View?…What View??
Geoff & Rachel’s Midweek Ramble – 14 August
After the recent hot, sunny weather, we were greeted with low cloud, mist and drizzle, which lasted throughout the walk. Nevertheless, after meeting at the Village hall and hearing that Guiting Power began as a Saxon settlement getting its name from the Saxon word Getinge( meaning rushing) and the medieval word Le Poher ( meaning Lords of the Manor), we set off with most of us togged up in waterproofs.
Following the Gustav Holst Way and the Wardens Way, which is a 14 miles Long Distance Path from Bourton on the Water to Winchcombe, we soon encountered the first of some tall, very wet grass.
After a short stretch of lane walking, we left The Wardens Way and joined its sister path, The Windrush Way. The Wardens Way goes through Cotswold villages, whereas the Windrush Way goes over the hills and through some Lost Villages of Gloucestershire.
Climbing Windrush Hill, we soon came to the site of two of these Lost Villages, Hawling and Roelside. These villages were established in the C10 but their population started to decline in the C14 and both villages were abandoned.
Although the damp, misty weather was refreshing after the recent heat, it meant that the wonderful scenery and views enjoyed when reccying this walk were denied us, but spirits remained high as we tramped through more long grass to our lunch stop at Deadmanbury Gate at the edge of Guiting Wood.
After lunch, under the shelter of a large beech tree, we continued along the Wardens Way on the edge of the wood, Young pheasants, bred on the Farmcote Estate, kept us company, running alongside the edge of the adjacent fields and occasionally racing ahead of us.
Here we encountered mud and took a short detour through the trees. What is a ramble without some mud?
Three Long Distance Footpaths, the Diamond Way, The Wardens Way and The Winchcombe Way join together to lead through the wood and we followed these back to Guiting Power and our starting point.
Rachel & Geoff
9.6 miles 15.45 km
A loveley way to spend a Friday evening
Paul and Fran’s Evening Ramble – 16th August
A total of 17 Evesham Rambling Club members and one visitor turned up at The Oak Pub in Upton Snodsbury for a ramble of just shy of 5 miles.
This is the second time that we have led a walk from The Oak. Last time Fran had prepared some information about the village of Upton Snodsbury but had elected to share it at the end of the walk. Come the end of that walk, ERC members were more interested in the calling of the pub, so Frans talk about Upton Snodsbury was abandoned. Until this year. But no getting out of it this time, ERC members were treated to a potted history of the village AT THE START of the ramble. Snodsbury has its roots in the Saxon village of village of Snodesbyrie, which was a settlement between where the village is now and Bow Wood and also the settlement of Upton which, as its name suggested was on the hill just up the road, hence the name today of Upton Snodsbury. Not a lot has happened in Upton Snodsbury, but in 1707 a ‘foul murder’ was committed in the village. Mrs Palmer and her maid were murdered in a house and the building set on fire. Subsequently, Mrs Palmer’s son, her brother and others were convicted of the crime. This clearly got the minds of some of the ramblers present turning.
Anyway, onto the Ramble, after all, that’s what we were in Upton Snodsbury for. Well, that and the food and beer in The Oak at the end of the ramble. I wouldn’t want to say which was more important.
The route took across fields, walking parallel to the A442 Worcester to Stratford Road, in the direction of Broughton Hackett. Near to Broughton Hacket, we then took a left and headed for the pretty village of White Ladies Aston, where we had a short break in the churchyard and a further instalment, and more detail from Fran, on the foul murder of 1707. As we were standing in the churchyard, it seemed remiss not to quickly check Wikipedia for some info about the church. Its called St Johns the Baptist and is of Norman origin and resulted from a gift made to the Bishop of Worcester of two palfreys. What’s a palfrey, I hear you say, or at least one rambler asked? Another search of Wikipedia revealed that a palfrey is a horse. If you are ever in the area, it’s worth stopping by the church and in particular looking up the inscriptions on the 3 gravestones of 3 generations of the Comely clan.
Our route then took us through, and then around, the outskirts of the village of White Ladies Aston, past a horse having a shower (sorry, didn’t think to take a picture) and then back towards our start point. Much of this section of the walk was across fields of wheat barley and of maize, and all credit to the farming community, the paths had been left clear of crops.
