26th August 2012 Leckhampton Circular, Glos

This was a training walk with Robin and Geoff, in preparation for our travails on the 1st September in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge. We met at Robin's at 09:00 and set off immediately towards Leckhampton Hill via Burrows Field and Collum End Rise. We walked up the old tram track until we reached Daisybank and then headed along the foot of the hill.

Leckhampton Hill

When we reached the junction with Sandy Lane we turned sharply to the right and climbed the track to the ridge which we followed for a while before heading off to the left towards Salterley Grange and Ullenwood beyond. We passed the golf club and crossed the A436, heading up South Hill and the hills beyond, zig zagging our way to the A417 and the White Heart Inn (which we passed!). We went to the back of the pub and crossed into the muddy fields towards Brimpsfield, before turning off the track to follow the river at the edge of Brimpsfield Park.

The White Heart Inn Nettleton Bottom

Me and Geoff

At the edge of Poston Wood we turned towards the A417 and passed beneath it with Elkstone to our right. We crossed fields of ripe barley before entering Cowley Wood and Cockleford beyond. We did stop at the Green Dragon for a refreshment (and a change of socks).

The Green Dragon Cockleford

We continued towards Cowley, passing the Girl Guides HQ, the manor house and a wedding, before crossing the fields towards Robin's place of birth and old stomping ground - Coberley. "I remember when the Green Dragon was only two rooms and all you could get was cider!"

Geoff at the Library

We went through the small village, admired the village phone box, now set up as a book swap facility and headed past the school and Robin's old house across fields towards the A436 main road again. We crossed the busy road and made our way across field to Hartley Woods and the farm beyond. We skirted round the farmyard and made our way towards Leckhampton Hill again where we started a gradual descent towards the lime kilns, before making the steep descent of the old tramway. We reached Daisybank, crossed the road and headed across fields to Collum End Rise and Leckhampton village. We crossed Burrows Field and made straight for the Somerset Arms for a pint with the GPS clocking 16.41 miles. Not bad!

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

22nd August 2012 Winchcombe to Dowdeswell, Glos

This was a training walk done with Dominic, originally intended to end in Leckhampton along the Cotswold Way, but cut short at 11 miles at Dowdeswell for a number of reasons - tiredness being one.

Bus timetable from Cheltenham to Winchcombe

We caught the 606 from Royal Well at 10:00 along with all of the other bus concession folks and arrived in Winchcombe at around 10:25 where our (my) problems started. I could not get one of my tele walking poles to cooperate and spend 20 minutes coaxing it to extend. Finally we got going and left the bus stop towards Vineyard Street off to the left, towards Sudeley Castle. We crossed into fields to our left and crossed into open countryside, meeting Corndean Lane for a while. We followed the track past the cricket club and started climbing gently before meeting the lane again and crossing into woods, again climbing towards a gate ahead.

Belas Knap

Dominic at Belas Knap

We followed the field edge around to the left and then right up the slope towards Belas Knap, a Neolithic long barrow, where we stopped for a short while to take the obligatory photograph. We then followed the field edge with the hedge to our right (great for sloes in autumn!) until we met the track which we followed left before turning the the right, down towards Breakheart Plantation where the path drops into a valley floor before riding gently again towards Postlip Hall. We skirted the hall, along its file stone wall and started uphill again towards Cleeve Hill and the golf course - with a break for lunch requested by Dominic. We past the club house and continued along the track, following the edge of the common, stopping a few timers to admire the fine views towards Cheltenham Racecourse, the Malvern Hills and south towards the Black Mountains.

Postlip Hall

Belas Knap Long Barrow

The rain started to fall steadily at this points, so we moved out of lovely view mode into a more business like pace off the common and onto the track towards the nature reserve and the valley below.

At this stage Dominic was tiring and I suggested he drop out when we got to Dowdeswell. He called his mum and we agreed a rendezvous by the A40 Oxford road at Dowdeswell, by the reservoir. However, we underestimated how far we had to go before the rendezvous which caused a few issues with the waiting mum who had better things to do than wait for us to emerge! Anyway, eventually we followed the track down, followed the road for a while and entered Dowdeswell Woods, dropping steeply into the valley before emerging at the B&B below and eventually the A40. We had not made great time and with 6-7 miles ahead of me, I didn't fancy walking into the evening, so I joined Dominic in a lift home - to fight another day.

The Cotswold Way is well documented online so I haven't included maps on this post. I'd recommend the following site for more info.

Cotswold Way Guide

12th August 2012 Chedworth, Glos

Seven Tuns

This was a repeat Sunday walk with Robin - see previous walk on 29th January 2012 for more info. Liz and Mike must have known what the weather was going to do as they made their early morning excuses! Objective was to reach the Seven Tuns pub in Chedworth in a reasonable time where Jools would pick us up.

Seven Tuns Chedworth GL54 4AE

Jools took Robin and I to the start point at  a spot near Kilkenny, just off the A436. We walked up the road a little and then crossed into fields to our left as we reached the top of the hill. Muggy, cloudy but no rain as yet!

We then followed the walls on our right, noting that dry stone walls were currently being repaired with neat piles of new Cotswold stone left at points along the track. It was at this point that the rain started, slowly at first so Robin used his trusty travel umbrella a la Nick Crane. I persisted in tee shirt but as the rain became more persistent, we stopped and I donned the dreaded anorak. Unlike the previous walk when there had been lots of fog, we had good views to the left as we passed gates and horse jumps along the way. Part of the track had been recently used by horses and the track had deteriorated somewhat. The track was boggy and filthy in places and much to Robin's disgust, our boots became covered and overloaded with mud.

Robin in churchyard

We progressed with Withington village on our left, crossing the two main tarmac entries to the village until we entered the comparative shelter of Withington Woods. However, the rain was still persistent and the trees dripped on us the whole way through. We looked for deer in the woods, but none! We crossed the tarmac again and took more shelter in the trees before crossing the into the old disused airfield, a relic from WWII. We crossed the runways, into fields, passing the picturesque cricket club and then gently down towards the village church at Chedworth.

Chedworth at last!

We went through the churchyard, passing houses on the left and arrived at the Seven Tuns a great little pub. We paused only to change tee shirts and repack bags before getting into the bar for a well earned drink. Six miles in two hours, not too shabby across rough terrain and in a monsoon. Robin's umbrella served him well and my newly proofed anorak worked OK, but no more, just OK. My boots are still drying out.

Next walk Wednesday.

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

8th August 2012 Naunton, Glos

Mike & Gaff

This was a Wednesday 'old folks' walk led by the very able bodied Mike plus Brian, Paul and myself. The walk was around Mike's favourite area around Naunton and included a mini tour of Upper Slaughter on the way. We drove from Cheltenham in Brian's lovely Merc and parked up at the Black 'Orse, donned our boots and off we went.


The Black Horse, Naunton

Paul, myself & Brian

We walked back through the village and turned left beside the old dovecote (see walk of 9th March 2011 with Mike). We continued up the hill past the dovecote until we reached the golf course, keeping to the well defined track before turning to the left, across fields towards the ford at the Windrush beside Lower Harford Farm. The first uphill slowed us down a little but the gentle flat terrain was welcome after that first shock.

Pit Stop

We crossed the field, heading across and uphill (oh dear...) until we reached tarmac, stopping for a quick coffee (and leaks) and then followed the road for some time past farm buildings and other typical Cotswold gaffs. Beside Manor Farm, we entered fields again recalling our last walk here where we met bus loads of rambler types having their picnics - after all it was a Sunday! We followed the wall on our left and continued into Upper Slaughter, passing the Lord of the Manor hotel and other pristine Cotswold stone houses, turning left in the village, following the road to another ford. We stopped at the picturesque bridge and (again) stopped for coffee. We admired the houses in the village, cursed the out-of-towners who use these houses so rarely and made our way across the ford and up to the track on our right.

We left the village along the track by the River Eye, stopping to admire another house (see picture above with Mike) through woodland until we met the road again - this time stopping to admire a handsome gate house for Eyford Park, before moving on for a short while before following the Wardens' Way track again. We passed a row of workers cottages before taking the track - I don't suppose these are for workers any more! The track at this stage is quite easy and we were making good time as the sun came out thank goodness. We followed the track in a zig-zag until we came to a farm where we began return to Naunton, albeit some distance off yet. We followed a field after a farm, crossed the tarmac and followed the track through fields with the most friendly horses. Passing Brockhill Farm we followed the track, turning left onto a gravel track and started the slow descent towards Naunton - first passing through patches of small trees and then onto open ground as we reached the village via more horses - and the Black Horse.

Paul & Friend

We arrived back into Naunton in the sunshine, changed tee shirts and enjoyed Donningtons BB beer at the pub for quite a while! The walk was 7 miles and took us 2 hours and 30 minutes, but more telling data from the GPS was the stopping time - 1 hour! That's old folks for you!

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

13th June 2012 Bradford on Avon to Bath

The start...

Mike, Brian and myself took the train from Cheltenham via Bristol to Bradford on Avon via Bath to walk the Kennet and Avon canal to Bath which is just under 10 miles. The Kennet and Avon Canal has an overall length of 87 miles made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section. From Bristol to Bath the waterway follows the natural course of the River Avon before the canal links it to the River Kennet at Newbury, and from there to Reading on the River Thames. In all, the waterway incorporates more than 100 locks. But today - Bradford on Avon to Bath - only!We picked a nice day, sunny and no prospects of rain.

