Walking the Cotswold Way, August 2016

Contents

The Cotswold Way
The Route
Terrain
Along the Way
Animal Life
Regional Architecture
Meeting the People
Historical Markers
The Finish

"Now the light falls across the open field, leaving the deep lane shuttered with branches, dark in the afternoon".
TS Eliot, East Coker

"Stand ye in the ways and see, ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls".
Jeremiah 6:16

In summer of 2015, Gordon and Alan completed the Coast to Coast Walk (opens in a new window), 200 miles in 15 days. For almost 11 months the obvious question, "What next?" remained unanswered. Then at last a decision was made: It would be the Cotswold Way, 100 miles in seven days.

The Cotswolds must be what people think of when they talk about "Beautiful Britain": Thatched cottages around the village green, bucolic rural scenery, magnificent stately mansions, and old churches, unchanged for hundreds of years.

Lying mostly within the county of Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds are formed by a limestone slab that has been forced upwards on the western side. To the east the slope is very gentle. In the west the highest parts stand some 300 meters above sea level, offering magnificent views to the west - as long as the weather cooperates, of course.

The Cotswold Way is a path that runs mostly along the western edge, where in places the hills form a sheer wall. Several towns and villages lie below the edge. The path winds up and down the escarpment, exposing the walker to many of the highlights of the region. One result is that the route is quite steep in places. The hilly sections can be quite windy too, although on our walk we saw only a single windmill.

The path stretches from Chipping Campden in the north to Bath in the south, although walkers cover it in either direction. Here is a map of the route (opens in a new window) that shows our overnight stops and pub breaks.

Perhaps the first thing walkers notice is a change in the color of buildings as they progress, reflecting changes in the local limestone. Near Chipping Campden the houses are a warm honey color. Further south the stone is a more somber grey, but on reaching Bath it regains some of the golden hue seen in the north.

Chipping Campden, our starting point, is one of the most beautiful towns in a beautiful region. In the center of town is the Market Hall, built in 1627. The building has been left mostly unchanged since then. The roof has been rebuilt, but in the original style.

Outside the market hall is an old milepost - 100 miles to Bath. The Cotswold Way officially begins (or ends) at a limestone marker, featuring the T.S. Eliot quotation (above), and listing the major sights along the way (including the M4 motorway? Really?)

The finishing point is the city of Bath, equally beautiful in its way, built beside the River Avon. Bath was a popular spa during the Roman occupation of Britain, though most of the important buildings date to the 18th and 19th centuries. The Cotswold Way officially ends (or begins) at Bath Abbey. Outside the abbey is a limestone marker, similar to the one in Chipping Campden, containing the Jeremiah quotation (above).

Much of the route uses pedestrian rights of way, a feature that makes walking in England so enjoyable. Rights of way are defined by law, but are based on hundreds of years of established custom. The paths form an elaborate network in rural areas, and woe betide any landowner who tries to block them. Often they follow the edge of a field, but sometimes they cut through the middle. On three occasions they crossed ploughed fields, which made the walking quite difficult.

Unlike the coast to coast route, where finding the way was often tricky, the route is well marked by signposts, displaying the National Trust acorn. Even in towns the signposts were evident. They were frequently supplemented by arrow markers attached to gates or stiles, including a marker on this unique rabbit ear gate post.

On some of the high points we were able to interpret our surroundings with the aid of topographs or information boards that pointed out features in the landscape.

Notwithstanding the signage, it was easy to become confused. Sometimes a critical sign seemed to be missing. At one intersection of six different trails there was no handy signpost. As with Coast to Coast, we were often grateful to have a GPS receiver with the route plotted.

A major difference between Cotswold Way and Coast to Coast is the terrain. Much of the latter involved rocky trails that were soul crushing and sole destroying. While some of Cotswold Way involves stony paths, much more uses grassy trails across meadows.

One unusual section of the trail was bordered by high banks covered with ferns. Some trails were very narrow, often overgrown with stinging nettles. Once we found a handy bench along a trail, and took advantage of it.

The walk is more than a gentle stroll. Stiles, a ubiquitous feature of trails through farmland, require some clambering. Some were made of wood, some of stone, some even of iron.

