Paper maps

A paper map still earns its place on the Cotswold Way. Phones lose signal on the escarpment, screens wash out in rain, and batteries die on long summer days. A printed sheet - or a map booklet you can fold one-handed - shows the wider landscape: footpaths beyond the acorn markers, lanes down to villages, and sensible escape routes if you need to cut a stage short.

Many walkers cover the route with OSExplorer sheets at 1:25 000, buying the Explorer maps that match their planned stages. Dedicated Cotswold Way maps listed below cover the full National Trail in one product - a waterproof Harvey sheet at 1:40 000, an A-Z Adventure Atlas at 1:25 000, or Zigzag concertina strips at 1:16 000 for finer detail along the path itself. Choose the scale you can read comfortably in wind and gloves.

Maps work best alongside a guidebook for stage notes and village facilities, and a phone app for live GPS. Once your daily distances are set, see Stages for the official sections. The dedicated maps below are sold by The Trails Shop, the official National Trails retailer.