; Chavenage House (open Thursdays and Sundays) is an Elizabethan house of mellow grey Cotswold stone and was used in the Poldark series as 'Trenwith', the Poldark family home. After arriving in Tetbury it is also possible to go by taxi (pay locally) to Highgrove Royal Gardens, the private residence of HRH The Prince of Wales. (Early booking essential).
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at The Royal Oak or similar
A short cycle ride takes you to Westonbirt Arboretum, the National Arboretum has one of the most beautiful and important plant collections in the world. Continue through the village of Sherston and on to the picturesque village of Castle Combe.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at Castle Inn or similar
Today there is a choice of a longer or shorter route - the shorter option is a direct route into Bath allowing more time exploring the city. The longer route is an exciting ride through the villages of Biddeston and Lacock. The route turns onto the cycle path by the canal at Semington and follows it all the way into Bath via Bradford-on-Avon.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at Apple Tree Guesthouse or similar
Depart after breakfast
During your holiday you stay at the following hotels. If you'd like to extend your time at any of these or, if you'd like to enhance your stay with an upgraded room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199, use our live webchat or email sales@headwater.com
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
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The Highway Inn, located in the heart of the bustling town of Burford dates from 1480. The old timber and stone building has many original features and the characterful rooms are all of different shapes and styles, and are named after local villages and hamlets surrounding Burford.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Cotteswold House offers well appointed bed & breakfast and self-catering accommodation. Furnished to a high standard of quality and comfort, you can be assured of a warm and friendly welcome. Set in Bibury, described as the most beautiful village in England, Cotteswold House is an ideal location for touring the Cotswolds.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
The Castle Inn is a 12th century inn located in the heart of Castle Combe which has been lovingly restored to offer you a classic Cotswolds pub and B&B. It has had an extensive and considerate restoration to preserve, yet enhance, the charm of this beautiful historic building.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Call now to speak to our specialist team at 0044 1606 720199 or email us at sales@headwater.com for enquiries or to book your trip.
Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
We really enjoyed our holiday and the electric bikes were great, helpful for the hills!
The accomodation was generally very good and all of the people we met were very helpful, and ready to accomodate the bikes.
The navigation App was brilliant and made our journies stress free. - only one issue which was a railway crossing which had changed and meant carrying the bikes over a stepped pedestrian bridge, I have reported this to bikes and hikes and sent them some photos.
Most of the routes were on quiet roads and tracks which was good - however the canal tow path into bath was narrow and rough for the first few miles until it became national cycle route 4, then it was fine.
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
This 8 night self-guided cycling holiday includes:
Hotel-to-hotel accommodation in a mix of , , , and hotels
Breakfasts daily
Bike fitting and briefing at the start of your holiday
Headwater navigation app for your smartphone
Bike hire
Luggage transfers between hotels
How to book:
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'book now' or 'check availability' button below.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'check availability' button below.
We do not currently have departure dates and prices available on-line. The season may have ended for this tour, or we are still in the process of adding these details to our website. Please contact us for further details.
Solo travellers
Please call for details and prices
Children
Please contact us for child prices.
Holiday type
Self-guided cycling Managed by Headwater rep.
Departures
Meals
Breakfasts daily
Electric bikes
It is possible to hire electric bikes for this holiday at a supplement of £188 per person. As these are available on a first come first served basis, we recommend early booking to avoid disappointment.
This holiday does not include any flights or rail.
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'book now' button above.
If you need further information before you book simply complete our Holiday Enquiry Form and a member of our sales team will get back to you.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'Check availability' button below.