The ramble ended back in Upton Snodsbury, wandering through some of the back lanes of the village, past some quaint old houses and a Maserati graveyard and then back to the pub.
Feedback from those who stayed for a meal was that the Tagine was excellent, as was the company.
Thank you to everyone who attended.
Paul
5 miles
Dunn’s Hill and Monk’s Hole walk
Michael’s August Short Ramble – 21 August
The ramble compiled by Winchcombe Walkers are Welcome is a circular walk of about 4 miles and follows the Winchcombe Way and Gloucestershire Way through open countryside and wooded paths.
After greeting the assembled walkers we set off through Winchcombe to join the Winchcombe Way and our ascent to Dunn’s Hill. It must be pointed out that we were fortunate to have Goldilocks walking weather and this made the whole experience very pleasant.
Making our way to the Salt Way we passed a pig pen with Gloucester Old Spot pigs and fields of cereal being harvested. Moving on to Monk’s Hole we encountered some rather curious and friendly horses, one of which posed with some of the walkers for a photograph.
It had been anticipated that the descent down to Winchcombe along the Gloucestershire Way could be tricky as the path can be muddy and slippery, but again luck was with us and the ground was firm and someone unknown had kindly flattened the bracken that had crowded the path.
Admiring a statuesque dead tree we made our way cross fields back to Winchcombe and for those that wanted to a drink and a meal in a local hostelry.
All in all a good day’s walk.
Michael
4 miles 6.4 km
Around Up down and around
Clive’s Sunday Ramble – 25 August
We started off at Birlingham on a sunny morning across to Eckington Bridge to follow the Eckington Wharf route along the banks of the Avon round to the weir at Strensham, then through Eckington and across country to the deer park on the side of Bredon Hill.
Down was then the only way to go. The first part of the long descent to Great Comberton was verging on mountain goat territory as it was very steep. It all went quiet for a bit until everyone got down safely and the adrenalin kicked in. The remainder of the descent was straightforward and after a while we arrived at Great Comberton to pick up the riverside walk to Nafford Lock and back down the lanes to Birlingham.
We then retired to the Swan for a well-earned drink and home. Thank you everyone for a very enjoyable walk.
Clive
10.2 miles
The Other, Other Side of Broadway
Lesley and Trevor’s Evening Ramble – 30 July
Early arrivals on The Green meant a prompt start for the last Evening Ramble of the year, prefaced by Lesley’s brief history of Broadway.
The beautiful evening sun encouraged a brisk walk to the start of the climb. The path led gently across distinctive Ridge and Furrow to a kissing gate, onwards through very green rough pasture to a stile. The climb to Manor Farm started here, stopping only to take advantage of a lofty view over Broadway, to reach another stile. A gentle stroll between electrified fences with the sight of herd of Belted Galloway cattle and a huge pile of quarried sand, led to the farm. Two stiles reached the farmyard from where a wide stony track, narrowing to a very tight path took us uphill to a junction.
Here were took the path to the right downhill, aiming for the village of Laverton. On reaching a crossing path, another right turn across the hillside saw us reach Buckland, a small very picturesque hamlet, the history of which we gleaned from Lesley’s brief notes.
We strolled along the village street until reaching the Old Vicarage, turning right between quaint cottages to reach an uphill path that led to Broadway Wood. Here, a newly-laid stone track (presumably for logging equipment) led through the mature mixed woodland, eventually joined from the right by a similar track which ran uphill to the quarry from which both the stone and sand were excavated.
At the end of the wood at a stile, Broadway and the Flood Relief Scheme could be viewed, before descending a grassy field to West End Lane and onwards past 70 trees planted in memory of Queen Elizabeth II. Crossing a tributary of the Badsey Brook to a kissing gate we reached Snowshill Road, passed the Crown and Trumpet and returned to the Village Green.
Carl kindly thanked Lesley and Trevor for a lovely walk, noting that together with the first, they had book-ended this season’s Evening Rambles.
Having developed a thirst, several participants retraced their steps to the Crown and Trumpet………..
Trevor
5.4 miles or 8.69 Km