May mornings and the trout farm walk

The walk leaves from the bridge by the trout farm. About four miles, flat, and back in time for lunch. If a guest asks me for one walk to do in May, this is the one I describe, because it gives you the river, the meadows and the village all in a single easy loop, and at this time of year it is at its absolute best.

Start early. May mornings here are the reward for the whole long winter. The light comes up clear and warm, the dew is still on the meadow grass, and the Coln runs bright and full alongside you. Set off by eight or nine and you will have the riverside path largely to yourself, well ahead of the day that arrives later.

The route

From the footbridge by the trout farm, follow the river along the bottom of the valley with the water on your side and the meadows opening out to your left. The path is flat and well-trodden, nothing technical, the sort of walk you can do in trainers if the ground is dry. In May the meadows are coming into their own, the cow parsley high along the margins and the buttercups starting, and there is birdsong the whole way.

Carry on along the valley and you can make a loop of it, picking up the lane back towards the village so you are not retracing your steps. Four miles is a comfortable morning at a wandering pace, with plenty of stopping to watch the water. There is no climbing to speak of, which makes it a good one for anyone who wants the scenery without the effort.

One honest note. Even in May, after a wet spell the lower meadow path holds the damp and can be soft underfoot, so if there has been rain in the days before, boots are wiser than trainers. On a dry May morning, though, the ground is firm and the walk is a pleasure from start to finish.

This is also one of the best walks of the year for wildlife if you go quietly and early. The river is full of trout you can watch hanging in the clear water, there are usually ducklings on the Coln by now, and the hedges are loud with birds getting on with the season. I have seen a heron more than once on the early stretch, standing so still you walk past before you notice it. Take your time. The walk is short enough that you can afford to stop often.

What to take, and what to do after

Not much. A bottle of water, a light layer for the early chill that lifts by mid-morning, and something to sit on if you fancy a pause by the water. The whole point of this walk is that it asks little of you and gives a great deal back.

Time it to be back for lunch and you have done the day exactly right. The Swan is there by the river if you want a proper sit-down meal, worth booking ahead at weekends as May fills up. Or carry a few things out and have an early picnic on the meadow grass before the village wakes up properly. There is a particular satisfaction in being sat by the water with coffee and something to eat at the hour most people are only just arriving.

If four miles feels like more than you want, the walk shortens easily. Turn back at any point along the river and you simply have an out-and-back of whatever length suits you, with the same views in reverse. And if you have energy to spare, the lanes above the valley give you longer loops and wider views over the fields, drier underfoot than the meadow and quieter still. The trout farm bridge is the constant. Start there, and the walk is as long or as short as the morning asks for.

Of all the months to be in Bibury, May is the one I would pick. The valley is green and full, the mornings are long and bright, and a flat four-mile loop along the Coln is about as good a start to a day as I know. Out early, back for lunch, the rest of the day yours.