Chipping Campden – A Walk From Moreton-In-Marsh
8 Mile Walk From Moreton-in-Marsh To Chipping Campden
The Best Way To Get To The Start Of The Cotswold Way
Are you looking for a way to get to the start of the Cotswold Way in Chipping Campden? Let me guess, you’ve discovered the nearest railway station is Moreton-in-Marsh and the buses aren’t too frequent between the two! That was the situation I found myself in when I hiked the national trail in 2021, so what’s any hiker worth their salt to do? Walk!
And this walk right from the station in Moreton-in-Marsh to Chipping Campden town centre is the perfect route.
Want To Head Straight To How To Plan Your Walk?
You can download my free gpx file at the bottom of the page, where you’ll find all the other info you’ll need for this walk too.

Chipping Campden market hall, where this walk ends and the Cotswold Way begins.
This 8 easy mile walk is a lovely introduction to the Cotswolds and more than worth the extra distance added to the national trail
Across Buzzing Meadows From Moreton-In-Marsh To Blockley

Beautiful meadows as you leave Moreton-in-Marsh
The route I took followed sections of the Monarch’s Way and the Heart of England Way through beautiful countryside and the sleepy, pretty village of Blockley. I walked on a hot July day when the field paths were studded with poppies and wildflowers and the grassy meadows were buzzing. But it was the butterflies that amazed me – I just couldn’t believe how many there were, literally clouds of them in places. They filled me with joy (a child at Christmas kind of joy) and made it one of the most memorable starts to a walk I’ve had in a long time.

Poppies brighten field edges

Butterflies everywhere (small skipper on field scabious)

Wildflowers line the edges of footpaths
Blockley Village
Once you get to Blockley you’re about halfway or so through the walk. If you’ve got time to spare there’s a pub and a cafe right in the village centre where you can sit and watch the world go by. Unfortunately for me, my train into Moreton-in-Marsh arrived 2.5 hours late so I didn’t have much time for anything more than a mooch around the pretty churchyard. Although I did, of course, make time for a gawp through the very fine windows of some very fine houses, to see how the other half live. Which was very nicely thank you very much!

A beautiful Cotswold stone house in Blockley

The Church at Blockley, midway on the walk

Roses even grow around church windows in the Cotswolds!

The main street in Blockley
The Last Leg To Chipping Campden
I followed the Heart of England Way out of Blockley through the hamlet of Broad Campden and into Chipping Campden, although the Monarch’s Way is also very close and meets the Heart Of England Way back at Broad Campden. The Monarch’s Way alternative might be worth a try if you fancy an easy downhill walk on a made-up track, but I preferred the look of the Heart of England Way through trees and small fields and wasn’t disappointed.
This leg of the walk takes in a few more miles of lovely countryside, farm, and parkland before passing down beside tennis courts into the town centre.

The 400 hundred-year-old Market Hall in Chipping Campden is owned by the National Trust
I can’t think of a better way to start the Cotswold Way than this lovely walk. In fact,
I met another hiker on the Cotswold Way who’d walked in from Moreton-in-Marsh to Chipping Campden, and we both agreed it would make a fine official start to the national trail!
Plan Your Walk From Moreton-In-Marsh To Chipping Campden
Distance And Difficulty
8 miles on easy, generally level terrain.
The walk is mostly on well-maintained way-marked footpaths and some tarmac through towns and villages.

Lots of trails converge in Chipping Campden
Maps and GPX File
OS 1:25,000 Map of the Cotswolds
Moreton-in-Marsh to Chipping Campden: Free GPX File
Public Transport
Rail to Moreton-in-Marsh – service operated by GWR.
Bus there are 3 buses a day between Moreton-in-Marsh and Chipping Campden operated by Johnsons Coaches
(Find out how to find the nearest railway stations to any trail and get the cheapest tickets with ‘split-ticketing’)
Parking
There is parking in both Moreton-in-Marsh (inc the station) and Chipping Campden. Try Parkopedia for details.
Amenities
Moreton-in-Marsh
Cafes, pubs, etc, and a large Co-op
Blockley
Cafe and pub
Chipping Campden
Plenty of cafes, pubs, restaurants, and a convenience store
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Thanks for reading. I hope you have a great walk!
Happy Hiking
Stephie x
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Have you seen my ultimate guide to the Cotswold Way? It’s full of all the planning details from wild camping to how much it all cost – everything you need to know before you go!