Hills are inescapable, but none were as bad as the worst we encountered on Coast to Coast. The most exhausting climb occurred at the end of one day, when we turned a corner and saw in front of us yet another obstacle. The climb was tough, but the view from the top made it worthwhile.

The next day we voluntarily exposed ourselves to another serous climb. At the top of a steep hill was a monument to William Tyndale, who was born and lived nearby. After a tough climb we opted to climb another 120 steps to the top. Again, the view over the countryside was worth it.

The difficulty of the walk depends in part on the weather one encounters. Generally we were very fortunate. The first day was quite foggy, which spoils the view sometimes. Even fog, though, can create an interesting view, and add charm to an otherwise mundane scene.

The afternoon of the third day brought thunder, heavy rains, and mud. Cattle sought whatever shelter they could find, but we kept walking. Later, as the weather cleared around us, we noticed a line of showers further to the west, but they never reached us.

A walk through the countryside necessarily involves hazards more serious than rain. One learns to ignore warnings of bulls, but to stay away from quarries. Signs warn of other hazards, although the golfers we came across seemed harmless enough.

The most significant dangers, we thought, were encountered on public roads that make up some of the route. Once or twice we were required to walk along a busy highway. Worse, some roads were so narrow they effectively permitted only one way traffic, with no space for pedestrians.

Towards the end of our walk we came across a sobering marker. We discovered later that Sarah died of an undiagnosed heart condition, not any of the hazards listed here.

In fairness, we should point out that walkers were well looked after just about everywhere.

As the Cotswold Way winds up and down along the escarpment, it provides views of rolling hills, and of small villages in the valleys. The route takes the walker across hay fields occupied by grazing sheep, and passes by remote farms. Part of the route crosses moor-like common land. Much of the route provided excellent opportunities for Gordon to indulge in a little geocaching.

The rural scenery includes small cottages, picturesque old barns, and feeding troughs for livestock. In addition to scenes that might have been here many years ago, we encountered two crops that we would not have seen 50 years ago, maize (corn) and grapes.

The most pleasant walking was across pastures used for grazing. The pastures were dotted with handsome trees, which can form a frame for distant views. Warm afternoons were made cooler by stretches of beech woods.

The beech woods that are common to the Cotswolds are more attractive than woods we encountered on the Coast to Coast walk. They seemed to be brighter, more open, and more inviting.

We did encounter occasional woods other than beech. A pine plantation was clearly used for logging. And near Dursley we saw one tree that looked like a sequoia of the kind found in the American north west.

Every few miles the route passes through a village or a small town. In the northern section of the route, villages such as Broadway and Stanton show the same golden hue as Chipping Campden.

We rarely had time to explore buildings in the towns and villages. One place that Gordon regretted not seeing was the Ashmolian museum in Broadway, since Elias Ashmole was a school mate of his (well, sort-of, predating him by 300 years).

Further south North Nibley and Old Sodbury are typical examples of Gloucestershire villages, quaint names and all.

When we passed through Wotton-Under-Edge we noticed hanging flower baskets lining the main streets. An interesting building in the center of town is the almshouse, bequeathed to the town in 1634 to support "six poor men and six poor women".

Perhaps in contrast to the almshouse was the obvious affluence of some villages, e.g., Alderley. It was apparent that many of the most picturesque buildings, originally simple lodging for local farmworkers, had been greatly improved and were probably used as weekend cottages.

The character of some of the towns was marked by a number of half-timbered houses, including one that was inviting restoration.

The finest sights are those provided whenever the trail reaches a high point on the escarpment. Over the course of seven days the view gradually changes. At first it is dominated by the Malvern Hills, with the Brecon Beacons in Wales occasionally visible behind them to the south. About half way through the walk the estuary of the River Severn becomes apparent, with the Malverns and the Brecon Beacons in the background.

A little later the route comes closer to the Severn, so that one can see the Severn Bridge bearing the M4 motorway into Wales. Then, as the route approaches Bath, the view changes again. The scenery becomes more and more urban until one enters the city itself.

There is little wildlife to be seen along the trail - there was one possible sighting of a fox. Birds were an exception. We came across a flock of grouse at one point, and for several miles near Hawsbury-Upton we saw numerous pheasants. A local land owner informed us that the pheasants were stocked by the Duke of Beaufort, a notable supporter of hunting, presumably to keep his guests happy.

