A moderate route in Cotswolds. Check the GPS track on Outdooractive for full details of the route, waypoints, and terrain.
Starting Point: Very limited side of road parking by barn, Dorn village/hamlet (SP 203 340)
Terrain: Diamond Way good path, path splits (right path), under railway track, village roads, road bearing left over railway line, uphill, quiet road, across fields (can be muddy - road alternative available), roads through Draycott, footpath through farms, crossing road, path to Blockley, fork left, road down into Blockley, Monarch's Way uphill through fields, climbing steadily, road crossing, dropping downhill (boggy after wet weather), roads through Moreton-in-Marsh, Diamond Way back
This is a pleasant circular Cotswolds walk combining the Diamond Way and Monarch's Way long-distance paths through picturesque villages. Starting from very limited parking by a barn in Dorn, the Diamond Way's good path leads to Rook Hill Covert where taking the right fork keeps you on the route under the railway and into Aston Magna village. The road bears left back over the railway and climbs before the Diamond Way turns right at SP 196 357 - but you carry straight on the quiet road to SP 188 356 where fields offer a more interesting but potentially muddy alternative to continuing on the road. The fields lead to Draycott village before paths wind through Draycott Hone Farm and Northwick Mill Farm towards Blockley, forking left to descend into the village where a plaque remembers the tragic 1924 Bus Accident that killed four women and three children. Continuing down towards the church presents a navigation challenge - we got sucked in and had to wind through back streets, so it's better to stick to the main road where the Monarch's Way begins. The Monarch's Way climbs steadily through fields before crossing the road and dropping downhill past Batsford Arboretum where ground gets boggy after wet weather as height is lost. The path descends through houses to Moreton-in-Marsh's main street where the Diamond Way returns you via a left-right sequence back to the start. A rewarding Cotswolds circuit combining two historic long-distance trails with charming villages and historical interest.