The Cotswold Way: Leg 8
Cooper’s Hill to The Edgemoor Inn 5.92 miles
Sunday 28th April, 10am
Moving time 2:08:51
Elevation gain 920 ft
13,872 steps
Our route today
Starting at the bottom of Cheese Roll Hill on Cooper’s Hill, Gloucestershire
This leg sees us meet in the lay-by opposite the Edgemoor Inn and set off for our start at the bottom of the Cheese Roll on Cooper’s Hill. Parking in the tiny car park is interesting today as a car had already parked right in the middle, leaving us to have to navigate the weirdly hilly uneven terrain in order to park. There are six of us ready to set off in the rain and murky conditions, we continue our challenge on the footpath to the right of the hill and up to the top to admire the view, after some more undulating paths we then we descend steeply.
Imagine throwing yourself down this hill chasing a cheese! It was a lot steeper than it looks in the photo! We all needed a bit of a breather to recover from the climb.
Nice view despite the murky weather.
Nordic Walking through beautiful beech woods with a carpet of bluebells and wild garlic scenting the air, good for the soul!
Most of the first part of the route today is on undulating paths through beautiful scenery, beech woodland features highly.
Wood Melick in Buckholt Wood (top left)
After crossing the A46 we pause for a snack and discover a fungi fairy ring! Moving on to more undulating paths through the bright green leafy canopy of the emerging beech trees.
Finally the paths flatten out and we find ourselves walking through Painswick golf course on the Painswick Beacon. Painswick Beacon is a rare grassland rich with many species of rare herbs and flowers, beetles and butterflies.
After the inclement weather at the start we spot some blue skies whilst walking through the golf course! If you want to know more about the history of this interesting golf course and the Painswick Beacon visit this website. www.painswickgolf.com/history
Some of the early purple orchids (just one of three orchid species to be found on Painswick Beacon) and cowslip on the Painswick Beacon
The path then leads from the golf course past the disused Catbrain Quarry, which now houses the Meister Stone Masonry company. Stone from quarries on the Painswick Beacon was used to build Gloucester Cathedral!
Just above the golf course bar we decide to stop and have our lunch with a view of the surrounding hills! The rain at the start didn’t really come to much and it’s dry enough to sit a while. The footpath then continues on down into Painswick.
The Cotswold Way passes the rather beautiful Bell Yard which is a Grade ll listed entrance, the houses in Painswick are mostly made from locally quarried stone. Painswick might need a revisit at a later date to have a proper explore!
Originally the town grew from the wool trade, but is now better known for the Parish Church’s yew trees and the local Rococo Garden. Painswicks yew trees are from the late 18th century and are kept clipped. Local legend suggests that there are just 99 yew trees growing in Painswick churchyard and that the devil would destroy the hundredth if it were ever planted.
“In the year 2000 Painswick church was faced with a dilemma. Every parish in the Diocese of Gloucester was given a yew tree to plant to mark the millennium. Painswick was chosen to host a special service when all the young yew trees were blessed and given out. Parish officials bravely planted the 100th yew on the north side of the church near the bus stop. Contrary to legend it is doing well.” from The Beacon Benefice.
Whichever direction you approach Painswick you will be able to see the tall, beautiful spire of St Mary’s Church with its weathercock standing 639 feet above sea level. The gold lamp post was erected in 1904 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee.
The grade ll listed Lych Gate at Painswick, a Lych-gate marks the division between consecrated and un-consecrated ground where coffin bearers would shelter waiting for the Vicar to lead the procession before the burial. This was built in 1901 using timbers from the old belfry. It looks much older!
Heading out of Painswick we pass this rather lovely memorial and we have Tony to thank for the paths opening up before us! We meet a couple who are walking the Cotswold Way South to North in one go, sleeping in B&B’s along the way. Their rucksacks look much heavier than ours!
Norbert celebrates passing the halfway Cotswold Way Marker!! 55 miles to go!
More undulating paths to bring us back up to the Edgemoor Inn, gorgeous countryside scenery! Brooding cloudscapes, but the rain stays away.
Ferns, bluebells, beautiful back gardens to wander past, mossy posts.
Who wouldn’t be cheered up walking through scenes like these? Springtime on the Cotswold Way! So pretty!
White bluebells - supposedly rare. Only 1 in 10,000 are albino! Spanish or English? I think Spanish.
Our finish line today, after a steep hill or two more we make it back to the Edgemoor Inn. They are still smiling!
Views back across the hills where we’ve come from! We treated ourselves to a drink in the Edgemoor Inn before heading home.
