GPS Cycle and Walking Routes

Blockley Circular Walk

13.05 miles (21 km)

This walk explores the Cotswolds countryside to the south of the pretty village of Blockley. It uses the North Cotswold Diamond Way and Heart of England Way long distance trails to create a circular walk from the village. On the way you'll visit two of the highlights of the area at Batsford Arboretum and Sezincote House. There's also some nice woodland trails and a visit to the villages of Condicote and Bourton on the Hill.
Start the walk from Blockley village which has an interesting late Norman Church built in about 1180. In the village you can pick up the waymarked Diamond Way and follow the footpath south west to Far Upton Wold Farm. You continue south from here to the village of Condicote where you turn east toward Donnington.
The route then turns north to Longborough where you follow the Heart of England Way a short distance to Sezincote. Here you'll find a Mogul Indian palace surrounded by beautiful gardens which include a curving orangery, spring-fed pools, canals and a large lake.
From the house you continue north to Bourton-on-the-Hill and Batsford Aboretum. Here you'll find 56 acres to explore on a series of good footpaths with woodland consisting of Japanese maples, magnolias and pines.
The final section follows the Monarch's Way north west, back into Blockley.

Blockley OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Blockley Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Walks near Blockley

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The Donnington Way - Cotswolds Pub Walk passes through the village. The long circular walk visits 15 fine old Donnington Brewery pubs in the Cotswolds.

Photos

St Peter and St Paul, Blockley

The church of St Peter and St Paul in Blockley, Gloucestershire. This church, parts of which date back to the 12th century, is a Grade II* Listed Building in England.

Waterside, Blockley-geograph-3762301

Waterside, Blockley. This property alongside Blockley Brook is called Waterside. Although I can't find any reference to it being a former water mill the blocked up opening in the wall on the left could well have housed a bearing for a wheel.

Greystones, Blockley-geograph-1939832-by-Michael-Dibb

Greystones, Blockley

Batsford-Arboretum-bridge

Japanese bridge at Batsford Arboretum

Batsford Arboretum lily pond-7267380244

Batsford Arboretum lily pond

Sezincote House (geograph 5866723)

Sezincote House

The grounds of Sezincote (geograph 4492572)

The grounds of Sezincote

Bourton House, Bourton-on-the-Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1690674

Bourton House, Bourton-on-the-Hill. This house dates back to 1570. The beautiful gardens are occasionally open to the public. This was taken on the National Garden Scheme open day in August 2009.

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Blockley.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Blockley.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)