Wednesday 20th April 2011 Miserden & Caudle Green, Glos

This was a walk with Dom on the now familiar 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. We left the car at 11:00 and quickly left the village going towards the walled Miserden Estate by a now familiar path. We 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. We kept on towards the lake and followed it until we met a stream along side the track which guided us 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

We 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 - only stopping to inspect whatever damage was done to my ankle by an insect which had got down my sock! 

Miserden Lake & Beyond

The woods at Warren Hill were next as we descended again towards the floor of the valley with the stream and its familiar ford coming into view once again. After the ford, we 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 us. We soon reached the village again, found the car and changed footwear before a lovely lunch at the Carpenters (Dominic the usual Burger/fries and me the usual ham sandwich and salad!).

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

Sunday 10th April 2011 Cooper's Hill to Stroud, Glos

This was a walk done with Robin and Liz along the Cotswold Way, starting at the bottom (!) of Cooper's Hill (famous for cheese rolling event) and finishing near Stroud in Whiteshill. Cooper's Hill itself is more of a cliff than a hill and the 2011 event has been shrouded in controversy, with the event now cancelled for this year. Just got too big? 


Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling

Cooper's Hill

The walk was just under 11 miles and took us 4 and a half hours, including pauses to admire the scenery and a break for a snack. The bottom of Cooper's Hill is not the best place to start a walk but we  started the ascent at about 10:20 on Sunday which was a particularly warm day. The track leads through woodlands until you arrive at the top of the hill where contestants would await their turn to 'roll & chase' - rather them than me! Quite a steep climb up the hill but not too bad!

The track continues through woodland towards Painswick, going through Lipton Wood, Pope's Wood and beyond towards Painswick Hill and the golf course. We made a slight detour to go to Painswick Beacon and found lots of other like minded walkers and day trippers - there for the views over the countryside, walking dogs, picnicking etc. We stopped at the beacon to take photos and have a break, taking on fluids on what was becoming quite a hot stifling day. We could see the golf course nearby and the pleasant town of Painswick in the  distance. We crossed part of the course and went into the town towards the main street to Stroud. WE left the main street after the quaint post office and the church & gardens, turning right on the Edge Road - with Edge Hill in the distance. Again we passed many desirable Cotswold 'gaffs' before turning into fields and climbing the track towards Edgemoor Inn (crap according to Robin - 'was a fine pub, now a restaurant/pub'). We crossed the road and climbed again, before stopping to the halfway refreshment break, taking on more fluids and not eating most of the food we were carrying!

We continued to the top of Edge Hill, entering Maitlands Wood and making a huge loop encompassing Haresfield Hill and beacon before entering woods beside Whiteshill near Stroud. We dropped into Whiteshill, following the terraced streets around the valley until we came (as Robin promised) to the Star Inn where we stopped for the day, enjoying Addlestones Cloudy Cider in the garden sunshine. We called Brett who promptly came to collect us but was rather 'waspy' due to the lateness of the call and the intrusion into his Sunday afternoon refreshments.

Robin calling Brett

Liz & Bath Cider

Starr Inn, Whiteshill

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

Sunday 17th April 2011 Miserden, Gloucs

This was the longer Miserden walk done with Robin and Liz. We parked in the usual place and set off in the sunshine past the estate wall and beyond.

We crossed the 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. We took a wrong (?) turn from previous walks and descended a steep grazing field full of sheep and joined the road to Duntisbourne Abbots. We quickly rejoined the track intended and climbed, passing cyclists going in the opposite direction. We crossed the meadow and started to climb the track which levels out and continues to the picturesque village of Duntisbourne Abbots. We passed lots of fabulous Cotswold 'gaffs' (sic Robin) particularly the very large renovation in the centre of the village which Robin knows well from his renovation exploits there.

We followed the road through Duntisbourne Abbots towards Birdlip then joined a footpath going through lush pasture with woods to the right towards Winstone where Robin had to do some running repairs on Liz's trainers (why did she not wear her boots?). We followed the road through Winstone, acquiring a Jack Russell on the way. We again left the road on the left and went across fields to Gaskill's Farm at the far corner.

Miserden Park Lake

Passing the farm outbuildings to our left, we were quickly at the lodge, the entrance to the estate and followed the long boring drive until we joined a grassy, muddy path going downhill. This was very muddy on previous walks but had now dried out but was very rough until we arrived at the bottom and saw the lake where we stopped for refreshments. 

We 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. We quickly rejoined the main road and found the pathway back to Miserden village, stopping at the Carpenters for a couple of pints before heading home (Wye Valley Hereford Pale Ale - excellent!) via the Somerset.

