Walks in the Cotswolds     Circular cycle routes

This free Ordnance Survey map of the Cotswolds can be displayed full-screen. Zoom in to view footpaths (……) for walkers, bridleways (— — —) for off-road cycling and horse riding as well as walking, and other rights of way.

The Cotswolds AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) is the green area on the map between Chipping Campden in the north and, in the south-west, Tetbury, Malmsbury and Bath. See below for more info on the Cotswolds AONB and the best maps and navigation aids for the area.

= Full screen view    Map Key

The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

It is the the largest of 46 AONBs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the second largest protected landscape in England after the Lake District National Park in Cumbria. Full of rolling hills and striking views across valleys, it has been described as the most scenic landscape in England. The natural beauty is complemented by picturesque and well-preserved country towns and villages of honey-coloured stone. A few of them, cursed with enough flat land for a coach park, can be crowded, but finding great walks and rides away from all that is surprisingly easy – with a good map.

For walking and cycling anywhere in England’s countryside, Ordnance Survey maps are the most reliable; either single-area paper maps or, for a small annual fee, a subscription to OS web maps covering the whole country. Add the free OS phone app and you have a sat nav system that works off-road, enabling you to explore the lesser-known parts of this beautiful preserved landscape easily and without getting lost.

The free Ordnance Survey map on this page, when zoomed in, is the same 1:50000 scale as the OS Landranger paper maps. For even more detailed mapping, get OS Explorer maps at 1:25000 scale. Or the  annual subscription, which gives full access to both scales.