Walk no 4 – 3 July 2026

We walked the ‘Snowshill circuit’ hosted by the National Trust, followed by tea, cakes and discussion led by Cotswold Tourism and the National Trust on the subject of sustainable rural tourism

Hot July brings cooling showers, apricots and gillyflowers – Sara Coleridge

Another walk, another scorching day, we said as we assembled at Snowshill Manor for our fourth walk.  The intense heatwave of late June had gone but another was building, and we were glad of the gentle breeze as we set off to follow the Snowshill circuit, a circular walk promoted by the Trust around the Manor.

After walking through the fields to the west of the Manor, then up the hill to join the tiny lane between Great Brockhampton Farm and Buckland wood, we stopped in the shade to hear from Hayley Gaisford-Gotto, the manager for the Trust in Gloucestershire.  She told us the extraordinary story of Charles Wade, who bought the Manor in 1919 on his return from the First World War, quickly filling it with his eclectic and ever-growing collection of fascinating objects, from Samurai armour to bicycles, prams and furniture to dozens of collections of ephemera that appealed to his quirky sense of humour.  He opened the house to the public and was a generous if peculiar host, scaring his guests by appearing from unusual places in ever more outrageous costumes.  He left the house to the Trust in 1958 and it has provided a fascinating day out to visitors ever since.

Admiring the distant views of Broadway Tower and glimpses of the village of Snowshill, we walked to Buckland Wood then turned west and south, as a spectacular panorama towards the west and the distant River Severn opened up.  Reaching the high point of our walk just above Brockhampton Farm we heard from Bex Waite of the Cotswold National Landscape of their work with the Trust and other landowners to provide and support a joined up vision for the Cotswolds landscape.

Turning downhill, we returned to the village of Snowshill and had the incredible treat (shh, don’t tell) of entering the garden from the village, and the pleasure of walking through it to the tea room where our discussion was to be held.  The Manor with its neat, dolls-house exterior, the exquisite outbuildings and garden with its decorative sundial and quirky ornaments were all looking perfect, though the weather has made it tough for gardeners this year. 

At tea, we heard first from Lynsey Purdey, who leads on sustainability for Cotswold Tourism, on some of the challenges and opportunities she faces.  She is working with local tourism businesses to promote sustainable business practices, transport and active travel, and nature recovery.  Challenges include the pressures of over-tourism, especially in hotspots like Bibury and Bourton on the Water, and her aim is to spread the load and encourage people to use public transport where it exists; the lack of resources to invest in sustainable practices and promote authentic experiences; and the adverse impact on local communities in some places.  Opportunities, though are plenty, and she thought today’s gathering a good example of people getting and working together to find solutions.  She believes it’s possible to grow the local economy sustainably, focusing on local products and supply chains, seeking destinations where sustainability is visibly at the forefront, and to develop new offers and experiences at quieter times of year.  Encouraging visitors to stay overnight and immerse themselves in unique Cotswold experiences will enhance their enjoyment, minimise the risk of damage and bring most benefits to the local community.

Hayley then spoke about what the Trust is doing at Snowshill and other places in Gloucestershire, taking a broad view of sustainability from practical things like LED bulbs, E-car chargers and insulation to long term financial and social sustainability. c60% of Snowshill’s visitors come from less than an hour away, nearly all by car, and the Trust is keen to promote more local, repeat visits which may include people coming by bike and on foot, though the remoteness of many places makes this a challenge.  Visitor numbers have dropped since covid (across the sector) which is forcing a rethink about how to appeal to people to feel more connected with a place. She too would like numbers more spread across the seasons, and the Trust is experimenting with seasonal offers such as the sculpture trail at Hidcote last autumn.  She is also very keen to engage with the local community, both to mitigate adverse impacts (for example we heard from a villager of speeding cars, too many houses not occupied by locals, the lack of public transport and endless disruption from fancy house upgrades) and she stressed the value Snowshill brings to local trades and employment, including giving some young local people their first jobs.

In discussion, support was expressed for the opportunities to work with local businesses and other local tourist destinations like Broadway Tower which can struggle on their own.  We heard that Stroud District Council is focusing on support for local tourism businesses and tried, though could not make, the possibility of a tourist tax work.  Hayley was asked whether the Trust could revive its previous incentives for people who do not arrive by car.   We heard of the wonderful Barn Bus, which brings people from small villages across the Cotswolds to matinee performances at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester; and of the brilliant service offered to people without car transport by Cotswold Friends.  We heard from one of Lynsey’s sustainable tourism champions, a camping business in Chipping Camden; from glorious Kiftsgate whose particular charm appeals as a family-run business; and of the work being done to promote and manage the significant numbers of tourists to Stow on the Wold’s glorious St Edward’s church, with its medieval entrance flanked by two yew trees, said to have inspired Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings.  We heard of initiatives like People Planet Pint and StepZero.eco which aim to build collaboration and communities of people working together to make their businesses more sustainable; and of walking festivals which bring people to small towns with a mission of low impact visits.

However we also heard of the down sides of tourism in a heartfelt plea from Bibury which is snowed under by exactly the kind of tourism none of us want:  large numbers of buses in a village totally unable to accommodate them; illegal parking; tik-tok-encouraged picture-taking, just for the sake of it; and huge inconvenience to local people.  A Code of Conduct for bus drivers is being developed, which is warmly welcomed, and might perhaps extend across the Cotswolds.

We also heard from a couple from Malta who joined us, that Malta – a tiny, pressurised island – has experienced similar problems from over-exploitation by tourists and is now promoting quality, not cheap tourism.  Bodies like Din L’Art Helwa (the National Trust of Malta) play a positive role but the challenges are huge.

 Notwithstanding the many challenges we identified, the mood of our gathering was both positive and inspiring, and the opportunities to work together to promote sustainable tourism, experiences that are authentic to the area and with low impacts on the environment and positive benefits for the local community are genuinely opening up, with the help of Cotswold Tourism and other local tourism bodies (we were also joined by Tewkesbury and Stroud Councils) and inspiring leadership from bodies like the Trust.

We concluded by thanking Hayley, Brad (Operations Manager) and their teams for their wonderful hospitality and delicious cakes, and each other for sharing ideas and experiences that will help those in the Cotswolds to offer a unique and sustainable experience for the people who love to visit.