The best walks and hikes around Gloucester

Ascending Gloucester’s own hill

In the south east of the city sits Robins Wood Hill and its country park. This is one of the best places to include in your walks in Gloucester as it’s a stone’s throw from sights like the cathedral yet provides fantastic views over the city. The hill is criss-crossed with walking trails through its meadows and woodlands, and the summit, at 650 feet (198 m), offers a 360-degree panorama. You’ll find a cafe and a visitor hub here too, and plenty of trails leading you east, to longer adventures. 

Walking through history

A great way to embark on hikes in Gloucester is to begin in its ancient heart, either at its cathedral or alongside its beautiful docks. Both Tudor and medieval timbered houses reside in the oldest part of the city and it’s worth seeking out New Inn on Northgate Street, which is one of the most exquisite galleried buildings with a courtyard in the country. 

The Victorian port is a pretty part of the city with its huge former warehouses and moored boats. There are several museums here and the East Channel of the Severn passes close by, allowing you to walk further afield without ever leaving a waterway. 

From the hills to the valley

Some of the best hikes in Gloucester lead you into its glorious surroundings. All of its waterways to the west offer traffic-free footpaths or bridleways, including the River Severn, the East Channel and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. You can hike south from the docks along the canal, cross west to the Severn and follow it back north on either side of its curving banks. There are numerous old villages in the valley all linked by footpaths, allowing you to enjoy morning hikes, day walks or long-distance adventures with ease. 

To the east, innumerable footpaths give you options to head into the Cotswolds, right from Gloucester itself. Head to the wooded Kites’ and Cooper’s Hills, find the hillfort at Painswick Beacon or explore the nature reserve at Buckholt Wood. For a little more Roman history, you can hike to Great Witcombe Roman Villa to see the foundations embedded into the earth like a perfect architect’s blueprint at 2,000 years old.