Tag Archives: Gloucestershire

Summer Walks

In recent weeks I have been making the most of the good weather and have embarked on some walks in the local area. The distance varies but, at present, my walks have been between 7 and 9 miles.

A Circular walk from Chastleton

My latest was a round trip of roughly 8 miles. I parked my car near Chastleton House, a National Trust property and set off towards Cornwell then making my way to Daylesford Organic for my lunch stop. There is a bridleway which cuts through the Daylesford Estate which emerges just along the road from the farm shop. A good point for walkers is that there are several walking routes on the estate that are well signposted. Visitors are encouraged to use these footpaths, a good excuse to visit the farm shop for something to eat before going on one of the walks.

St Nicholas Church, Lower Oddington, Gloucestershire

After Daylesford I walked along one of the “newly” marked footpaths to Lower Oddington before crossing the A436 to reach Adlestrop a quaint hamlet which once had a railway station.

The station sign for the long gone Adlestrop station

The railway station at Adlestrop was in existence from 1853 until 1966. All that remains is the station sign which can be found by the bus shelter.The station was immortalised by Edward Thomas in his poem following his train stopping at the station on 24 June 1914.

Stone corbel on the edge of a window in the parish church of St Mary Magdalene in the Gloucestershire hamlet of Adlestrop

As I walked around Adlestrop I came across this tap set into the wall of one of the houses. A small plaque informs passers by that this tap was the source of fresh water for the villagers up to the 1950s.

A disused water tap can be found by the wall of a house in the Gloucestershire hamlet of Adlestrop.

Upper Slaughter

Whilst Lower Slaughter on the banks of the River Eye is perhaps more well known and photogenic its neighbour the village of Upper Slaughter about one mile up the road also has some photogenic buildings and things to see. Here is a brief gallery of 6 images taken on my recent walk there.

I parked my car in Lower Slaughter before that day’s tourists arrived so needless to say also took some photographs of this village too. Having left the car there I undertook about an 8 mile walk.

Cotswold Lavender

At this time of year, July/August, the lavender fields at Cotswold Lavender are in flower. They make a spectacular sight, who needs to go to Provence to see lavender in all its glory?

In addition to the lavender the company have also set aside an area for wildflowers to grow. They are just as photogenic as the lavender! The fields attract a lot of visitors who, armed with selfie sticks, sit down among the rows and photograph themselves. A lot of the women wear sun hats and summer dresses to contrast with the purple of the lavender. Picking and processing starts in August.

A link to the website can be found here:- https://www.cotswoldlavender.co.uk

Crickley Hill

Crickley Hill Country Park is a National Trust run open space lying to the south of the Regency town of Cheltenham close to the Air Balloon public house and roundabout on the A417.

Open all year round with a lovely cafe with friendly staff and clean toilets it is a great place to go for a walk with or without a dog. In the park itself our four legged friends require to be on leads, however, there are parts where they can run free. Belted Galloway cattle graze on the NT land, hence the request for dogs to be on leads.

Panoramic view from Crickley Hill Country Park near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

The views from the escarpment are spectacular looking towards the Malvern Hills and in the distance the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains in Wales can be seen on a clear day.

Closer to the park Gloucestershire Airport at Staverton is clearly visible its three runways being a legacy of its use as an airfield in WW2.

View of Gloucestershire Airport from Crickley Hill Country Park.