Monday 14th March 2011 Miserden & Caudle Green, Gloucs

This was the same 3.5 mile (1 hour and 30 minutes) that I did on Saturday 12th, but this time with Lynda! We drove to Miserden and parked near the Carpenters Arms before setting off on a beautiful sunny, sharp morning. 


The route was exactly the same as for Saturday, so for details & map - look there!


We did, however, stop for a pint and some lunch at the Carpenters Arms on our return. We sat outside in the sun. Excellent!

Saturday 12th March 2011 Miserden & Caudle Green, Gloucs

Miserden Manor

This was a solo 3.5 mile jaunt (1hour 20 minutes), starting in Miserden at the same place as on the 8th March i.e. next to the Carpenters Arms. I left the car at 11:00 and quickly left the village going towards the walled Miserden Estate by a now familiar path. I skirted the boundary wall and entered the estate via the gate and started downhill on the old sunken cart track, stopping to take (another) photo of the Jacobean manor house and the lake & hills beyond. I kept on towards the lake and followed it until I met a stream along side the track which guided me towards Caudle Green by way of a track which included a ford and a short climb to join the road into the village.

Caudle Green

I passed a number of typical Cotswold houses and climbed a final short hill to join the main village square before again cutting through fields and into the woods once more. The woods at Warren Hill were next as I descended again towards the floor of the valley with the stream and its familiar ford coming into view once again. After the ford, I turned to the right and crossed open meadow before joining a tarmac track which climbed up towards Miserden Manor and beyond to Miserden village. This was a steady climb and offered great views of the hills behind me. I soon reached the village, found the car again and headed back to Leckhampton - another good short walk to share with visitors!

Miserden Lake & Beyond

An OS view of the walk is below, courtesy of QUO digital mapping/OS:

Thursday 10th March 2011 Brimpsfield, Gloucs

Mike & Brian

This was a short 4 mile walk completed with Mike and Brian who both know this track well. We drove from Leckhampton, via Birdlip in Brian's posh Jag and parked a Brimpsfield Village Hall car park. We left the car park and quickly went over farmland, joining the road for a short while before taking a track to the right which entered woodland at The Rookery, taking care to avoid the drives of a few sensitive souls who don't like walkers near their houses! 


We followed the stream, noting the clearance of trees that seems to be the case in all areas I have walked recently. To quote Robin - "you always see the neat piles of cut wood, but you never see 'em cutting it". It has been the same everywhere - piles of neatly cut wood as the estate workers thin out the woodlands to allow trees to thrive. And of course, more snowdrops!

We walked through Poston Wood which is part of the Brimpsfield Estate, following the clear track at the bottom of the valley into Ostrich Wood, past Manor Farm at Syde on our left and almost into Caudle Green. We skirted Caudle Green and began the walk back, by means of the track in the clearing between the woods of Eddington Wood - with a stream on our left. We entered a short stretch of woodland before climbing the only real incline on this walk as we reached the outskirts of Brimpsfield village. We passed several typical Cotswold gaffs, the drive to Brimpsfield Park and came to a field in the centre of the village boasting Gloucester Old Spot pigs and a lonely Shetland pony. We soon reached the car park as the weather worsened, reaching the Jag just before the rain... The offer of drink at the Golden Heart was declined and we made our way back to Leckhampton via the A417, Nettleton Bottom, Air Balloon etc.


The Golden Heart Inn, Nettleton Bottom


An OS view of the walk is below, courtesy of QUO digital mapping/OS:

Wednesday 9th March 2011 Naunton, Gloucs

This was a walk of just over a 6 miles which takes you around the village of Naunton in the Cotswolds. I did the walk with Mike - he knows the area really well and loves the whole Naunton, Turkdean, Guiting, Slaughters area.


We drove to Naunton and parked near the famous Dovecote which we passed on the way uphill towards the golf course which we skirted before heading along a track towards Aylworth and beyond, courtesy of the Windrush way which starts in Winchcombe and ends 13 miles later in Bourton on the Water (next week maybe?). From the heights, we could clearly see the Nigel Twiston-Davies horse training facilities on the hill opposite and a string of racehorses were being put through their paces. Along the track, we met walkers doing the Windrush coming from Winchcombe - claiming they were trying to do it there & back in a day but I have my doubts! Mike and I stopped for coffee as they stomped on towards Bourton - fanatics! 

