As the “walking capital of the Cotswolds”, Winchcombe is a popular destination for both casual strolls and those who like a slightly more challenging trek.

And from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th May people from all over the country and even further afield will flock to the town for the Winchcombe Walking Festival.

“This year will be our tenth annual Walking Festival,” explained Sheila Talbot, the Chair of Winchcombe Walkers are Welcome group.

“There’s a lot of different walks, ranging from three to 21 miles. We have new events every year, and most walks have a theme.”

Just some of the events available include walks up Nottingham Hill and Cleeve Hill, as well as the chance to explore Winchcombe town and Sudeley Castle.

Alongside the more leisurely events there’s also things for more hardened walkers like Sheila.

She continued: “The Winchcombe Way is a 42-mile figure-of-eight path and we created the Winchcombe Way Challenge several years ago.

“It’s a self-guided walk of one of the loops – 21 miles. It’s always a popular one.”

Sheila started the Winchcombe Walkers are Welcome in 2009 to promote the town as a walking centre, provide better walking information and improve facilities for walkers, after moving to the area herself 25 years ago.

So what does she think makes Winchcombe such a desirable place for walkers like herself?

“It’s a medieval town which used to have an Abbey that attracted pilgrims with a lot of footpaths, it’s perfect really,” she said, “It used to be a place that people would pilgrimage to.

“The Walking Festival brings in a lot of visitors from places like Yorkshire, Devon and even abroad. It’s good for raising the town’s profile and for local businesses especially.”

The events at the Walking Festival do require booking and there is a small cost for each event.

Proceeds from the festival added to money raised from the sales of guide books has recently seen the group buy and donate a defibrillator to Cotswold Voluntary Wardens, who look after the footpaths in the area.

Sheila said “We simply couldn’t have achieved so much without the help of the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens. Work parties in North District go out several times a week looking after the footpaths and walk leaders help out at our annual walking festival”.

“As a group we felt we would like to give something back to the Wardens and a defibrillator seemed like a good idea.

“We hope it will never be needed, but the Wardens work outdoors in remote places and it would take a long time for medical help to reach them in an emergency. Having the defib with them in the truck could make the difference between life and death.

“Other projects we have funded in the past are new kissing gates and materials for an all-terrain mobility scooter trail.”

For more information on all of the Winchcombe Walking Festival events visit www.winchcombewelcomeswalkers.com/walking_festival/