The most friendly bird we saw was a robin that approached us while we were sitting outside a pub in Stanton.

A concern for birds was evidenced by an elegant tower beside the trail that was built in 2000 for swallows and barn owls, which like to nest in old buildings. Perhaps with the tendency to renovate old buildings throughout the Cotswolds, suitable nesting sites are becoming rare.

Of course, wherever one finds the English one finds dogs. In any kind of weather there would be walkers with dogs, not necessarily their own.

We met one woman with a pair of Labradors that were helping themselves to blackberries - the blackberries were very good. Gordon was intrigued, since he had owned a Labrador (George) who did the same thing, testimony to the soft mouth of a lab.

The dogs we encountered were generally friendly. Two sheep dogs followed us as we walked through a farm. We tried to discourage them by closing a gate on them, but they found a way around.

The Englishman's love of dogs was evidenced by this statue outside a house in Chipping Campden.

Although wildlife was rare, agricultural livestock was abundant. Every day we crossed pastures containing cattle, on one occasion threatening to prevent the free exercise of our right of way. After some friendly negotiation they agreed to move. We learned later that the friendly approach was well advised. In recent years several hikers have been injured, even killed, by angry cows.

The cattle seemed mostly to be Black Herefords, although we were surprised one day to find Belted Galloways (Belties) relaxing in a park.

The first day of our hike we witnessed a strange event involving cattle. We noticed a farmer walking across a field, and a herd of cattle following. With the farmer was a cow and a calf. Then the bull who was leading the rest of the herd stopped, and the whole herd (minus cow and calf) stopped too. A few minutes later cow and calf returned, without the farmer. We were unable to interpret what was happening.

One other event involved cattle. The views to the west were dominated for much of one day by large industrial buildings. We found out that it is a plant for producing milk and milk products. Is this where our milk and cheese were coming from? Were the cattle we saw along the way merely to enhance the scenery?

One of our goals for this walk was to find the "Cotswold Lion". This animal is in fact a sheep, with a fleece that takes on a rather leonine appearance (photo opens in a new window). There was no shortage of sheep along the way. There were white sheep, sheep with black faces, even all black sheep. But no lion. Perhaps it was too soon after shearing time, and the leonine effect was missing.

We did encounter one unusual sheep, looking more like a bulldog than a lion, and wearing a harness. It turns out that the harness is used on rams at mating time. The chest pocket contains chalk, and in this way the ram marks every ewe that enjoys his affections.

Apart from cattle and sheep, large parts of the Cotswolds are given over to raising horses. Often they were elegant riding horses, sometimes wearing coats. The weather being quite warm, this was a little surprising. It turns out that they are used to protect a horse from flies.

We also came across a number of working horses, who always seem to exhibit a sense of grandeur. In the village of Alderley we saw a dray horse being fed in the yard of a house. A little further along we came across a friendly riding horse. A few minutes later the woman caring for the dray brought it to join the other. Both were pleased to see each other.

On two occasions we encountered horses with riders. On a narrow trail we had to maneuver to pass by a group of three. Then as we crossed a busy highway, we noticed two young women on horseback, with a third being led, crossing the road behind us - an unusual sight.

Two other sights illustrated how seriously horses are taken in this area. Along the side of the trail was a line of hurdles, presumably to give horses a workout. Later we saw the most elegant horse van one can imagine.

The attractiveness of the Cotswolds depends not only on the natural environment, but on the buildings as well. In every town and village there were old churches, usually with a tower rather than a spire. If we had time, the churches and the churchyards were well worth exploring.

We have already mentioned the widespread use of thatching. Where a thatched roof was once a mark of poverty, it is now a sign of affluence. Note the peacock on the roof of this house. It is an important part of the thatching - a trade mark of sorts that advertises the skills of the thatcher.

In addition to the lovely old cottages, there were a number of beautifully kept newer houses. In one section of Winchcombe, surrounded by older houses, was this very modern house. Perhaps it was owned by someone who enjoyed the area but did not enjoy the hassle of owning a historic building. Everywhere the houses and cottages, lovely enough as they were, might be further adorned with flowers.

