The Cotswold Way: Leg Six
Pegglesworth to Crickley Hill 7.49 miles
Sunday 25th February, 10 am
Moving Time: 2:42:07
Elevation gain 785 ft
17,092 steps.
A slightly longer route today due to lack of places to park at the suggested end point. Crickley Hill has good amenities and a big car park!
Five explorers and Norbert start the challenge of whatever Leg Six will bring us. The sun is peeking out!
Our walk today resumes at the top of Lineover Woods and takes us along the Northern side of the Wistley Plantation. Underfoot it’s quite muddy, so we start with a bit of resistance training! Those with poles are very glad of the propulsion they give through the mud!
The first part is relatively flat with some steps down and through woodland.
There are some great views from here of Cheltenham in the distance. It’s good to see the blue skies for a change.
Stopping to soak up the extensive views.
These acorn signs are what we look for en route, the sign of a National Trail!
More views with some beautiful flowering Gorse in the foreground.
Probably the worst of the mud and it wasn’t that bad, we all remained upright today! Some sections of this first part were quite exposed and the wind was whipping an Easterly round our faces! The route follows well-marked field edges before heading through another little grove of trees.
Not too much uphill yet!
Wistley Grove had some lovely Beech trees and in a few weeks will be adorned with a carpet of Bluebells. It has beautiful moss skirting the bottom of some trees!
Beyond Wistley Grove the path runs parallel to the busy A436, but we have a big old hedge between us and the road! Parts of it are blossoming, Spring is on the way! We reach the road at Seven Springs and the path turns right up a lane.
We pass a caravan park and the odd house and the lane turns into a track.
As we enter Charlton Kings Common the Voluntary Cotswolds Wardens have done a great job at laying a fantastic new hardcore path! Throughout our route today, poisonous Dogs Mercury is emerging all over - one to watch out for when picking Wild Garlic! There’s a bit of a climb up to the top of Hartley Hill, but we’re then rewarded with more superb views.
Along the top of the hill there are many benches with memorial plaques, but this one caught our eye. The plaque on the ground we presume is for the wife and the bench looking out is for her husband.
The views were extensive!
We were wondering when we’ll stop seeing views of Cheltenham though!
Charlton Kings Common has a herd of Galloways grazing all year round, they wear GPS collars so their movements can be monitored. They are clearly not bothered by humans! Galloways are a hardy, short-legged native breed with a thick fur coat which enables them to stay outside all year.
We soon reach Leckhampton Hill, I love to read the history of these places on the information boards! An Iron age hillfort inhabited by the Dubonii tribe more than 2000 years ago. Then extensively quarried resulting in the famous Devil’s Chimney, which we didn’t actually see!
Another Trig point bagged by us and Norbert!
Then a freezing cold blast of a walk to the Topograph in the distance!
Further views across Cheltenham and the old quarries.
We continue along the edge of the hill, then picking up another hardcore path alongside a relatively new-looking dry stone wall. One area has flat slabs in the wall and a couple of memorials including one to Queen Elizabeth ll.
Further along the wall is maybe a clue to it’s origin. On further research and presuming I have the correct drystone wall I discover that this wall has been in the process of being rebuilt or restored since 2018 by the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens, it’s overall length is 0.4 miles. Not sure who John is!
Leaving the hill we descend briefly and turn left onto a lane and then follow a track passing beautiful mossy walls, some decaying Turkey Tail fungi and tree stumps.
The track becomes uneven and descends slightly passing the Cotswolds Hills Golf Club. This track eventually comes out onto a road and we pass the National Star College (which has a Bistro, open to the public during the week)
The Cotswold Way reaches another road and crosses it leading up a narrower lane with drystone walling and hedging flanking it. Some way up the lane we decide to pause for some lunch as the hunger pangs in our bellies are growling louder by the minute.
The lane comes to an end and we turn left onto a path, the Cotswold Way runs parallel to a Bridleway here, so we ensure we’re on the correct path! Slightly uphill and we’re back in the Crickley Hill Country Park, a lovely area with a beech copse. We follow the lovely wide paths back to the visitor centre, café and toilets.
Yay! We made it back to the car park and another leg is completed! What a great walk - highly recommend this leg!
Spotted this on our way to the café!
