The Heart of England Way starts in the wooded hills of Cannock Chase, then crosses lower farmland before entering the Cotswolds. It visits numerous old, attractive towns and villages such as Lichfield with its famous cathedral, Henley-in-Arden with its half timbered buildings and the Cotswold towns of Chipping Campden and Bourton-on-the-Water with their honey coloured stone houses. Ancient churches add interest and Cannock Chase is the site of old army camps. There is accommodation for every night, often in old pubs and hotels full of character. A guidebook is published by the Heart of England Way Association with lots of interesting background information. An up-to-date .gpx file of the route can also be downloaded from their website.
I walked the route in winter, when there was a lot of mud. Summer would be a more enjoyable time to walk the trail, when I would expect beautiful views of the quintessentially English countryside, wild flowers, fields of rich green pasture and wheat ready to be harvested. However the villages and towns are equally attractive and less busy out of season.
The start of my walk down the Heart of England Way is here.
 |
 |
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment