Friday 24th June 2011 Birdlip to Daneway, Glos

Dominic

This was a 10 miles walk done in 4 hours with my son, Dominic, in readiness for the Dales next week. This is a walk I did previously with Robin, Mike & Sally in September 2009, starting in the same place and ending at the Daneway pub a long while later. On that occasion we were lucky enough to see the preparations for the Kemble Air Show with the WW II flight of Spitfires, Hurricanes and a Wellington getting into formation for the official show fly past.

We parked in Birdlip, just at the start of Witcombe Woods and followed the track across a field towards Hazel Hanger Woods which leads to Climperwell Farm on the right as we came through to open ground where there were plenty of poppies and other flowers to be seen. We then went into Climperwell Woods where there is a long track following a stream with the Foston's Ash pub away to our right - we made a slight map reading error here, climbed a hill only to come back down again - most welcome! The woods merged into Barn Woods, New Seal Woods and Warren Hill with fields to our left and with Caudle Green to our left, we dropped into the woods again, passing pheasant cages & nets, onto Miserden Estate and very familiar land. We crossed the ford and made our way to the lake where we had a break for a few minutes.

Valley Farm

We followed the stream from the lake to Bull Bank Lakes where we made a sharp left off the main track and kept the stream to our right until we hit the road and passed house on the left before going through a gate onto the estate again by Parson's Hill. We crossed the stream at a familiar footbridge and followed the valley floor & the herd of black sheep, continuing along the valley floor past Valley Farm which was having major works done, the last time we passed this way. Eventually we joined the farm drive and reached the road around Edgeworth. Rather than follow the road or the zig-zag track we followed last time, I suggested a direct route which was signposted, but soon deteriorated and we found ourselves in dense woodland and no path. However, we persevered and soon found ourselves at Edgeworth where we crossed the churchyard and came out at the road beside the manor house. We had another liquids/chocolate break at the church gate.

We then followed a track, passing Cotswold stone houses until we reached a gate and the field beyond. Sheep then stopped and polo ponies became the most common animal with Edgeworth Polo Club providing us with an insight into how that particular sport is laid out. Massive pitches, but all pristine and a number of very attractive horses. When the polo field gave out, we passed over one last field and entered Dorvel Wood on the Bathurst Estate where we followed a good track to the Daneway Lane and the pub which is situated on the old Severn-Thames canal. Look at the history of the pub in the link below.

Daneway Inn History

Dominic & I had bacon & egg 'banjos' while we waited for Brett to come and pick us up - very nice, but just a touch overpriced - the banjos, that is, not Brett. Thanks to Brett!

One negative thing about this walk was that, in spite of my comfort with the walk & feeling fine afterwards, I was in a deal of pain in the evening to the degree that A&E was consulted this morning. Nothing broken, but 'traumatized ligaments' in the foot was the conclusion. Foot up & rest was recommended. Does not bode well for Dales on Monday!

The maps for this walk take 7 pages so I've included the first and last - if anyone wants the lot, then just ask!

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

Wednesday 8th June 2011 Miserden, Glos

Mike P

This is now almost becoming the 'house' walk as I've done it so many times with friends and family. It is the 6 miles or so walk, starting at the village of Miserden and including the villages of Duntisbourne Abbots and Winstone. On this occasion I walked it with Mike P who was keen to 'learn'the walk for a future outing with Sally. We didn't race round this walk due to my condition after Pen-y-Ghent the previous day and Mike's poorly knee, but managed a respectable 3 hours.

Carpenters Arms

Mike drove to Miserden via Birdlip and Whiteway, parking near the Carpenters Arms pub as usual on a damp morning. We 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. 

We crossed a road in drizzle and went across arable farmland, following a well defined path until three path options were offered. We took the right path along the fence line and then headed left into a field, spotting three deer, before entering woodland where the path becomes somewhat steeper veering to the left at the bottom of the incline, following a stream. We followed the stream and crossed via the footbridge, crossed the meadow and started to climb the track which levels out and continues along a long path to the picturesque village of Duntisbourne Abbots where we stopped for a break and coffee on a village bench - very nice! 

We then followed the road down past the vicarage towards Birdlip and joined a footpath on the left through fields towards Winstone where we again left the road and went across fields to Gaskill's Farm.

Passing the farm, we were quickly at the lodge, the entrance to the estate and followed the drive until we joined a grassy, muddy path going downhill to the lake. 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, declining to stop at the Carpenters on this occasion, due to my impending dental appointment!

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

Tuesday 7th June 2011 Pen-y-Ghent, Yorkshire Dales

Pen-y-Ghent

This was a visit to the Dales to see what the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge (July 16th) would actually mean to me. The Challenge includes the 25 miles over Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough within 12 hours, so I thought I'd better see what this actually meant! I traveled to Horton in Ribblesdale via Leeds on Monday the 6th and stayed overnight in the Crown Hotel, a local pub near the station with rooms. Staff friendly/cheerful, rooms are basic, beer good and food OK if you like variations on pie & chips (wild boar, venison, plus the usual...). The pub was rocking on a Monday night, so it must be bedlam at weekends. There were several groups of walkers in the two pub rooms, all taking on liquids/carbs for the next days' travails.

As I walked from the station to the Crown I got my first view of the task ahead (above)...

Crown Hotel, Horton in Ribblesdale

I was up early, had a good breakfast and set off, fully loaded with rucksack, poles etc for the 10 miles over Pen-y-Ghent to Ribblehead and, hopefully, the Station Inn. I passed by the Pen-y-Ghent cafe (closed Tuesdays) and walked the road to Brackenbottom, turning off the main road at the church. The road has a gradual incline and just before you reach the farm there is a track to the left where the real walk starts. There is a constant uphill gradient, following the clear track onwards and upwards with Pen-y-Ghent looming in the distance.

The rain started almost immediately and was a feature of the day, sometimes torrential. I followed the track with a dry stone wall on my left before turning uphill to Brackenbottom scar where the track became a little more difficult, having to scramble over rocks at times. By this time I had got all of my waterproofs on, including a rain cover for my rucksack and turned left over a stile to join the Pennine Way up towards the mountain itself.

The mist then came down and the walk was suddenly becoming unpleasant with heavy rain, mist and difficult terrain. I followed the track, sometimes based on large stone flags, with a wall to my left on the upward slog, passing a dead sheep (!) before scrambling again over the slippery rocks, struggling at time to see where the real path was. I realized that I was making hopeless time, having done the approach reasonably well, I was now scrambling up at a very slow rate.

I eventually hit the top, seeing other fellow walkers through the mist and recognizing the cairn and the trig point indicating the top (694 metres - in England and Wales the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has defined "mountain" (as a mass noun) as all land over 600 metres). I stopped for a couple of minutes before setting off down the other side of the hill starting the long slog towards Ribblehead.

Boggy!

I crossed the wall, and continued north along the Pennine Way from the summit. As the descent steepens, the Pennine Way turns left at a junction and I continued straight ahead on the path heading over Horton Moor. The ground underfoot now became much more entertaining (boggy!) and you needed to be careful where you placd your feet. I crossed Hull Pot Beck at the stepping stones and followed the 'path' over Todber Moss, heading northwest across two walls to Burnrigg, crossing another wall and small stream before meeting the Pennine Way once again. I headed straight across the Way, and follow the better track down to the track junction above High Birkwith.

I followed the Pennine Way to Nether Lodge before taking the tarmac drive all the way to Gauber Road (B6479) where I turned right, being very careful as this road has no footpath and the traffic moves quickly. I continued heading north until I reached the 'T' junction (B6255) at Ribblehead where the rain was really coming down. I saw the magnificent Ribblehead viaduct in the mist but didn't take a photo due to the conditions.

I made for the Station Inn, pausing with other walkers to get shelter for a while before making for the nearby station to catch a train back to Leeds and on to Cheltenham - pausing in Leeds to meet Frank Foster at the station Wetherspoons for a welcome intake of liquids and food. This walk took me six (yes, 6) hours to go 10 miles or so - not very promising, but the weather was attrocious and I was a bit poorly from the previous week's ''gastro fun''. Hopefully, I'll do better on my next outing in the Dales, scheduled for the week of the 28th June when I'll do the 14 miles over Whernside & Ingleborough, plus this same walk again.

Station Inn, Ribblehead

An OS view of the walk is below, courtesy of (Patrick) and QUO digital mapping/OS:

Saturday 28th May 2011 Miserden & Caudle Green, Glos

This was the shorter of the Miserden walks that I do i.e. the 3.5 mile jaunt which took us 1.5 hours on this occasion, pausing to take photos etc and admire the wildlife. I did the walk with Lynda, Ros & Dave and we set off from the usual parking place at the Carpenters in fine drizzle (originally going to do the six miler but conditions didn't suit my party!)

We left the car at around 11:15 and quickly left the village going towards the walled Miserden Estate. We skirted the boundary wall and entered the estate via the gate and started downhill on the old sunken cart track, stopping to let Dave take a 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.

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. The rain was coming down by this time so we hurried on across the ford and through a large gate on our right, up the gentle slope and into the main estate grounds where a long winding road guided us back towards the village of Miserden. In the grounds there were many sheep and several inquisitive horses who came over looking for food I suppose. We obliged with photographs.

When we reached the village, the rain was really coming down so the only thing to do was to repair to the Carpenters, Wye Valley HPA, soup and sandwiches... sounds familiar.

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