Bibury to Coln St Aldwyns (Circular)

Need to Know

6.6k / 4.1 miles
PARKING: Free street parking in the village or at the Bibury Trout Farm. It can sometimes be hard to get a space, as this is an extremely popular destination, but if you come here early, you should get a space. We always seem to get one!

FACILITIES. There are public toilets on ‘ The Street’ ( this is the actual name of the road that runs through the village centre!) opposite Arlington Row. These toilets do charge a small fee, 40p, but they do accept card.
EAT / DRINK There are a few options for this small village. Try the Twig Cafe, Swan Hotel, Catherine Wheel Pub, or The Trout Farm Cafe. A new cafe, Eleven, just past Arlington Row, has beautiful hot chocolates 🍫
TYPE OF WALK: A circular walk, over fields, and woodland with some rocky/uneven paths and one or two moderate inclines/ declines.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? 2- 3 hours with kids, longer adding in stops for food, rest and playtime!
ACCESSIBILITY. Stiles, gates and rocky paths. It’s not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs
BEST FOR: Established Walkers, not suitable for pushchairs.

HIGHLIGHTS: A lovely walk through Bibury Village taking in the famous Arlington Row, then through lush meadows, woodlands and views of the rolling hills surrounding Bibury.

Step by step

1.

Park next to the River on ” The Street”. You will see the lovely Arlington Row on your left. Take a detour to explore this area or press on, walking along the pavement until the road forks.

The main road curves to the left. Ignore this and instead head straight on along a small side road past the village church of St Mary’s. Carry along past the entrance to the church which is on your right.

Continue up the road, past some cottages and through a gap in the wall. There is a junction just ahead of you, head uphill to your right, past Primrose Cottage. Continue along the main road on the pavement for a few moments, then turn right signposted Coln St Alwyn.

2.

Walk a few minutes past some cottages on your right. You will reach a field in front of you and road. Turn left down the road, follow this road, which will lead you to the bridleway.

Follow the road down, over the stone bridge You might get a glimpse of Bibury Court through the hedge on your right. Head up through some farm yard buildings, through a gate and then down hill past a stone wall and a row of trees on your right.

The track then leads you uphill. At the top take the left hand path (signposted bridleway).

3.

Keep following the path straight ahead, it will eventually take you downhill and to a stile over a small bridge across a stream. You come out into an open field with a path to the left, right, or straight uphill. Take the path left, which follows the river through feilds until you reach the outskirts of the village of Coln St Aldwyns. You will know you are near the village as you will pass a cottage and have to go through a gate towards the road.

Here you can either follow the road left, uphill to the village of Coln St Aldwyns, or continue the circular walk through the fields back to Bibury. We often head straight back to Bibury if the children are feeling tired as the Coln St Aldwyns part adds an extra 40- 60 mins walking. If you head up to the Coln St Aldwyns, after exploring, you can retrace your steps back to this point to complete the walk.

4.

So at this point you should be at the cottage before the road to Coln St Aldwyns ( or returning to this point if you chose to head up in to the village).

Follow the well trodden grassy path up the hill, then over several feilds, following the way markers until ypu reach the main road.

Here you will have to go through a gate, and follow the road on the righthand side for a hundred yards or so, past a wide dirt track to the right, and a cottage, until you see a public footpath marker pointing right.

5.

Follow the public footpath downhill with a hedge to your left and feilds to your right. When the path opens up, there is the option to turn right along a wide grassy path. Take this path and follow ot to the end where you will go through two gates, and emerge into the edge of Bibury village.

6.

Continue downhill and you will enter the village. If you bear right you will come out on to Arlington Row. Alternatively, if you head left you emerge on the street next to the Twig Cafe just uphill from the Bibury Trout Farm and the village centre is a 2 minute walk down the hill.