Stage 1

An opener of about 3 hours from Chipping Campden to Broadway through fields and beech woods on the escarpment edge. You leave the high street and are in open country quickly, with views back over the Vale of Evesham as you find your rhythm on the National Trail.

Broadway is a proper Cotswolds village halfway through the day - cafes, pubs, and shops if you need to stock up. I'd suggest booking ahead in peak season; it's a popular stop on the first leg south.