The Gretton Circuit
Geoff & Pat’s Midweek Ramble – 11 June
Undaunted by the promise of fairly long climbs, our group met on a lovely sunny day in Gretton. Leaving the village we started our first gentle ascent and enjoyed far reaching views. We paused for a group photograph near the wooden statue of the Cotswold Drover, which Michael remembered from his previous walk.
The route climbed further past Prescott house and the site of the hill climb, which we saw in action on a previous recce. We joined the Winchcombe Way through Dixton and stopped for our picnic lunch break overlooking Dixton Hill and the ancient ridge and furrow fields below where cattle grazed.
Shortly after passing through the pretty village of Alstone, we arrived at the Olde Hobnail Boot pub where we stopped for a welcome drink. The return route was much easier, as promised, through the picturesque village of Alderton and then rejoined the Winchcombe Way past the caravan and camper van site before returning to Gretton.
Pat & Geoff
10.5 miles circular
A Wonderful Wander from Willersey
Geoff & Rachel’s Evening Ramble – 13 June
The leaders were last to the starting post as, when they arrived, all the other ramblers were enjoying the peace and tranquility of Willersey’s duck pond.
Willersey is a typical Cotswold village. Lying at the foot of the Northern end of the Cotswolds and at the edge of the Vale of Evesham, it has a main street of Cotswold stone cottages and a tranquil atmosphere. Difficult to imagine its past as salt-boilers pits or the island of the salt –boiler, which is how its name originated.
Luckily the weather forecast didn’t produce the thunderstorms and we enjoyed warm sunshine as we made our way past St Peters Church, with its magnificent gargoyles, and up towards Saintbury Church. We passed many chubby jet black lambs with their white fleeceless mothers.
Just before reaching Saintbury Church, we turned off to walk along a footpath with wonderful views over Willersey and across the Vale.
This led us to the tarmacked road of Farncombe Estate, which we followed past the Fish Hotel, across their helipad and onto a well-defined footpath along the edge of Bibsworth Covert, which led us gently downhill to reach Broadway.
The footpaths skirted behind the High Street and houses and led us out to pastureland, where the quietly grazing sheep set a perfect English country scene.
Passing under the A44, we joined a disused railway track. The former Great Western Railway ran a line through Willersey as part of a route from Honeybourne to Cheltenham. This closed in 1960. Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Heritage railway has restored part of this line, from Cheltenham to Broadway, and they have shown interest in restoring the section from Broadway to Honeybourne.
Walking along the disused railway line back to Willersey was like a nature walk, with birdsong, wildflowers and moths and butterflies.
On reaching Willersey, a unanimous decision was made to retire to The New Inn for rehydration!
At the pub we were joined by visitors Beaky and Baggy. (For more information about Beaky and Baggy, please see Fran or Paul).
Rachel
5 miles
Not only The Who can see for miles and miles
Geoff & Rachel’s Short Ramble – 18 June
On one of the hottest days of the year, 16 members met at Hayles Farm, near Winchcombe. Despite roadworks and resurfacing, we set off on time. It was delightful to have the company of the Club’s President, Bob Foster, as he was visiting from Somerset.
Thankful for the shade given by Hailes Wood, we followed the Cotswold Way up to Farmcote. Farmcote, originally Ferncote, is derived from Fern and Coed, meaning a wood. Here we enjoyed a water stop and a look around the pretty little church of St Faith, with its amazing views.
Onwards and upwards to pass the Iron Age Beckbury Hill Fort to reach Beckbury Hill Monument, known as Cromwell’s Seat. Allegedly Thomas Cromwell watched Hailes Abbey destroyed from this lookout, but as the monument was built in the 19th Century, he would’ve been four centuries too late! Not only The Who could see for miles and miles, so could we as we enjoyed a coffee break.
A steady descent through grassy meadows watching butterflies enjoying the sunshine and being careful not to stand on orchids, led us to Wood Stanley, where we picked up the Winchcombe Way back to Hailes.
Pausing at the Abbey ruins, Rachel told us how it has links to Evesham through Simon de Montfort’s death at the Battle of Evesham.
