Stow → The Slaughters Walk (easy countryside loop)
A classic village-to-village walk linking Stow with the Slaughters — best in dry weather with decent shoes.
Opening hours
Open access year-round; daylight recommended. Paths can be muddy after rain, so check weather and local conditions before setting out.
Location: Start: Stow-on-the-Wold (various routes).
A little more time
Why we like it
The countryside between Stow-on-the-Wold and the Slaughters is exactly the sort of landscape that is easy to miss if you spend the whole trip driving from one famous village to the next. A walk here gives you field paths, stone walls, quieter lanes and the River Eye, with Lower and Upper Slaughter providing natural points to pause.
There are several ways to stitch the paths together, so we treat this as a route idea rather than a turn-by-turn walk. The Wardens’ Way and neighbouring long-distance paths provide useful sections, and the exact distance can be adjusted depending on where you start and whether you return on foot or arrange transport.
What to expect
Wear proper shoes. Even straightforward Cotswold field paths can become muddy after rain, and there are gates, uneven ground and stretches with little shelter. In good weather, though, this is a much calmer way to experience the villages than arriving only by car.
Make a day of it
Start with coffee or breakfast in Stow, walk towards the Slaughters, stop by the river in Lower Slaughter and give yourself time to wander Upper Slaughter as well. If you want a longer route, the Wardens’ and Windrush Ways continue through the wider landscape towards Bourton and Winchcombe.