Our days in the Cotswolds had come to an end, and the plan was to drive to Oxford for a few days before our flight back to Florida.

Once our plans to spend three months walking in the Cotswolds of England were finalized, we began our research about where to begin our explorations. In a word, it was marvelous. Here are the results.

It was time to take a slightly more ambitious hike on the Cotswold Way as we had only been rambling about on shorter 4-7 mile walks. So we mapped out a route to Painswick that seemed a perfect destination for a 10+ mile, long day’s walk.

Of course this isn’t the first time we have spent time in a small English village. Last year we developed a love for taking the public footpaths on long walks through the countryside. This alone would have been reason enough to return to England, but add to that the ability for greater social interaction because of a common language, we came back.

Hamlets, Villages, and Towns – what is the distinction between these settlement types. It seems contextually obvious that a hamlet is smaller than a town, but it is all somewhat defined, and they are even more fun to walk through.