This is one of the truly great Cotswold walks - down the valley of the Coln from Bibury to the picturesque but less well known villages of Coln St Aldwyns and Quenington.

There are two ways to pick up the bridleway downstream from Bibury. Firstly, you can get there via the cricket ground following footpaths that run from the main road in Arlington (you can hop onto one that runs right next to The Catherine Wheel pub). Secondly, you can walk through the village in the Burford direction turning right towards Coln St Aldwyns and then right again to walk around the front of Bibury Court. Both are lovely walks. The huge ancient beeches you walk through in the cricket club field are spectacular. But then Bibury Court (a Jacobean mansion), its mill and the outbuildings behind Court Farm are worth a look too.

In any event, making a start from the lovely Catherine Wheel isn’t a bad idea!

Anyhow, once you’re on the bridleway you will see the Coln Valley opening out in front of you. I won’t describe the route precisely from here as you just need to follow the signs, making sure to keep heading downriver. You will find yourself wandering through a delightful landscape of mixed woodland and riverside meadows. After a couple of miles or so you join the road that runs down the valley at a lodge that sits between the villages of Coln St Aldwyns and Quenington. From here you can either head back towards the former or carry on a short way to the latter. Happily, in both you will find excellent pubs.

Coln St Aldwyns’ New Inn (a 16th-century coaching inn, so new in the same way that New College, Oxford is new) is a handsome and atmospheric building that specialises in burgers. The Keepers Arms at Quenington is a good-looking proper pub with a great menu. I can recommend both.

Once you’ve refreshed yourself you can either head back to Bibury the way you came or pick up one of the footpaths that runs parallel but a bit further back from the river. There’s also the quicker and easier route back on the road from Coln St Aldwyns to Bibury - this is the old Welsh Way (more on this and other ancient ways around Bibury here). If you’re ambitious for a longer yomp back you can head towards Ready Token and pick up the footpath that runs over the downs back to the Arlington end of Bibury (i.e. the side that’s closer to Cirencester). This actually brings you pretty close to The Catherine Wheel pub where you can round the day off with some restorative eating and drinking!

Of all the walks that you can take from Bibury (and there are loads) this is probably my favourite: you meander past some lovely spots on the river. Only one thing to look out for really - it can get muddy so wear wellies if it’s wet.