Winchcombe: Warden's Way Loop & Sudeley Castle

I can't say enough nice things about Winchcombe.  Its a lovely Cotswolds town with an ancient and interesting history, its surrounded by stunning walks, and the town has made a huge effort to make itself a ramblers dream.  They have been running a campaign called Winchcombe Welcomes Walkers for years- check out http://www.winchcombewelcomeswalkers.com/ - and its produced some outstanding trails- The Isbourne Way and The Winchcombe Way.  Combined with the Warden's Way and the legendary Cotswold Way, and you are really spoiled for choice.

Anyways, I've decided to do a series around the area.  I've already done a few reconnaissance missions in the area, and started today with a truly idyllic walk up towards the Belas Knap long barrow, but cutting short and heading over to the Warden's Way to descend down into the valley whilst overlooking the lovely Sudeley Castle.  All shot with my rubbish camera phone... but I tell you the light was absolutely golden and the green was....well....as green as the Cotswold Hills.  

Unexpected beauty from Oxenton to Woolstone

There are so many public walkways in the Cotswolds (and, well, the UK in general!), and I have made it my mission to try them all.  I decided to take a look at my Ordnance Survey map of the area last weekend, and picked out a circular route between two villages I knew nothing about and had never heard of:  Oxenton and Woolstone.  They are tucked away to the northwest of Winchcombe, right on the edge of the Cotswolds.  The villages are quite tiny, having only 30-40 houses each, and each having a beautiful church- Oxenton's hails from the 13th century and is in outstanding condition.

The walk was superb- extremely quiet, as I didn't see even one other rambler the entire time.  The views were magnificent as well, and the paths very well marked and managed.  Most of the walk, up to the top of Oxenton Hill and over Crane Hill, followed the Gloucestershire Way, so this could easily be extended as long as you like in either direction!

Stanton & Laverton Circular

I'd been meaning to take this walk for a while, as its only a few minutes from my house and I've never been to either village (apart from passing through on the GWR steam train with the kids).  Such beautiful views, and the villages couldn't have been nicer.  There were more horses on the roads than cars, snowdrops were popping everywhere, and you could smell the sweetness in the air coming off the grass.  I'll be back very soon!

Isn't it Swell?

As you probably guessed, this post is about Swell.  Well, to be  more precise, Upper Swell and Lower Swell.  And Stow-on-the-Wold.  Because its a very nice little walk from the centre of Stow through both of these villages, and is beautiful even on a cold, rainy, leaden-sky day....as evidenced below.

The River Dikler is pictured, where I spotted a brook trout (I tried to photograph it, but there was too much glare off the water) just by the old stone bridge.

We (my dog, and my eldest daughter- a 9-year old adventurer who comes on all these walks) also found a geocache on this walk, of which any true geocacher can spot the hiding place amongst these photos.  I won't give any further clues, apart from the fact that it was Swell, and we did Well.  If you can name it in a comment left on this blog, I shall buy you a pint of best bitter the next time you are in The Cotswolds.

The most widely accepted theory behind the name "Swell" is that it relates to a spring that rises in the grounds of the Abbotswood Estate to the north of the village and is an abbreviated version of "Our Lady's Well". The well can still be seen today.  It is pictured below, as a small stone ornamental arch over a natural well.

Sunset Over Cheltenham

If you live in or near Cheltenham, you've doubtless seen this view a hundred times.  And if you haven't, you've really been missing something!  I'm no photographer, but I do try to get some decent photos for those who don't live here but are curious.  I was up on Cleeve a little while ago with my dog, going for a night walk (its so clear up there, and there was a full moon, so its quite spectacular and very easy to walk around), and thought I'd try to capture the view.  Sadly, my little phone/camera can never really take in the scale nor the brilliance of the colours, but here they are anyways.  Hope you like them!