📷 Photo by Peter Whatley · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
About seven miles from Cheltenham, you'll find Shipton Sollars, a small settlement where two villages sharing the Shipton name merge into one quiet corner of the Cotswolds.
With a population around 365, this is genuinely rural territory, the kind of place where you can experience actual countryside life rather than follow tourist trails.
The River Coln is what gives these villages their particular character. Rather than flowing in a single defined channel, it spreads across the landscape creating multiple fords and shallow crossings that become especially attractive after rain. Some residents have built small ornamental lakes using these water features, adding unexpected visual interest to the local scenery.
If you're into walking, Shipton Sollars sits right along the Gloucestershire Way, a substantial long-distance footpath that threads through the area. This makes it a natural place to stop if you're tackling any serious distance, and it gives you straightforward access to wider Cotswolds countryside without needing to head toward the busier spots.
From Cheltenham, it's an easy afternoon escape into village life. You won't find major attractions here, but the walking is good and uncomplicated. Northleach, the larger town nearby, has the facilities and amenities you might need. Think of Shipton Sollars as part of a broader regional exploration rather than a destination on its own, and you'll get the most from it.
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Photos
P. Whatley · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
P. Whatley · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons