Rambling Pete

The Cotswold Way 2011

 

Day two dawned sunny and bright but the forecast was for chill winds, which was good for me as it meant I didn’t have to carry my woolie – I just wore it for most of the day. A fine night was spent with good food at Wesley House on the main street, and a top breakfast meant I didn’t really need lunch today – just a snack or two, and as it was a shorter day with less ups and downs, I was happy to not march on my stomach. As seems to be the usual I wandered out along the streets of Winchcombe passing by some very impressive mansions before emerging out onto the first pasture of the day. Down the field I met my first dog walker of the day, a glamorous lady with fur coat wrapped around her shoulders and dog lead wrapped around her legs - she was only slightly embarrassed. The first uphill was a long gentle stretch on the main drive leading to Corndean Hall, passing by the local cricket pitch, with the drive lined by newly planted poplars, and then cutting up the hillside across open fields, higher and higher towards Belas Knap long barrow. The shorter mileage left me with time to dawdle but I still finished relatively early at 3pm. The livestock around here sure are lazy as they all seem to be lying down whilst chewing the cud – they make me feel positively energetic. I watched a good dog fight between a buzzard and two crows, and later on a watched another dog fight between two planes, so I spent some time gazing skyward today.  A National Trust sign directed me towards the barrow, and it's a shame they didn't have one in the field before as the National Trail markers direct you along the field edges - the ones in the know cut right up the middle of the field saving time and legs. Down below in the valley I spied Sudeley Castle - a fine place to visit if time permits, surrounded by large trees and plenty of parkland. The barrow at Belas Knap is a shrine built about 2500BC, and was used for burials, probably over a long period of time, until the barrow was blocked off. Excavations revealed 38 bodies buried here, together with some animal bones, flint tools and pottery. There is a false entrance that faces to the NW - but it didn't lead anywhere and was probably a metaphorical 'two fingers' to deter tomb robbers - maybe, I have been known to be very wrong. There are 3 chambers on view and a grassy one on the southern end, with the barrow top tapering gracefully backwards from the horned front, like an upturned boat. The views from here were good over the plains towards the Malvern Hills with the Black Mountains way in the distance – pretty much the same views as yesterday as the Cotswold Way winds itself around – by the time I’d walked 6 miles, I wasn’t much more than a couple of miles from Winchcombe.

leaving Winchcombe

the main drive up to Corndean Hall

looking back down on Winchcombe

to the barrow

the false entrance - the horny end

one of the rebuilt side chambers

the view from the side, with one of the chambers in view

 

the approach to Breakheart Plantation

After the mound it was a bound across fields and onto a farm track between hedgerows – not much to see so I tuned in the I-Pod for a while, and watched a dogfight overhead as the planes glinted in the sunlight, as did the power lines. I had a pleasant descent down through the Breakheart Plantation – breaks your heart losing all the height you’d walked up earlier. The path slaloms down the scarp slope steeply before skirting the hillside, under a wonderful canopy of fresh green beech tree leaves, dappled sunlight lighting the way, and an escaped Peony (herbaceous plant not a pony) glowing bright pink in the woods - bizarre but very welcome. Leaving the woods the ground rose up over a spur across pasture and another farm lane before turning on the road once more towards Poslip Hall. A very grand building which the way skirts around before rising up to Cleeve Hill. I passed more 'strip lytchets' behind the hall and a spring welling up from the base of the hill very cooling to dip the hands in and splash the face, but I didn't try the taste. A steady walk uphill along dusty white tracks led me up to a limestone promontory that has a golf course, as well as many paths across the common land. It's £20 to renew a hacking licence for the common, so don't pretend to be a horse clip clopping along - you may have to bin those coconut husks. The golf club was handy to nip in and top up with water, and another twix jumped into my hands, as if by magic, and because it was sunny I had to munch it down before it melted. The path follows around the edge of Cleeve Hill and eventually I had a grand view down over Cheltenham, especially the racecourse – it’s massive, and very green, and it must be a great site to look down on when the Cheltenham Festival races are on in March - I suppose you could hear the roar of the crowd as the first race starts or the first Irish winner comes in. Winchcombe was still in site as well even though I'd left it hours ago. The path keeps to the edge of the common, passing by quarried edges with steep sides down to many woods, with some well positioned benches for somewhere to sit and ponder. As I got to Cleeve Cloud there are double banks and ditches marking the position of an old fort – cut into by the odd putting green - nearly as difficult to play as Painswick GC. Here the path started to drop down the hillside, I passed by by a twitcher who was waiting patiently for a bird that had been reported here the day before - he was a bit miffed when I told him I was walking the Cotswold Way as I might disturb his target.

 

mature beech trees provide lovely dappled light

Poslip Hall below Cleeve Hill

up to Cleeve Hill - easy to follow tracks

looking back on my route today

the view down over Bishops Cleeve with the Bredon Hills in the distance

and looking down over the famous Cheltenham racecourse of Prestbury Park

another view down over Cheltenham

hillfort banks and ditches which the golf club have used

From Cleeve Hill I entered Prestbury Hill reserve - home to lots of butterflies judging by the information board, and also home to a burnt out shell of a car, high up in the hedge - good driving. The path then entered a farmtrack with high hedges and lovely soft springy grass, followed by a section of burnt gorse either side, with the tr ack emerging at a ravaged piece of land - frequented by the 4x4 brigade, who must have great fun negotiating all the steep little ups and downs - it must be a hell of a muddy hole when it's been wet. Once I’d left Cleeve Hill it was a long plod of 3 or 4 miles down to Dowdeswell Wood – all on a mix of field walking, leafy lanes and dusty farmtracks – a little tedious as the views didn’t change much, and one set of crops is the same as the last – but enjoyable all the same and easy on the legs, knees and feet. Not much wildlife again, but a few more butterflies trying to keep warm – the only one to keep still long enough for a picture was Nemo the butterfly – you know the one – white and orange. Just after a small farm the path drops down at the edge of the woods in wonderful dappled light, quite steeply in places, before arriving at another lane and a bungalow. This had a sign outside proudly announcing that the pub was shut, and be sure to get your tea here. Although I was sorely tempted I carried on down the lane to the reservoir to the Reservoir Inn but it was as the sign said - closed, so I just walked down the road to Charlton Kings, pick up my lift to Cheltenham to check in early and wash my stinking feet! You should have seen the look on the B&B owners face - not impressed, and to be honest nor was I - they were minging. The weather set fair again for the next few days but the thunder clouds will be looming large by Saturday…another relaxing day, and feeling good.

the twitchers were hanging around here

very dry lanes led me away from Cleeve Hill

a very dry 4x4 track - must be fun in the wet

I bet there's been a few stuck in here

farm lanes and minor roads led me along the top of the scarp slope to the south of Cleeve Hill

a bunny eared gatepost led me to Colgate Farm

the path down to Dowdeswell Reservoir

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