On reaching the road, we came to Hailes Church. This tiny church is not dedicated to any Saint and contains some medieval wall paintings. These were covered to protect the church from the razing of churches, done in Henry 8th time. They were later uncovered and are in their original condition.
At the end of the walk 15 members enjoyed lunch at The Orchard Café, some even managing an ice cream afterwards.
Rachel
5.4 miles
It was hot
Paul and Fran’s Evening Ramble – 20 June
16 ERC members gathered in the car park of the Oak Pub at Upton Snodsbury, in searing heat, despite the early evening start time. We started by welcoming 3 new recruits, Poppy, Emma and Adele.
I had attempted to shorten the walk but was only able to trim it to 4.7 miles. So off we set in the direction of North Piddle, crossing many fields of different crops. Two of the fields, sadly, were planted across the paths so we had to do a bit of crop trampling. And in one field a couple of deer were spotted running away from us – don’t know what we had done to upset them. Our arrival in North Piddle came not a moment too soon as it afforded our first opportunity of shade as we walked through a wood and along a shaded lane.
But it wasn’t long before we were back in the open, crossing open, unshaded fields to Naunton Beauchamp, where we took the opportunity of shade in the churchyard there for a 5 minute break.
Off we headed towards Cowsden, passing by the new woodland, planted over last winter by the Heart of England Forest. It’s a lot of twigs sticking out of the fields at the moment, but I’m sure a substantial woodland will mature there in the coming years.
Our journey to Cowsden involved crossing more open fields, having to detour around the Jubilee Copse (planted in 1977) which is in such a state that you can’t walk it at the moment. Our detour involved climbing a gate bearing the sign ‘Private’ on the other side of it. I’m sure nobody noticed.
In Cowsden, the walk leader had to bend down to tie his boot laces. “What a view” our Chair exclaimed. I think she was talking about the rolling green fields towards Grafton and beyond….
The walk finished with a trek across some squelchy bog land (yeh, it was still boggy after weeks of sunshine and little rain, can’t believe what it will be like in winter!) back to our start Upton Snodsbury. We had covered 5.3 miles – still don’t know how the extra 0.6 miles came about.
12 of our group retired to the pub for food and or drinks and a well deserved cool down.
Thank you to everyone who attended.
Paul
5.3 miles
Bob, Bobbing Along!
Carl’s Sunday Ramble – 22 June
Arriving at our start point on a fine sunny morning, six on time and one arriving rally style just on time, we set off along the Gloucestershire Way.
The first couple of miles were a mix of up hill and down dale, though mostly uphill. Our route took us past the curiously named Needlehole until you realise that it is a former forge now converted into holiday cottages.
Continuing along the Gloucestershire Way through to Upper Cobberley we passed the site of the deserted medieval village. Nothing could be seen of the deserted village as it is now covered by a wood. Further on, arriving at Cockleford, we stopped at the café attached to the Green Dragon pub and had a drink (non-alcoholic) and cake. A particularly tame robin hopped from table to table and perched on a walking stick just a couple of feet away from Pat, Geoff and myself.
Refreshed, we passed by Cowley Manor and entered a park. Here I shushed everybody and pointed out a fox up ahead. It took a minute for people to realise that it was in fact a sculpture but, it did look realistic from a distance. The park also contained sculptures of a horse and a bull. Definite photo opportunities. Further along we came across a herd of alpacas which were real. These belonged to Cotswold Alpaca Park.
A picnic lunch was taken on the village green at Coberley. Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn rode through the village in 1535 and Charles II sheltered in the Rectory as he was fleeing his defeat at the Battle of Worcester.
After lunch we called in to the Church of St Giles which is noted for the burial of a horse, Lombard, who was the favourite charger of Sir Giles de Berkeley, who fought in the crusades.
Various field paths took us to the top of Wistley Hill with magnificent views of the Malverns, Bredon, Cheltenham and Cleeve Common. Parts of the Cotswold Way then took us back to cars.
Carl
am 6 miles – pm 4.8 miles