Kennet & Avon Canal

The Cross Guns

Mike & coffee

We left Bradford station, turned right at the road and right again just before the bridge through a yard to the canal where we started our walk on the right bank. All along the length of the canal there were barges and narrowboats in various states or repair, mostly in poor condition we noted. We walked steadily for a couple of miles and came to the Cross Guns pub where we stopped for coffee. This seems a very popular walking and cycling pub with lots of outdoor seating and tables close to the canal. We left the pub and crossed under the canal to join the towpath over the Arncliff aqueduct, passing the station on our right and continued our walk, with the canal heading off to the left and then right. I must say that the walk was a little boring so far with just the canal, the towpath and the trees to look at. There are no views from the towpath due to the overhanging trees and bushes, but things might improve. We stopped for coffee (again!) along the way, taking advantage of the benches along the towpath and repeatedly making comments about the poor state of some of the boats along the way.

We followed the canal, bending to the right again at the weir and arrived at Dundas Aqueduct, built by John Rennie and completed in 1805. We crossed the aqueduct and saw a number of people at the far end - mostly with cameras and binoculars. What could it be?

Add caption

Diesel anyone?

As we arrived at the far side, we could see on the left the main Wessex railway line and in the distance a cloud of smoke from a steam locomotive. Very exciting! The train passed below us and gave everyone the opportunity for photographs, even as it passed into the distance to our right. We rounded the basin at the end of the aqueduct and continued on our way with the canal on our left. As we approached Claverton we passed a water-borne petrol station which also served as a mobile shop to the boating community. Now, with the Avon and the railway on our right, we made our way to Bathampton and as we rounded the canal turn there, we spotted the pub - the George Inn, where we stopped for a couple of pints of Tribute and thought about food. The George Inn at Bathampton dates back to the 13th Century and was originally a monastery, established by the Prior of Bath. However, it was full of diners at the time, so we opted to drink outside by the canal with only a short distance left to Bath itself.

The George Inn, Bathampton

Bath at last!

Refreshed, we continued towards Bath and quickly on the outskirts looking forward to lunch at the Pulteney Arms, a pub we'd visited on a rugby night in Bath some time before. The view from the canal became grander as we entered Bath until we reached Sydney Gardens where it becomes very grand indeed. We quickly crossed the gardens and made for the pub on Daniel St but, alas, it was closed (after 1500) and despair set in...

The Pulteney Arms Bath

No food at Pulteney

In desperation we asked a builder nearby where the next nearest pub was and eventually we reached the Barley Mow an Bathwick St - not ideal and no food apart from crisps, nuts etc. - and poor beer to boot. We bided our time until 1700 talking nonsense and complaining (to each other) about the beer and then made for the Pulteney again to be told that the chef didn't start until 1800. More despair. A quick meeting resulted in agreement to forget pubs as food was the priority. Mike, our Bath expert, proposed Browns as the solution!

We then made for Browns, had more beer (Erdinger Weissbier - excellent rocket fuel) and an excellent late lunch/early dinner and made our way to the station for the train to Cheltenham, again via Bristol. The train worked a treat, we made use of the old folks concession cards and beats the car every time.

Browns Bath

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

29th January 2012 Chedworth, Glos

This was a Sunday morning walk with a pub lunch at the end of it! Jools dropped Robin, Mike and myself just off the A436 near Kilkenny. The objective was to walk to the Chedworth and have a pub lunch at the Seven Tuns.

Seven Tuns Chedworth


We walked up the road a little and then crossed into fields to our left as we reached the top of the hill. The weather was OK but quite misty stroke foggy so the views that Robin promised didn't really appear.

Coffee break

We then followed the walls on our right, noting the number of gates and places for horses to jump (at a a reduced height). We continued through field and along tracks, pausing for coffee and other pit stops - Mike can be seen below next to one of these horse jumps.

Mike at a horse jump

We progressed with Withington village on our left, crossing the two main tarmac entries to the village until we entered the  shelter of Withington Woods where there clearly had been a lot of work done by the forestry as there were beautifully stacked logs along our path with signs for children not to play on them!

Yes, that's deer!

We looked for deer in the woods, and saw lots of them but of course no real photographic proof, except the blurred images I've included courtesy of my iPhone. This was my first walk with walking poles and despite the mickey taking, both Mike and Robin tried then and kind of approved. I've used them ever since and now wouldn't go out without them. The one disadvantage is that photography is more problematic and I would not be able to make use of the Robin (Nick Crane) umbrella in inclement but not horrific weather.

We crossed the tarmac again and took more shelter in the trees before crossing the into the old disused airfield, a relic from WWII. We crossed the runways, into fields, passing the picturesque cricket club and then gently down towards the village church at Chedworth.

Robin & Mike

We went through the churchyard, passing houses on the left and arrived at the Seven Tuns a great little pub. We paused only to change tee shirts and repack bags before getting into the bar for a well earned drink of Youngs Bitter. Six miles in two hours, not too shabby across rough terrain.

Jools joined us and we enjoyed a roast beef lunch, more Youngs and a bottle of Rioja. Grand!


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