Hiking the English Countryside: The Cotswolds and Cornwall

While I did fill out a review raving about this trip, I neglected to say one thing. The hotel dining room in Bowood Park Hotel and Golf Club was very noisy at many dinners. And it was very difficult to have any programs or lectures without a dedicated space. The staff was efficient but the noise made it quite unpleasant

The hiking experience in the Cotswolds and Cornwall was a wonderful fulfillment of a bucket list experience for me. Our guides, Ian and Simon were congenial and informative. I found the hiking exhilarating and the commentary on history, geology, and literary figures contributed to the richness of the overall experience. An occasional glass of beer at the end of a long day added to the general good cheer!

This was a marvelous trip in so many ways. Starting in the pastoral Cotswolds, we hiked in fields and by streams, sheep and cows watching our progress. We visited a number of historical sites, including the amazing Broadway Tower and Kelmscott Manor. My eyes were opened to the Arts and Crafts movement, which I found both philosophically and artistically fascinating. The pudding club in Mickleton was unforgettable as we indulged in seven kinds of puddings with an enthusiastic MC and other participants, electing the "Sticky Toffee Pudding" as king again (spoiler alert!) In Cornwall, we hiked on gorgeous cliffs and pastures with breathtaking views. We spent time in the small towns of St. Ives, St. Isaac, and more. These small town free time adventures gave us a chance to explore on our own. There's so much more, but I'd encourage anyone who is a hiker (the hikes are strenuous at times) and wants to experience the culture and scenery of this area to sign up for this trip!

A fascinating immersion on how people and land have shaped each other in southwest England: technology. This will engage all your senses, your imagination, your body and your heart.

This is an absolutely wonderful Road Scholar trip. Our guides were knowledgable, great to be with, and eager to make sure we all found what we had hoped for in the trip. To really see and experience a place, I do believe that a person has to do a lot more than just visit and move on. Walking for days and days through that gorgeous landscape -- wind, rain, sun, clouds -- is exactly the trick. I want to especially thank Tim and Simon for their leadership. They are a perfect pair for a journey like this. As well, the group as a whole was simply filled with kind, generous, funny, interesting, and likable people. There were 22 of us, so I think it is a great compliment to the leaders, the locals we passed in streets, on footpaths, and along coastlines, and the program itself that we got along so well. I have only good things to say about the experience.

The leaders on this trip were outstanding! The natural beauty of the area was simply breath taking. I highly recommend this trip, especially if Simon is the leader.

Hiking the English Countryside: The Cotswolds and Cornwall was an amazing trip. The hikes were challenging but doable. The daily reward was the beautiful scenery and charming villages. The Cornwall hikes were more challenging but hiking the coastal paths provided amazing ocean views. We had one rainy blustery hiking day in Cornwall. Three of us ventured out with our guide, Ian. The others were able to visit an arboretum with our other guide, Jen. The weather was great for the rest of the trip. The wildflowers and spring lambs were a delight. Ian and Jen were the best guides. Knowledgeable, welcoming, inclusive, encouraging and FUN! This is the perfect England trip where you can be immersed in the culture and not feel like a tourist.

Do you want to visit the Cotswolds and Cornwall? Are you looking for energetic hiking and beautiful vistas? Does English history and old church towns with some local shopping thrown in seem like an interesting mix? Well then "Hiking the English Countryside: The Cotswolds and Cornwall" is exactly the trip to do it all, with great food and fun knowledgeable Guides to keep everything on track! Plus, in Port Isaac you get to visit the fishing village from Doc Martin, wow!

If you love hiking/walking in beautiful green majestic areas, this is a MUST. We enjoyed walking among fields, cows and nature. We were very fortunate to have amazing weather and wonderful co-participants/guests. Only being in two hotels saved us from continually packing and unparking. Our guides: Heather and Philippe were fabulous in their care of us and their knowledge of the Cotswolds and Cornwall. This trip was our first and a dream come true.

This is an excellent program to gain a knowledge of Britain's past and present. Heather and Phillipe looked after us carefully and imparted a great deal of interesting detail. Her family company has done this for three generation; I can't recommend her more. Phillipe added knowledge and gallic charm. A great team leading us through lovely country.

