Cotswold Way - Painwick

The trip from Birdlip to Painswick was reasonably short. Less than 10mi (16km) and most of it was through beautiful beech woodland.

One of my stops was Cooper’s Hill. If you recall, I mentioned the Gloucester cheese back in Winchcombe. Well, this very popular cheese makes an even bigger appearance each spring when a collection of brave or maybe a little crazy individuals engage in a 200-yard race down the extremely steep Cooper’s Hill chasing a roll of Double Gloucester cheese. As you might imagine, First Aid officers and plenty of ambulances are on standby. But the winner gets to keep the cheese. 

Painswick is a picturesque town that originally grew from wool trading. It is also the midpoint of the Cotswold Way. Located on a hill overlooking Painswick Valley, the town has narrow streets and typical Cotswold stone architecture. The local parish churchyard is known for its ancient and beautifully manicured yew trees. A pyramidal tomb stands out amongst the trees and the local post office occupies a 15th century half-timbered building.
 

Northeast of town is the 18th century Rococo Garden. Originally established during the Rococo period, when palatial homes and gardens were built and decorated with flamboyance and extravagance, this grand garden was a playground for entertainment and partying. As fashions changed, so did the garden until it was abandoned in the 1950s and over the succeeding decades it was left to overgrow. Restoration began in the late 20th century bringing it back to its original layout. A 1748 painting of the original garden was used as the basis of the restoration. Today, the garden is the only surviving Rococo Garden open to the public complete with a maze, a hidden valley and surrounded by woodland.

 

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Cotswold Way - Birdlip

 I left Winchcombe with a belly full of crumbly cheese and walked through the fields to Belas Knap Long Barrow. From a distance it looked like a long hilly mound, but it is actually a Neolithic burial chamber with a false door at the front. Encircled by a drystone wall, entrance was from the side. It’s believed to have been built around 3000 BC with four different chambers and a circle of stones in the centre. The chambers were discovered to contain the remains of human skeletons from the Bronze Age. 

 

Much as I enjoy open fields and the cool breeze, I get most excited when I see woodland such as the one that I am approaching. I reached a timber gate hinged on a drystone wall with purple wildflowers to my left and a ‘common hawthorn’ tree to my right. The red berry-like fruit called ‘haws’ found on the tree are an important food source for birds and the petals used to be a common cooking ingredient in medieval England. For the next mile, the trail narrowed as dappled sunlight filtered through the foliage of the woodland. Low lying shrubs and grasses lined the path with the occasional fern making an appearance.
 

Back in the daylight, the path led me to Cleeve Hill with its expansive views across the countryside, towards Cheltenham and Bishops Cleeve. At 1,080ft (330m), the hill is the highest point in the Cotswolds. Nearby is the ‘Single Beech’ or ‘lonely beech’, the highest tree in the Cotswolds. A memorial wall surrounds the tree, with plaques in memory of those who were fond of the area.

Passing the Prestbury Hill Butterfly Reserve, it is known for the musk orchid and the bee orchid, and the southern portion of the reserve is home to more than thirty different species of butterflies such as the Duke of Burgundy that can only be found in England and the gorgeous Peacock with its eyespots and burnt-orange wings.

Descending to Dowdeswell Reservoir, one of few places where clawed crayfish can still be found, I continued through Lineover Wood. Known for its beech trees, this native beauty of southern England was used for furniture making and its nuts were roasted as a tasty treat and pressed for oil to fuel lamps.

Winding my way over farmland, I passed by the hamlet of Seven Springs, where a contentious discussion continues to take place as some believe it is the true source of the River Thames. Back up the hill with more gorgeous views of Cheltenham and the Severn Vale, I follow the escarpment onto Leckhampton Hill, and its distinctive limestone rock formation known as the Devil’s Chimney.

The rest of my journey on this section took me over a few more up and down hills, past the Crickley Hill Country Park with its many trails for outdoor exploration and plenty of woodland to get lost in. I finished my trip at the local pub in Birdlip and settled on a hearty chicken, mushroom and leek pie and elderflower spritzer with a dash of grenadine.

 

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Cotswold Way - Winchcombe

Following the acorn waymarker, I found myself on the Mile Drive, unsurprisingly a mile long trail section running like a canal through a mix of woodland and farmland. Carefully crossing over the A44, I entered a small section of heavily wooded area running parallel to the road. It doesn’t last long and then I’m back in the open fields, gently ascending a hill until I reach Broadway Tower, a classic folly with expansive views from the top.

Down the hill I went into the pretty village of Broadway. The main street is lined with red chestnut trees and Cotswold stone shops, galleries, and eateries. Broadway is closely linked to the Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries when artists and writers were drawn to the village’s tranquil atmosphere and away from the bustling industrial cities.

Climbing up onto the escarpment, I followed a broad track lined with trees on one side and fenced pasture on the other. At one point the track narrowed, to barely the width of my foot and was fenced on both sides. Widening once again, I arrived at Shenberrow Hill, the third highest point on this journey.
  

Following a steep descent into the village of Stanton and its small population of 198, I wandered through the quiet street and back out again into the countryside. It is hailed as one of the prettiest and most unspoiled villages in the Cotswolds and it is very pretty indeed.
  

I wound my way towards Winchcombe, first on a well paved country road and then through meadows with no obvious trail except for the marker posts guiding my way. Sections of drystone walls delineate the meadows from farmlands. These wall structures are perfectly stacked without mortar in-between and yet are amazingly strong. The base is usually 2ft (60cm) wide narrowing near the top to just 14 inches (35cm). Small stones are used to fill the gaps and a row of upright stones complete the wall. The lack of mortar allows air to go through the stones, keeping them dry. Well-built walls can last several hundred years as can be seen all throughout the UK.
  

My final stop on this section was the medieval town of Winchcombe. Dating to the Roman days, this once walled town grew to prominence during the Anglo-Saxon period. The main street is lined with a mix of 15th century timber-frame and limestone buildings.

Here, I’ll be looking for a place to indulge my taste buds with Double and Single Gloucester semi-hard cheese, some crackers, and a Gloucestershire cider. It is no surprise that both are closely associated with the Cotswolds given the many manufacturers and breweries found in the region.

 

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