Cotswolds tour - any local knowledge on here?

[Nosaj]

A few of our club are planning a 4 day tour at Easter. Are there any must do ascents / descents /roads / that you absolutely should ride when visiting the locale as well as must see views? We are staying at Stow on the Wold. Mileage would probably be max 60-65 miles per day so you have a rough radius If poss could you provide road names / general locations. Nothing too onerous just something like take the A1234 over the humpback bridge to little biddlecumb on the hill - that sort of thing we can then factor it into the tour.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
J

 

[ChrisBailey]

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
J

On Crazyguy, one contributor spent a lot of time putting this together, hope it helps.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/SouthernCotswolds

Chris

 

[Linford]

If you are happy to do the mileage in a single day, this route would be a good route which is about 45 miles and a couple of great ascents (Bushcombe lane and Stanway hill), and probably the best descent in the area (lillybrook hill). Plenty of places to stop on the way as well.

Stanway hill isn't too bad, but Bushcombe lane is 1 in 3 in places but you can just skip that bit if a bit knackered at that point, and just ride directly over the top of Cleeve hill which is still a bit of a challenge

 

[robgul]

The two classics are Dovers Hill & Saintbury Hill .. both to NW of Chipping Campden ... grown men have been known to weep whilst walking up Saintbury .... and then there's Larkstoke which is near Ilmington.

Rob

 

[Nosaj]

Many thanks for the feed back, much appreciated.

I have a funny feeling some of our number will hate me for recommending hills!

 

[Linford]

On the route I've suggested in that map, the only real killer hill is Bushcombe lane which can be avoided (they use it in the 'Hell of the North Costwolds' ride), and instead of riding into Southam lane and then in to Woodmancote, instead just carry on straight up the Winchcombe rd which is still a gradient, but a cyclable one.
If you want to avoid going over the top of that one, you could ride down instead aroundthe bottom of it via Bishops Cleeve, Gotherington, (past Prestcott Hill climb),Gretton, and then onto Winchcombe, and you could probalby cut out Stanway hill and go the back roads if you wanted to go out of the back of Winchcombe to flatten it out a bit.

The rest of the route I suggested is just gradients - but then if you wanted none, you would have chosen the Fens, and not the Cotswolds

At the top of Lillybrook Hill, at Severn Springs there is a pub you can stop at (Hungry Horse I think) and there is just opposite in a layby is 'the' seven springs which is purported to be the seat of the Thames.
Lilliybrook Hill itself is the next place on from Andoversford and runs down into Charlton Kings on the edge of Cheltenham, and is a massive long hill which you could easily hit 50mph on if you pushed on down it.

 

[Nosaj]

Cheers Linford will report all that on.

 

[Nozzer]

The two classics are Dovers Hill & Saintbury Hill .. both to NW of Chipping Campden ... grown men have been known to weep whilst walking up Saintbury .... and then there's Larkstoke which is near Ilmington.

Rob

I was weeping on the saintbury decent as i didnt make the hard right!!
Great place to ride though

 

[andrew_s]

A less main road-y option