The affluence of the region is evident in the several mansions we passed. Some are now publicly owned, such as Dyrham Park, which probably looks familiar from films and TV series. Others are still in private hands. Dodington Park is owned by the inventor James Dyson, although the Cotswold Way cuts across the park, which makes up one of the most attractive sections of the route.

There was one mansion we encountered only indirectly. Walking across a stretch of pasture we noticed to the east something that made us think we might be in Yellowstone Park. Upon further investigation it turned out to be a fountain on the grounds of Stanway House.

The aspect of English architecture with which we became most familiar was the pub. Every day we sought out a convenient pub just past half way where we could take a break and check the map. If the weather was good we usually had our crisps and half pint in the garden. If there was no convenient pub, we made do with some alternative such as a golf club.

In addition to a lunch break, we often ate dinners at a local pub. We found in general that the standard of cooking in the English pub has improved a great deal in recent years.

The English take their recreation seriously. Three days of our walk took place during a bank holiday weekend. When the trail emerged at a busy roundabout, we realized how many head for the country to celebrate the holiday. Once we were away from the highway, we still encountered some crowds, picnicking near a car park or walking their dogs. Many couples, though, found a quieter spot to relax.

We noted the determination to have a good time on other occasions. A couple had climbed a very steep hill near Broadway to enjoy the view, and a little fog was not going to stop them.

One activity we missed was a remarkable event that takes place at Coopers Hill, near Painswick. This is the site of the annual cheese rolling (video opens in a new window), a truly "extreme sport". It takes place in May, so the course was closed when we passed by.

Of course there are other activities available. The western edge of the Cotswolds is probably an ideal place for paragliding. A less risky way of passing time, rather unusual for the English perhaps, was a game of bocce.

On a couple of occasions we came across indications of how young people manage to enjoy the natural environment. In the woods was a very elaborate hut someone had constructed.

Then, as we left Wotton-Under-Edge we followed a stream for a way. We met a couple of boys who had been exploring the stream, and who were pleased to show us what they had found. Shortly afterwards we came across this cautionary sign, probably placed by the same boys.

One also can learn something about a population from the messages people leave behind. We don't know who Enzo and the others are, but they had worked hard to be remembered. Someone else felt inspired to leave a cheerful message on a gate.

A more depressing message had been left by town authorities in a churchyard, where we observed that a number of gravestones had been tipped over. The "health and safety" warning was attached to each one.

Throughout the Cotswolds people have left messages of a kind that have endured for a long time. For example, the English civil war left its scars near Bath on the battlefield of Lansdown. The site of the 1643 battle is marked by metal flags.

One hundred years before that, Henry VIII had marked the countryside with the destruction of the abbeys. We passed by Hailes Abbey, one such set of ruins.

Much earlier, during the iron age, inhabitants of the Cotswolds protected their domains with extensive forts that still dot the region. And over 5,000 years ago neolithic humans created long barrows, or burial sites, that exist still.

Belas Knap is one of the best known of these barrows. What looks like an entrance here is in fact a false entrance, presumably designed to confuse grave robbers. There are three true entrances that have been explored (although they are closed off now). Nympsfield barrow is another that has been well preserved.

Gordon had read of another barrow with the marvelous name of Hetty Pegler's Tump, which he suggested was worth a side trip. To get there involved a half mile walk along a busy road and some further bush whacking, which led only to what looked like an undistinguished lump covered with weeds.

Worse, to get back to the trail involved a treacherous descent over a very steep slope. The disappointment was capped when Gordon realized later that the true barrow was actually in a field adjacent to the weedy lump.

A few days earlier Gordon had suggested we take a promising shortcut to reach our B&B. After almost reaching our goal, the shortcut turned out to be much longer than anticipated. Alan was learning not to trust Gordon's suggestions.

On the seventh day we reached Bath.

We entered the city by Victoria Park, and reached The Circus, a celebrated example of Georgian architecture.

In the center of town, streets are lined with classic shop fronts. We ended up in a busy pedestrian section, and headed for the west front of the abbey. There, standing on the limestone marker, we congratulated ourselves on another memorable achievement.

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