2012

Coln Valley.The tour starts at Cheltenham Spa railway station at 2.00pm. Leaving luggage on the coach, walk for five miles following the path of the River Coln, past the picturesque villages of Coln St Dennis and Coln Rogers. Approach Bibury and the hotel on foot, passing Arlington Row, the renowned terrace of cottages that led William Morris to refer to Bibury as the most beautiful village in England.

North Cotswolds. A morning visit to the 4,000-year-old Neolithic burial chambers of Belas Knap, the finest long barrow in Gloucestershire, followed by a walk along the Cotswold Way (2 miles) to Sudeley Castle, famous for its honeyed stone and magnificent gardens. After a break for lunch there is another walk (2 miles), through the lovely village of Winchcombe to Hailes where there are the ruins of a 13th-century Cistercian abbey and a Romanesque church with wall paintings.

Central Cotswolds. Beginning and ending in Sapperton, walk (6 miles) through undulating woodland and pasture, with periodic open vistas. Pass a number of buildings in the Arts and Crafts style. Cirencester is a flourishing market town with modern metropolitan businesses amidst streets with many 17th- and 18th-century delights. The soaring magnificence St John the Baptist is of cathedral-like proportions. Return for a while to Bibury before driving to Quenington for a late afternoon exploration of the village, followed by dinner at a private manor house.

Stanton, Stanway and Snowshill. Walk from Stanway to Stanton (2 miles), with distant views over the Severn Valley. These idyllic and quintessential Cotswold villages fell into disrepair after the woollen industry slumped, and were lovingly restored by the enlightened nobility who owned the land. Walk from Stanton to Snowshill (3 miles). Snowshill Manor is an enchanting late 17th-century house with beautiful gardens, and contains an eccentric collection of unusual craft objects.

Southern Cotswolds. Rodmarton Manor is a supreme example of the Arts and Crafts tradition, having been built and furnished entirely by local craftsmen. Drive to Westonbirt Arboretum, a feast for the eyes regardless of season, whether the wildflowers in early summer or the natural fireworks of autumn. There follows afternoon tea and a special visit to the gardens at Highgrove, the country house of the Prince of Wales – not confirmed at the time of publication.

Chipping Campden. Approach Chipping Campden on foot from Dover’s Hill (1 mile), enjoying spectacular views over the escarpment. Possibly the most beautiful of all Cotswold towns, it is a gilded masterpiece of limestone and craftsmanship and home to one of the very finest wool churches in the area. Walk to Hidcote Manor Gardens (4 miles), an Arts and Crafts gem and one of the most inventive and influential gardens of the 20th century.

The Eastleaches, Fairford. Visit the parish churches of Eastleach Turville and Eastleach Martin before a short walk further exploring the area (2 miles). The magnificent Perpendicular St Mary at Fairford is Britain's only parish church with a complete set of mediaeval stained glass windows, and of the highest quality too. In the afternoon, walk in Lodge Park, a Cotswold estate containing a rare 17th-century grandstand surrounded by water meadows.

Painswick. Situated in a hidden six acre Cotswold valley, the flamboyant Rococo garden is the only compete survivor from the brief 18th-century period of English Rococo Garden design. The coach returns to Cheltenham Spa railway station by 4.00pm.