A hilly Breeze around the Cotswolds

There are two startpoint options for this ride. 10am at Chipping Norton Town Hall,(36 miles) or 10:30 at Kingham.(24 miles) We head out of Chippy on the Churchill Road turning right down the hill to Cornwell. Down the dip and up the other side past the Cornwell Estate, then left past Kingham Hill School to Kingham, for the 10:30 pick up. Round the village and on to Bruern and Milton under Wychwood. Climbing up out of Upper Milton we cross the main road and plunge down to the quant little village of Taynton. Up the hill again to Great Barrington, noting the beautifully presented estate housing, then down again into the Windrush valley. From here we turn right, following the valley to Sherborne where we hope to stop at the village shop for refreshment.

Starting our way back we have a few steep hills to encounter. First out of the valley and then down again to Bourton on the Water. Take care here to dodge the unfeasibly large numbers of tourists, mostly very un-traffic aware! Now for our steepest hill, out of Bourton on the Water through Little Rissington up to the ridge. No shame in walking this one.

From here the route is mostly down hill, and glorious! We ride down through Icomb, and on down to Bledington and back through Kingham where the short route ends, then a gentle uphill back to Chipping Norton for the full route.

Welcome to The Cotswolds! This is a beautiful route from Chipping Norton trough Cotswold villages to Sherbourne and back.

Once we are out of Chipping Norton the route is mostly along country lanes with very light traffic. I am afraid there will be potholes!

If the weather is good we will stop at the Sherborne village shop for coffee and cake. They only have outdoor seating, so if the weather makes that an unattractive option we will take in an extra hill out of Windrush up to the Cotswold Outpost.

Be sure to bring a roadworthy bike, a helmet and a spare inner tube, plus a drink and funds for refreshment. We often stop to take pictures on our rides, which we may share on social media. If you would prefer us to not to photograph you, do have a quiet word at the beginning of the ride.

This is a long and hilly ride. We welcome first timers with plenty of cycling experience. If you would like to join Chippy Breeze for an easier ride please do message me and I will arrange something to suit you. I can even take you out on your own or in a very small group if that would be better to get you going.