Lovely scenery and excellent guides (Simon and Graham). The daily walks were lovely and balanced with time in a local town or an attraction. Simon particularly went above and beyond to accommodate special interests and needs. So much to see and great guides to make it happen. I agree with the review above about the hotel accommodations. POSITIVES: The staff at both hotels were very helpful and friendly, always trying to respond to requests. HOWEVER: The Three Way House needs updating and cleaning. My room had carpet stains and mold in the bathroom with peeling paint. The dinners were generally good but the breakfasts in both hotels were repetitious. Dinners at the Bowood were geared to meat eaters and fried food lovers. I would prefer to stay in a more central location and have options for independent dinners as many of the restaurants in town where we lunched had great selections.

Our walking tour of the Cotswolds and Cornwall was a dream come true! Our guide Simon was amazing and every day revealed delightful discoveries. Highly recommend!!

This was our first trip with RS and definitely won’t be our last! From picking us up at the airport to our final goodbye at the end of the tour, every detail was taken care of. Our two guides, Nigel and Graham, were wonderful, knowledgeable, and entertaining. The countryside was gorgeous and we lucked out with the weather being mostly dry and warm. The daily itinerary was spot on with the trip descriptions. There were 22 guests, with average age probably about 70-75, and about 3/4 of the group were women. Accommodations were comfortable and clean, though required using stairs regularly ( not a problem for us). Food was good with plenty of variety. We did not have any special dietary restrictions but a couple of the guests did. There were vegan and gluten free options. We enjoyed the walking tour very much and would like to do another with similar distances (5-7 miles/day) in other parts of the U.K. and Europe.

Great trip. Fantastic hikes but BE SURE to read the activity level. Many trails were rocky, steep w/steps up and down, many cow/sheep gates to go through one at a time, and walking alongside ragweed and mustard on the trails. Saw lots of cows, sheep, horses, swans on the river, and wildflowers in the fields. Beautiful Cotswold homes and amazing Cornwall vistas. We even had perfect weather. Traveled mid-June, 2023.

A fabulous trip. I so enjoyed the hikes, accommodations, and group leaders. I would highly recommend this trip!!

The hiking part of this trip was fun! Beautiful vistas, unique villages, and amazing wildflowers. The first 2 hotels left a lot to be desired and they weren’t centrally located to the day to day activities. The Three Way House had tiny rooms with stained carpets, moldy dangerous bathrooms and 2 of the 3 windows didn't open. "The Pudding Club" consisted of serving 3 desserts one night - no explanation or anything special. The Bowood Golf Club had dated rooms, also with mold in the bathroom. It certainly seemed that the best rooms were given to our guides. We spent too much time on the bus due to poor planning. Our guides varied greatly, with good and not so good. I heard from others how responsive Road Scholar was to feedback, but it's been a month and they only called to ask if we had questions. Very disappointed in Road Scholar!

Excellent program. So pleased to have done it. Can't wait for more Road Scholar programs soon.

This program exceeded my expectations. The hikes were magnificent! Glorious and breathtaking vistas! Amazing history and culture! Great food and accommodations. We had a truly wonderful group of other Road Scholars to share the trip with - and this makes a huge difference. Our lead guide, Chris, was superb: knowledgeable, warm, funny, engaging, attentive, organized - and he could sing too! A grand and enjoyable experience!

A great program to combine love of the outdoors with educational sightseeing - there was such a variety of places seen and things learned! It was a lovely time to be in the English countryside - daffodils, golden canola fields, bluebells, rhododendren (at Heligan), and darling baby lambs (and cows).

Outstanding hiking program. I have been on many other Road Scholar trips, all of which I enjoyed, but I have to say that Heather was one of the best guides I have ever encountered. Her attention to every detail elevated our experience above what was expected; her breadth of knowledge was remarkable. She is warm, witty, and fun. Not to mention that the Cotswolds and Cornwall and just glorious.

I APPLAUD OUR LEADERS, HEATHER AND NIGEL, FOR THEIR GOOD HUMOR, KNOWLEDGE, FLEXIBILITY. FOR ME, OUR WALKS WERE THE HIGHLIGHT. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE LESS RIDING ON THE BUS.

Hiking in the Cotswolds and Cornwall was a wonderful experience especially for people who walk regularly, the walks we took were perfect for me. Heather and Nigel worked well together, provided assistance when needed and so much knowledge of both areas. Suggestions for lunch free time were always spot on. I would recommend this tour to anyone who enjoys walking and enjoying nature while learning about each region.