Dovecote

We continued along the track, through woodland and more snowdrops and parted from the WW at the edge of the woods and crossed into a lush paddock where we were a little concerned as to how to reach Naunton without following the main road. After admiring yet more snowdrops and consulting a local lady, we retraced our steps and took a track nearby which she promised would do the trick! We followed the track with thick bushes and a stream on the left and gradually we could see the spire of Guiting Power church. We continued and turned sharp right when we say the signpost for another promising track which lead into a gigantic ploughed field. Some brave soul had crossed the field but we decided to avoid the mud and skirt round, doing exactly the same when we came to the next field, beautifully ploughed but a quagmire for walkers.

Naunton

We joined the road for a short section before dropping on to a track on the left which led back into the beautiful village of Naunton - not a bad gaff in the place! We changed boots at the car and repaired to the Black Horse Inn and enjoyed a chat with the barmaid before heading back to Leckhampton.


The Black Horse Inn, Naunton

More snowdrops...

An OS view of the walk is below, courtesy of QUO digital mapping/OS:

Tuesday 8th March 2011 Miserden, Glos

This was a solo walk of just over 6 miles starting at the village of Miserden and including the villages of Duntisbourne Abbots and Winstone.

Carpenters Arms

I drove to Miserden via Birdlip and Whiteway, parking near the Carpenters Arms pub on a crisp sunny morning. I passed the tree with the seats around it and passed between houses where the signpost shows the path, continued with a stone wall to my left which quickly becomes the boundary wall of the Miserden Estate - large greenhouses can be seen on the left. 


I crossed a road and went across arable farmland, following a well defined path which heads left before entering woodland where the path becomes somewhat steeper veering to the left at the bottom of the incline, following a stream. I crossed the stream via the footbridge, crossed the meadow and started to climb the track which levels out and continues to the picturesque village of Duntisbourne Abbots. 


I followed the road towards Birdlip then joined a footpath towards Winstone where I again left the road and went across fields to Gaskill's Farm.

Miserden Park Lake

Passing the farm, I was quickly at the lodge, the entrance to the estate and followed the drive until I joined a grassy, muddy path going downhill. This quickly became very muddy and very steep until I arrived at the bottom and saw the lake. I kept to the left of the lake, joined a rough track left and started to climb up the other side of the hill along a sunken muddy cart track before joining the road again. There were great views of the estate and especially the lake and Miserden Manor from the vantage point. I quickly rejoined the main road and found the pathway back to Miserden village, declining to stop at the Carpenters on this occasion.

An OS view of the walk is below, courtesy of QUO digital mapping/OS:

Thursday 3rd March 2011 The Camp, Gloucs

This was a 5.5 mile figure of eight walk done with Robin on his day off. Robin is a inexhaustible source of Cotswold walks and has taken on the role as my Yorkshire Three Peaks trainer... We drove from Leckhampton to The Camp and parked just off the road, crossing into farmland hurdling the electric fences and entering wonderful woodland on Famish Hill - even spotting a deer running across the path ahead of us. We followed the track towards the remote Dillay Farm and crossed the stream by a small rickety bridge, avoiding the geese. Climbing up the other side of the valley, we passed an abandoned gamekeeper's cottage surrounded by snowdrops and continued to follow Dillay Brook at the bottom of the valley with woodlands on our left. We followed the track towards Piedmont, crossed an area known as The Scrubs and entered High Wood, joining Southmead Lane for a short while, before going back into the woods again and passing the gamekeeper's cottage again. We took the track to the right on the return, passing a remote house before joining a trail through the woods which was very muddy and clearly popular with trail bikers as the track was all churned up and boggy with bike tracks everywhere. Eventually we left the woods and crossed fields, negotiating the electrified fences and re-joined the car near Camp.


Robin's suggestion of a pint at the Carpenters Arms in Miserden seemed a good one, so off we went before driving back to Leckhampton.

