A closer look
Hiking is typically associated with rugged wilderness and physical suffering, but the Cotswolds subverts this by forcing you to walk off a massive carbohydrate intake. Strolling between the storybook villages of Gloucestershire means traversing gently rolling hills, sheep-filled pastures, and honey-colored stone bridges that look aggressively picturesque. The true physical challenge is not the elevation gain, but surviving the relentless gauntlet of mandatory tea rooms, where refusing a clotted cream scone is treated as a severe cultural offense.