A wonderful blend of two beautiful sections of England. The most strenuous of my RS trips so far but it was worth the effort particularly in Cornwall. Organization was excellent and the Footpath guides were great. They made the trip better with their local knowledge and skills.

Beautiful walks in both areas. We enjoyed this hiking tour and learned a lot about the area, its people and history.

This was an awesome trip! Learning about Cotswold and Cornwall culture, history and area was wonderful! Walking through the green pastures, fields, towns, villages and terrain by the ocean was a splendid experience! Walks are not super hard, every morning we checked the weather for that day and dressed accordingly. Our guide also helped in deciding the walk and terrain . She (Heather) was excellent. Simon, the other guide was great too! Food was excellent in both hotels; especially the desserts at the Three Way House Hotel in Mickleton. Just a note for R Scholar planners: The rooms that are renovated at Three Way House Hotel should be given to the Road Scholars. Our group was excellent, we were always on time.

This was a bucket-list trip for me, even though my spouse would not go with me. It was really nice to stay at the same hotel for 6 days and get to know an area more thoroughly. Fabulous tour leaders. I did not miss seeing London at all !

Your website is fine. It's the ONE always busy phone number for EVERYTHING that needs improving.

This is a fantastic hiking adventure running the gamut of beautiful Cotswold villages and stunning Cornwall vistas. Be advised that some of the hikes are steep, strenuous and/or muddy (but always exhilarating) so be prepared. Our program leaders, Jen Sutton and Chris James, were wonderful!!

I hiked through some of The Most Beautiful country I never knew existed and learned about gardens, tin mining, history, art, wool, wine, and more. The tour leaders were all knowledgeable, skilled, friendly, and a lot of fun. The food was outstanding, accommodations charming, and fellow hikers curious and kind. The hiking is at a comfortable pace. I'm so thankful I went on this trip; oh the memories!

This was a fantastic program which really gave my wife and me an in-depth understanding of these two interesting and very different parts of the U.K. The hikes were well-chosen, and there were always alternatives for those who chose not to participate on any given day. The food was much better than expected and the accommodations were fine. Jen and Russell made a great team of leaders, always upbeat, and with insightful stories, history, and even songs particular to the Cotswolds, Cornwall, and the U.K. in general. As expected, we had a wide range of weather conditions, so any participants should definitely plan for heavy rain, in terms of boots and other gear. A highly-recommended program.

Delightful walking tour through the beautiful countryside of the Cotswolds and Cornwall! Would highly recommend this trip as a different way of viewing two beautiful areas of England.

After 14 R/S hiking adventures, I'm still recommending them, and this trip is no exception. The Cotswolds has beautiful, undulating hills - a perfect contrast to the rocky, dramatic Cornwall seacoast. The land often had a rich green hue in early June, and multi-colored flowers would line the trails or frame the houses that we walked past. Just lovely. Two main hotels were used during the 2 week trip (other than the last night for the Heathrow departure), so we didn't need to waste too much time packing and unpacking. Very efficient from my perspective. They were well located and comfortable. (I never ran out of hot water.) The food was also excellent. Breakfasts were plentiful, to say the least, and several good choices were always offered for each dinner course. (I usually selected the fish for my entree since in my opinion, the Brits tend to overcook the meat.) You won't go hungry on this trip! The activity level can fairly be described as moderately challenging. Be prepare for some substantial exercise. A few hikes exceeded 6 miles with both ups and downs, sometimes steep, but they were definitely worth the effort. Some trails were narrow and required you to step quite carefully - not unusual for these types of trips. I often brought a hiking pole with me and was glad I did. However, other options were occasionally available for those who wanted a day of rest or less exertion. There were also some city days, such as at Oxford, where we had a local guide for a tour of a college and then free time to explore. Do make sure you bring sufficient layers of clothing and rain gear, preferably water proof and not merely water repellent, and a secure hat. This is England, after all, and the weather can be changeable on short notice. You need to be able to make a quick switch on the trail and add or peel layers when necessary. England is a great country to explore, and I found the Brits to be very friendly and easy to talk to. All in all, this is a great program.

I completely enjoyed this trip - the walks, the views, the food, the activities. There are many walks, mostly in Cornwall, that require significant hill climbs on rocky, uneven steps. Most walks require crossing over stiles that are challenging. Had I known this, I would have prepared a bit differently to improve the flexibility that required. But it didn't stop me!