An OS view of the walk is below, courtesy of QUO digital mapping/OS:

Tuesday 1st March 2011 Mousehole & Sennen Cove, Cornwall

Lands End Signpost

After a good breakfast, I caught the 08:36 501 bus from Mousehole to Penzance where I checked the return train times and then connected with the 09:40 506 bus (free using senior concession card!) on to Lands End, a journey of around 55 minutes along very narrow lanes via the centre of Penzance, Sheffield, St Buryan and then the A30 main road.

Coastal Path towards Sennen Cove

At Lands End you are greeted by a collection of Disneyesque concrete bunkers (Cornish Pantry, Cornish Pasties, Pirate Adventureland...) on what is clearly marked as 'Private Land'. Not a welcoming site and of course in Feb/March, all closed up. I persevered and walked through the site to the cliffs, saw the famous sign post and kept going beyond Lands End towards the coastal path again. This was far more rewarding and I was quickly enjoying the bracing (!) walk with the cliffs and dramatic coastline on my left. I stopped regularly to take photographs and was quickly moving away from the concrete bunkers towards the more rewarding sight of Sennen village and Sennen Cove. You'll see my confused walk on the map below, showing my turnaround. I reached Sennen Cove via the old Coastguard Station and decided to walk back to Lands End to catch the bus for my return train journey. However, as I got about half way there, I remembered that there seemed to be nowhere open to get a sandwich or anything to eat for lunch - so I turned and headed into Sennen Cove once again. 

Towards Lands End

I followed the houses at the top of the hill, eventually finding a footpath to take me to the shoreline, the lifeboat station and the pub! I checked the bus timetable and then went on to the Old Success pub where I had crab soup and a crayfish tail sandwich - very nice!


The Old Success, Sennen Cove

Sennen Cove

I had now finished walking, but only 4 miles done! I caught the 12:47 bus back, connected with the 14:00 Penzance to Paddington train and was in Cheltenham at 19:12 via Plymouth.












An OS view of the walk is below, courtesy of QUO digital mapping/OS:

Monday 28th February 2011 Penzance & Mousehole, Cornwall

I caught the 07:22 train from Cheltenham Spa and arrived at 12:42 in Penzance via Exeter St Davids. I then started walking along the sea front towards Newlyn on my way to the Ship Inn at Mousehole pronounced "Mowzel". The walk takes you quickly past the centre of Penzance on the right, along the sea front to the harbour and docks area in the older part of the city. 

The Dolphin Tavern

I walked around the docks and towards the pier. The ferry to the Scilly Isles leaves from here, when the service starts up in March for the summer season. I called in at the Dolphin Tavern, a famous old pub with a lot of history. In 1585 the tavern served as John Hawkin's HQ, recruiting Cornishmen to fight in the Armada, Sir Walter Raleigh is thought to have smoked the first pipe of tobacco in England here, and the tavern was used as a courtroom for centuries following. Unfortunately I found the pub more of a tourist eating joint, smelling of chips, but I did linger for a nice pint of Tribute (St Austell Brewery)!


The Dolphin Tavern, Penzance

Newlyn Harbour

From the Dolphin, I headed along the seafront, towards Newlyn, famous for its fishing fleet & fresh fish. I wished I had had the opportunity to buy fish to take back to Cheltenham! However, onwards and I rounded the harbour and started walking uphill along the south western coastal path on my way to Mowzel and maybe another Tribute. It was a pleasant walk along the coastal path, passing the now abandoned Penlee Lifeboat Station and heading towards Mowzel. For those not familiar with events of 1981 & the heroics of the Penlee crew, please look at the following link:


The Penlee Lifeboat Disaster 1981

Mowzel Harbour

Mowzel is one of Cornwall's most picturesque hamlets; a stunning collection of yellow-lichened houses, built from the local finely grained Lamorna granite, huddled together around the inner edge of the harbour - protected from the force of the sea coming across Mounts Bay by two sturdy breakwaters. I checked in at the Ship Inn (had that pint of Tribute!) and then had a quick look round the village. It is very quaint & picturesque as the tourist blurb says and was even nicer as there were no other folks around. Sunny but cold as February should be.


The Ship Inn, Mousehole


I ate well at the Ship (Hake with tarragon sauce etc.), slept well and was ready for the rigours of the day after a good breakfast!

The Ship Inn

Mowzel Harbour

An OS view of the walk is below, courtesy of QUO digital mapping/OS: