There’s nothing more appealing than a day out in the Cotswolds during the summer holidays. If you’re planning just such an outing, think beyond the handful of famous Cotswold villages that usually draw all the attention, filling up with sightseeing coach parties, amateur photographers, and the heavy footfall of eager souvenir hunters. Get away from the madding crowds and head for the quiet countryside of the Stroud Valleys.
A Walk on the Quiet Side: the Painswick to Edge Circular
A few miles outside of Stroud our delightful village of Edge – and its neighbouring little town of Painswick – offer the quintessential Cotswolds experience: rolling hills, honey-coloured stone and big Severn Vale views, but without the crowds.
The Painswick to Edge circular walk is one of the best ways to explore the area: a gentle four-mile loop through working farmland, quiet beech woodland and open common, finishing with a well-earned pint and a plate of something good at the welcoming “local” Edgemoor Inn.
Getting There
Just to make sure you don’t go round in circles to get to this lovely circular walk, here’s the best way to find it:
Painswick and Edge sit just off the A46, roughly midway between Cheltenham and Stroud, making the walk easy to reach whichever direction you’re coming from.
- From Cheltenham or Gloucester: take the A46 south towards Stroud. Painswick appears after a few miles, with Edge a short drive further on.
- From Stroud and the M5: leave the M5 at Junction 13, follow the A419 towards Stroud, then pick up the A46 north towards Painswick and Edge.
- From Bristol or the South West: the M5 to Junction 13 is the quickest route in, joining the A419/A46 as above.
The Painswick to Edge Circular Route
This is a well-established stretch of the Cotswold Way, and it’s easy to see why walkers return to it again and again. Start at the Rococo Garden car park just above Painswick, giving yourself time before or after the walk to explore the restored eighteenth-century garden, one of the loveliest and least crowded attractions in the area.
From there, follow the road down into Painswick itself. It’s worth pausing here even briefly. The churchyard of St Mary’s, ringed by its famous clipped yews, is one of those places that photographs well but feels even better in person, particularly early in the day before other visitors arrive.
Leaving Painswick, the route turns off the main road and drops down to a stile and footbridge, leaving the village behind for open countryside. This is where the walk earns its keep: rolling fields, grazing sheep, and views that open out across the valley as you climb gently towards Edge Hill Farm. The path is well used but rarely busy, and even in high summer it’s entirely possible to walk the whole route without passing another group.
From Edge Hill Farm, Edge Lane climbs on towards the village of Edge itself, a scattering of seventeenth-century farm buildings and cottages around a village green, with barely a tourist in sight. It’s a proper, lived-in Cotswold village rather than a preserved one, and all the more enjoyable for it. You’ll find yourself firmly planted at the door of the local Inn, where as the proprietors we’ll be waiting to refresh your body and soul.
The walk covers around four miles in total and takes roughly two hours at a comfortable pace, making it an ideal half-day outing that still leaves plenty of the afternoon free.
Why Edge Beats the Crowds
What makes this route particularly appealing in summer isn’t just the walking, it’s what you don’t encounter. There are no coach parks, no roped-off viewing points, and no queues for photographs. The Cotswolds’ popularity is entirely earned, but the villages that get the most attention online are often the ones that feel least like a genuine day in the countryside once you actually arrive. Edge and the surrounding common land offer the same landscape, minus the crowd management.
Bring sturdy shoes with a good grip, particularly if there’s been recent rain, as sections of the path can be muddy underfoot even in summer. A pair of binoculars is worth packing too. This part of Gloucestershire is good walking country for birdlife, and the views from the higher ground stretch out towards the Malvern Hills on a clear day.
Finishing at the Edgemoor Inn
The walk is designed to end exactly where it should: at the door of the Edgemoor Inn, right in the centre of Edge village and directly on the Cotswold Way.
Our Inn sits on the edge of the Painswick Valley, and its terraced patio makes the most of that outlook, a pleasant spot to sit with a local ale as your day trip winds down.
Our kitchen works closely with local farms and producers, so there’s a proper meal waiting rather than a quick sandwich, and with a free car park on site, there’s no need to worry about where you’ve left the vehicle before you settle in.
The Edgemoor Inn has been welcoming travellers for well over two hundred years, and it shows in all the right ways: a genuine, unpretentious warmth rather than anything manufactured for visitors.
The view from the terrace, overlooking the valley below, is reason enough to visit at the end of any day out in the area. The food matches the setting: homemade steak pie, slow-cooked lamb and fresh sea bass sit alongside a well-considered vegetarian and gluten-free selection, all built around local produce. Sundays bring a proper roast dinner with all the trimmings, details of which are on the Sunday Lunches page.
We’ve made sure our Inn is a natural stop whether you’ve spent the day walking, exploring Painswick, or browsing Stroud’s farmers’ market. Tables get busy on Sundays and summer evenings, so it’s worth booking a table in advance to make sure a spot with a view is waiting for you.
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