2nd December 2012 - Cleeve Hill

A shortish walk from 'Pub Walks along the Cotswold Way' (see 11th April this year for previous expedition from this book),  4.5 miles on a clear, but fresh day.  The book was published in 1996, which may partly explain why we feel that the route description did not really work for some of this walk.  Specifically, the second half should have been on the Cotswold Way, which is places is the same as the Winchcombe Way, and although we used some common sense to find our way back to the Golf Clubhouse which was at the start of the walk (on very open terrain), it was impossible to later reconcile the route as described and mapped in the book, with existing paths as shown on OS maps, aerial views, or anything we could find on the ground.

These were views over the Severn Valley to the Malvern Hills.  We also got great views of Cheltenham, both city and racecourse, during the first half of the walk.  The second half was rather dull.  Lovely pint and toasted sandwich in the clubhouse at the end for which we were mysteriously undercharged!

Sunday November 18th - The Marlborough Downs

Lovely bright (and warmer than expected) November day, and a walk from Barbury Castle, ending with a 5 mile stroll up the Ridgeway back to the car park.  Enjoyed what was 'Ellie's Birthday Celebration Walk' with a birthday cake on the way round (well a Sainsbury Iced Muffin).  Surfaces a bit dodgy in places, but 10.6 miles from WW3 mostly lovely open view, quite a few people, and lots of interest.

Saturday November 3rd - Kennett and Avon Canal

M's idea... found a very pleasant 8.5 mile walk from WW1, with dry, walkable surfaces.  Enough to interest us (if not stunning), and all dire weather predictions proved unfounded, so a really enjoyable day out.

 Sham Castle

 Soooo slippery

 The perfect end...

Saturday October 27th 2012: Blaise and Kingsweston

Taking advantage of a rare wonderfully clear day to see some autumn leaves, this was 4.25 miles from Walk West 3, in a familiar area, but discovering new paths and new views.

 The graveyard at Blaise Church includes this slave, dead at 18. Did his master love him too much?

 Great trees, especially beeches, lit up this walk.

 Margie in the Grotto!

 Wonderful view from 'Lover's Leap' of a dramatic gorge

 Blaise Castle, and the Folly of using self-timer.

 Kingsweston House - rather drab.

 Old stables (and pond above) on the road section

 These two pictures illustrate what a picturesque stroll this was.  We will return!

Sunday October 14th 2012: Little Solsbury Hill

One of the most beautiful walks we have done, but because of the terrain one of the hardest.  10.5 miles, very 'undulating' was the challenge we were looking forward to, but we didn't count on the mud. 

We had just walked into our first field, about 5 minutes into the walk, when we met a group of 3 local dogwalkers. When we told them where we were going they said 'No you can't get through that way, it's a bog'.  (They all had wellies or boots on, clearly no mugs).  We expressed the idea that we would be ok because we had boots and sticks and things, and one of them said rather dismissively 'You'll need waders if you try to get through down there' (referring to our planned path).  Well, this did not unduly perturb us (see last week's blog entry for evidence of doughtiness), but the muddy path we found ourselves on was given another twist we we encountered the  'Marshfield Mudlark'.  This annual event is a run, on a muddly cross-country path, partly through and on our planned route. 

We therefore had to cope with a steward who was trying to ensure that the army of runners got through a stile before we had a go (some assertive getting in line eventually helped us show that walkers did not have to be at the bottom of the pecking order).   The runners, (and two clearer-uppers collecting waymarking stakes) were soon away from us and we continued to try to progess on our route, but oh it was so difficult.  In lots of places the thick, deep, slippery mud meant extremely slow and uncomfortable progress, and it was generally clear that this walk was going to feel like much more than the stated distance.

We ended up completing it in 7 hours (Geoff Mullett had estimated 5.5) with about half an hour stops.  I think this was commendable... even though after the first quarter of the walk the conditions improved a lot, there were still many places, including the return half of the loop, where the walking was uncomfortable and stilted, coping with soft fields in which cows had churned the surface to the point where you constantly had to watch your footing, to avoid tussocks, deep muddy puddles, and cowpats.

This is a rather negative summary of a walk with lots of positives, mostly wonderful valley views, distant views from the perimeter of Little Solsbury Hill,

some great houses, 

an interesting variety of livestock,

 including several flocks of Jacob Sheep (brown ones) and quite a few people on the way round to chat to.

Oh.... and Margie got a muddy bum!