Improving access and recreational opportunities

Tourism is the largest single employer for Cotswolds and Gloucestershire.

Every year, many visitors come to explore this area of national beauty - by foot, wheels or on horseback.

We've spent a long time working with the Cotswolds National Landscape Board, getting to understand the area. We've designed our A417 missing link scheme to fit into this unique landscape.

Making the most of the old A417

We'll repurpose sections of the old A417 to form new walking, cycling and horse riding connections:

• between Cold Slad and Dog Lane
• between Air Baloon Roundabout and Golden Heart Inn - the 'Air Ballon Way'

New crossings

We'll build a new Gloucestershire Way Bridge for people and wildlife.

We're also creating a new Cotswold Way crossing for walkers, cyclists and horseriders, as well as new crossings at:

• Shab Hill underpass
• Cowley Lane overbridge

New parking areas with disabled and horsebox spaces will improve accessibility for visitors.

New public rights of way will provide new opportunities for people to explore.

The Gloucestershire Way Bridge

In June 2025, we started lifting the 10 huge steel beams that will form the base of the Gloucestershire Way Bridge.

When finished, the bridge will be a multi-purpose crossing over the new A417 for:

• walkers
• cyclists
• horse riders
• wildlife including deer, badgers, insects and birds.

The bridge will span eight lanes of the new dual carriageway. We'll plant it to mirror the surrounding landscape, including 27 metres of grassland and hedgerows.

Pioneered in France in the 50s and refined in the Netherlands in the 90s, green bridges:

• create safe crossings for wildlife
• join up habitats, connect colonies and give a home to wildlife
• form crossing points for pollinators
• help roads into surrounding landscape

There are only a handful of green bridges across England. This is the fifth green bridge we've built across our road network. The others are on:

• A556 near Knutsford
• A21 at Scotney Castle, Sussex
• A30, Cornwall
• Cockrow in Surrey (part of the M25 Wisley interchange scheme)

Improving access to the countryside

We're investing over £1.2million in two key projects to help people reach and enjoy the countryside around them

The National Trust is managing these projects on our behalf:

Public rights of way

We're making it easier for locals and visitors to reach six Public Rights of Way linking into the Cotswold Way National Trail. This includes access at Coaley Peak and Standish Woods.

Crickley Hill Ramparts

We'll help fund the restoration of Iron-Age ramparts at Crickley Hill, a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

We're also using our Environment and Wellbeing funding to:

• conserve and improve drystone walling across several sites in the Cotswolds including Newark Park
• restore the Boundary Court barn, a spot offering wide-ranging views across the countryside

Our aim is to give people greater access to natural green space around them and to encourage active travel in the area.

Jonny Loose, General Manager for the Cotswolds National Trust, said:

“These access and conservation projects create a fantastic opportunity for us to welcome more people to the Cotswolds and for them to immerse themselves in this iconic landscape.

“We’re working our way through the improvements to the Rights of Way network to ensure more people can get out and enjoy these areas and we look forward to sharing more about these projects as they progress.”