About Us

Winchcombe Walkers are Welcome is a steering group of volunteers made up of walkers, Cotswold Voluntary Wardens, Ramblers and Town and Borough councillors. We receive no funding and all our efforts creating leaflets, downloadable walks, guide books and the annual Winchcombe Walking Festival are self financing. Winchcombe is part of a nationwide community based initiative network of towns and villages.

Winchcombe was the first town in the Cotswolds to gain Walkers are Welcome status in 2009. We strive to be an attractive destination for walkers with top quality information on local walks. We look to ensure that footpaths and facilities for walkers are maintained, improved and well signposted. In fact we offer some of the best footpaths in the Cotswolds.

Launched in 2007 to encourage towns and villages to be ‘welcoming to walkers’. The network has expanded rapidly and there are now over 110 locations across the UK that have joined this innovative community-led scheme to benefit from Walkers are Welcome accreditation.

Walkers are Welcome members aims are:

to encourage and support towns and villages to be attractive destinations for walkers top quality information on local walks

offer local people and visitors excellent walking opportunities within their areas

ensure that footpaths and facilities for walkers are maintained, improved and well signposted

contribute to local tourism plans and regeneration strategies

promote the health benefits of walking and increase participation

encourage the use of public transport