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

Wednesday 30th March 2011 Marchampt, France

This was a 10 mile (to be confirmed) walk done in about 3 hours 20 minutes with Geoff while we were staying at the house in Marchampt. We started from the house on Rue du Moulin and started walking the road up to the Col de la Croix de Rosier (D72), past the end of the garden and up, up, up... Marchampt is at 370 metres and the highest point we'd make is 678 metres.

Marchampt

We walked along vine covered fields but noticed that some had become neglected or even had the vines ripped out. Apparently a mixture of EEC subsidies (to encourage less wine growing) and the lack of young folks going into the fields has meant that the number of hectares under vines has decreased somewhat over the last 10 years. However, there were plenty on our route up and we quickly went through the hamlets of Carreyve, Les Michollets and Le Rajon going gradually uphill all of the way. 

We were heading to a point on the road at about 5 kilometres from Marchampt where a track into the woods opens out. This has been a very popular walk with visitors but we always drive and park rather than walk. Geoff and I persevered and climbed uphill leaving the vines and  and with woods either side of the road. We had at least one false alarm when we spotted tell tale bollards indicating the familiar bend in the road and the track we were looking for. 


Eventually we found the track, left the D72 and went into the woods towards the viewpoint at the top of a hill that we knew very well. We came out of the woods, admiring the view towards Lyon and went on the the peak with great views over the Beaujolais and the valley below where we had come up. Geoff took the traditional photos and we then proceeded uphill a little on a GR (Grande Randonnee) walking and VTT (Velo Tout Terain) cycling track before taking a left turn towards the Cret de l'Oiseau. 

Chateau de Varenne

We kept left and then started downhill through trees and bushes towards the road at Cherieux. 


The path was well defined and was now downhill all the way, making knees ache, especially on the loose stone path. We then made a few 'virages' to arrive at a great view of the Chateau de Varenne which of course had to be photographed.

Brett in 'full flow'

We quickly reached the road and made a left for the farmhouse and hamlet at La Salle before turning right and along another familiar track through vines, River Samsons on the right, to the house where Brett had spent a torrid time cooking dinner!




Sorry no maps, Quo (my digital mapping app) does not have access to IGN French OS maps yet - maybe this summer! 

More Marchampt photos...

Thursday 17th March 2011 Leckhampton Hill, Gloucs

Traffic has been awful around Cheltenham since the national hunt horse racing festival started on Tuesday, especially on the main routes into town from the Air Balloon, Cirencester, Evesham, Oxford etc. So for this walk, I decided to re-do a walk I've done a few times, first off with Robin & Liz - only this time by myself. 


It is a 6 mile walk (2 hours) starting from my house in Croft Street, following streets up to Burrows Field, then through Leckhampton village, Collum End Rise and then up through fields towards Daisy Bank Road. The stretch from the fields to Daisy Bank Road follows the old tram track which used to take quarry stones down to the tram terminus at the Norwood Triangle. 


Norwood Triangle

I followed the road, passed the car parks for walkers, bikers and dog walkers and headed along, past houses on my left until the road, which has turned into a track, meets the extension of Sandy Lane in Charlton Kings. I turned right along the track towards Seven Springs and past Lilley Brook golf club on my left until I joined the Cotswold Way, turning right up the escarpment to walk along the hill top. There is a major dry stone wall project underway on the hilltop and I passed the workers and the length of wall already completed. A lovely piece of work (and presumably very expensive!). I followed the escarpment with great views of Cheltenham and beyond to my right. I could see the race course and was more than a little jealous of the people who had made it for the Thursday session on St Patrick's Day.

The escarpment with the new dry stone wall on the left, leads to the highest point on the Cotswold Way (925 ft) and has great views over the town and as you follow the track, you can also see the various hills towards to Malverns and even the Black Mountains in Wales. It is a site of Iron Age hill fort and long barrow and famous for its old limestone quarries. Old tramway lines criss-cross the hill from the days of limestone quarrying and the remains of kilns and quarries are still very much in evidence. It is a site with a great deal of cultural and historical significance as much of the stone removed from the quarry on the Hill was used for buildings in Cheltenham - and also parts of Magdalen College, Oxford. 

Devil's Chimney

The track leads past the Devil's Chimney, a substantial pillar of stone left standing next to one of the upper inclines, but nothing is known as to who left it there or why. In days gone by, passers-by would try and land a coin on the top but now it is more like to be stones that are thrown. Once past the Devil's Chimney, I started downhill with a choice of routes. The quickest is to follow the old tramway path but this is quite steep, so I opted for the more leisurely descent towards the car park where I re-joined Daisybank Road and the tramway path which I'd followed on the way up. I re-traced my steps over farmland, Collum End Rise and Burrows Field before getting home.


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