Cotswold
Riders Way
New for 2024, the Cotswold Riders Way is a long-distance mountain biking & horse riding trail that I’ve created in partnership with Cotswold National Landscape and volunteers from the British Horse Society. Our shared ambition is that this ‘free-to-access’ route will encourage more riders to explore and enjoy this nationally significant landscape in a sustainable way.
For mountain bikers, the Cotswold Riders Way offers a stunning 300km circular trail around the Cotswolds. The route links many of the iconic Cotswold landscapes and villages and gives riders a unique perspective on this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AoNB). See route outline on map below.
The riding has an off-road bias with a focus on traffic-free bridleways and byways. Where possible, road sections have been limited to quiet country lanes and ‘B’ roads. The short sections on ‘A’ roads are mostly crossings.
The Cotswold Riders Way is not waymarked on the ground. A route map is available below via a free-of-charge digital download (gpx file). The file is suitable for loading on a navigation device eg Garmin. The route is not available in paper format. Riders are strongly recommended to use the gpx file in conjunction with the relevant OS maps (1:25,000). Better still, use the smartphone apps from either OS Maps or Memory Map.
If digital maps and navigation aren’t for you, then why not try one of my Guided Rides with route options that link with the Cotswold Riders Way. For more info, contact me on tim@cotswoldmountainbiking.co.uk. Electric and analogue mountain bikes are also available for hire with a Guided Ride booking.
IMPORTANT : The Cotswold Riders Way has primarily been created for mountain bikers and horse riders. The route follows trails and roads with legal public access so, if you find yourself on a footpath you have gone wrong! Please note that there are two canal path sections, Bath canal and Stroudwater canal, where horses are not permitted. Walkers can access all sections.
All users of the Cotswold Riders Way will be responsible for making their own assessment of route appropriateness and safety.
For mountain bikers who want to ensure that their experience on the Cotswold Riders Way is enjoyable, friendly and sensitive to the environment, I recommend the following guidance from Cycling UK - Mountain Biking Code of Conduct and Countryside Code for Cyclists.
“I test rode the full route with Tim in Spring ‘23. We did around 45 miles each day and took 5 days spread over a 6 week period. Put simply, I loved it! Without question its one of the most scenic, varied and enjoyable MTB routes that I’ve ever ridden! ”