Macmillan Way

The Macmillan Way in the Cotswolds

The Macmillan Way is a long-distance walking route that runs from Boston in Lincolnshire to Abbotsbury in Dorset, over a total length of 290 miles. It is promoted to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Relief, a charity.

It is a fully waymarked route, following existing footpaths, bridleways and byways, and small stretches of minor roads when these are unavoidable. It runs across open fen country for its first thirty miles and for the rest of its journey it follows the course of the oolitic limestone belt.

Route

Trailheads:

• Boston (Lincolnshire): 52°58’29"N, 0°1’17"W
• Abbotsbury (Dorset): 50°39’59"N, 2°36’2"W

The Macmillan Way starts from Boston and then runs across the Fens to their western edge at Kate's Bridge near Bourne before joining the limestone belt.

From Boston it heads to Stamford in Lincolnshire and into Rutland, following along the shore of Rutland Water to Oakham. It then leads south and west by way of Warmington into the Cotswolds to Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire.

The route continues through the Cotswolds by way of Cirencester and Tetbury to Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, then enters Somerset and runs on into Dorset passing through Castle Cary and Sherborne to Abbotsbury on the coast.

Linking paths

The route links with:

• The Viking Way at Oakham;
• The Thames Path National Trail near Thames Head;
• The South West Coast Path at the finish.

The Macmillan Ways are a network of long-distance footpaths, many linking to the original Macmillan Way or providing links from it to other established walking routes.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Macmillan Way)

• The Macmillan Way