Winchcombe to Cleeve Hill

The one fly in the ointment of an otherwise perfect day was the fact that Google Maps, which we use on our iPads as a Sat Nav equivalent, suddenly stopped working as I drove through Milton Keynes. So it had worked perfectly on a route I drive at least once a week (where I only had it running for the convenience of not having to stop) then left me high and dry when I was on a route I didn't know. I should of course have stopped immediately and worked out the route on the maps which, thankfully, were in my car, but I didn't, so I had an anxious time when Google Maps set me off on a scenic route around Chipping Norton then didn't tell me when to turn left, and again after Stow on the Wold, where it abandoned me completely. At this stage I stopped and got the OS maps out! I think my final route was probably as good as the one that Richard took, which brought him down into Winchcombe by way of a single track road with passing places, but stopping to check where I was several times on the journey slowed me down. Richard, who had left home after me and drives slightly slower, nevertheless reached Cleeve Hill first and discovered that the car parks were full (not surprising, given the glorious Good Friday weather and the dreadful weather forecast for the rest of the weekend). He found somewhere to park on a minor road opposite the entrance to the golf course, and rang me; he assumed that I was parked up somewhere, but of course I wasn't! Anyway, all was well in the end; we left one car on the minor road opposite the golf course (SO998276) and drove the short distance back to the Back Lane car park in Winchcombe (SP024284). Helen and Tom were just 15 minutes or so ahead of us. We had lunch together in Food Fanatics - lovely food but slow service! It didn't matter to us because we had plenty of time and plenty of catching up to do.

We set off walking about 2pm and after a false start (caused by having too much confidence that we knew the right route, and so not checking) we left Winchcombe by way of Vineyard Street. We then cut across fields, with views to Winchcombe's magnificent church. This is one of the Cotswolds' "wool churches", so-called because their grandeur reflects the wealth of the area's medieval wool merchants.

We reached a road and turned left, then we turned right onto what the guidebook rightly describes as the "imposing driveway to Corndean Hall". After passing a cricket pitch, the driveway headed to the right, but we kept straight ahead on a path that climbed unremittingly up the hill. Superb views opened up behind us as we climbed and this is clearly a popular walk; there were lots of other walkers about.

At the top of the hill we crossed a minor road then entered woodland and climbed up to the Neolithic long barrow of Belas Knap. We stopped here for a rest and ate the fruit that Helen and Tom had brought with them.

From Belas Knap the route was initially across fields on the top of the limestone plateau, then we entered the delightful Breakheart Plantation where we meandered up and (mostly) down on a good path through the woodland.

We left the woodland and took a track past farm buildings, where lambing was in full swing. Postlip Hall was visible in front of us, with what appeared to be a wedding party in the grounds. Someone nearby had lit a bonfire, so the view of the Hall was not great, but Helen and Tom (who have been this way before) warned us that we wouldn't be able to photograph it from closer up, because a wall gets in the way. They weren't wrong! We followed the wall around the perimeter of Postlip Hall and, by careful positioning of a camera on the wall, managed to photograph a little chapel in the woods.

We got back to Winchcombe a bit after 5pm, changed into less muddy clothes and exchanged Easter eggs. Then we had a lovely evening meal at The Lion Inn. They don't start serving food until 6pm, but we arrived earlier and they were happy for us to sit with our drinks in the dining room (the bar was full) and they took our orders before 6pm and served our starters soon afterwards. Helen and Tom had reasonable drive after the meal, so this was all most satisfactory. More significantly, the food was superb and definitely good enough for a special meal to celebrate Tom's 30th birthday, the fact that Helen has got a permanent lecturer post at Southampton University, and the fact that the author of this website is now Professor Jordan! After we had finished eating, Helen and Tom headed off to Tom's Mum's house near Reading whilst we drove the shorter distance to the Gloucester (Little Witcombe) Premier Inn.

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