Monday 7th August 2006

A walk with some very different views that follows sections of the Cotswold Way and takes in the County Top of Gloucestershire. 

For most of the walk conditions were ideal for walking but in the last hour the heat started to build again as the cloud cover disappeared. 

The walk involved going through a considerable amount of farmland and two farms both of which looked as if they had been deserted for some time as did many of the fields we walked through. Whilst we were grateful for the absence of farm dogs and cows it was a shame to see so much land being neglected.

Start: Lay-by  on B4632 at Stockwell Common (SO 9860 2704)

Route: Lay-by on B4632 at Stockwell Common - Cleeve Common - Cleeve Cloud - Cleeve Hill (CT)
            - Wontley Farm - Belas Knap - Postlip Mill - Cleeve Common - Lay-by at Stockwell Common                  

Distance: 8 miles    Ascent: 289 metres     Time Taken: 4 hours 20 minutes   

Weather: Warm with a gentle breeze to start but getting hotter during the afternoon.

Pub visited: The Teddington Hands Inn, Teddington     Ale Drunk: Jouster, Goffs Brewey

From the lay-by we had a fine few of the Malvern Hills. With the exception of the first summit on the
 left we had walked the whole of the ridge the previous day.

The summit of Cleeve Common was the first objective of the day.

We were following the Cotswold Way on this part of the walk and were being guided  (by posts
 around the golf course that is on Cleeve Common.

We had a great view of Cheltenham Racecourse as we approached Cleeve Cloud.

The escarpment which is Cleeve Cloud.

Cleeve Hill trig point, the County Top of Gloucestershire.

A summit that is somewhat lacking in views.

The deserted Wontley Farm.

Approaching the Neolithic long barrow of Belas Knap via one of several  neglected fields that we walked through.

The false North Entrance where we had our lunch in the sun.

The limited amount of information available at Belas Knap.

A fine view of Sudeley Castle, the home of Catherine Parr after the death of Henry VIII.

As we climbed back onto Cleeve Common it was easy to see that this area used to be a quarry.