Stonehouse Station to Painswick – 11 November 2019
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| Panorama of Stroud |
Apologies, your reporter
had planned to publish this post in November in anticipation of another walk
before the end of the year / decade. As it turned out we were defeated by the
wet weather and family activities. Before we realised it December was upon us and
the build up to Christmas had begun. We (all four of us) celebrated the season
and another year of walking by meeting up at HQ (The White Horse, Broad Street,
Oxford) on 16 December for lunch and drinks after a relaxing stroll around the
Oxford University Parks. Very pleasant despite the recent general election. We,
of course, touched on the result and the likely future for the country but to
keep true to our principles we will refrain from talking politics in this blog.
Right then back to the
report of our most recent walk which, as it turns out, was the last walk of the
year. Was this the last walk of the decade? Never too sure when the decade
ends, at the end of the 09 year or the 00 year? Come on get back to the
Cotswolds.
P was still not fit therefore
it was A, N & T who got off the train at Stonehouse station (Grid Reference
SO8082 0524) on a sunny but breezy morning. We had decided that Stonehouse was
nearer to the end of the last walk than Stroud and within 20 minutes we were
back on the Cotswold Way.
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| Doverow vineyard |
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| Irrigation potential |
Our path took us up past
the Doverow Vineyard (part of Woodchester Valley Wines), SO8158 0502) professional
interests were discussed as we examined the drip irrigation kit along the rows
of vines.
The path continued to slowly climb up onto the scarp front of the
Cotswolds with a panorama across Stroud and Nailsworth. Luckily there wasn’t
too much mud even though it had been raining on and off for weeks.
We emerged
onto the ridge and had a view out to the west across the Severn Valley towards
the Forest of Dean though the middle ground was dominated by the SKF factory
and other industrial units in Stonehouse.
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| Industrial stonehouse |
After passing through a
field of relatively docile cattle we entered woodland (Standish Woods) and
stayed on this woodland path for some distance coming across various dog
walkers on the way. We found a bench in the woods with some sort of view so we
stopped for a quick packed lunch – quick because there was a rain shower.
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| Celtic lands in the west |
After about 2km we came out at the National
Trust carpark for Haresfield Hill. Here the path takes a detour of about 2km to
Haresfield Beacon. Well we decided that as daylight was precious, more rain was
likely and we had seen the view into Wales before we would give the Haresfield
detour a miss. We turned eastwards and followed a lane to join the Cotswold way
at the foot of Scottsquar Hill Unfortunately we took a wrong turning and very
shortly ended up at the top of a cliff above our desired route. We backtracked
up hill and after a bit of wandering around in the woods detected a path that
took us safely down to the Cotswold way. Always dangerous to lose elevation as
not long after the path climbed back up the hill to cross an area of disused
quarries to the south of the village of Edge! We came out opposite the Edgemoor
Inn on the A4173.
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| Washbrook |
We didn’t stop but carried
on downhill towards Jenkin’s Farm. The path left the lane and proceeded across
wet meadows and scrub land towards Washbrook Farm (Mill), (SO8569 0951). On the
way we passed a stone monument telling us that Chipping Campden was 47 miles
away and that Bath was 55 miles behind us. Good news - we are more than half
way. Why build a monument in this rather unremarkable field? Would something to
mark half way at say 51.5 miles have been more appropriate? There is no clue in
the Guide Book.
Washbrook Farm / Mill had
been attractively restored and part of the buildings turned into a holiday let.
The path headed uphill again past tennis courts and below a large house
renovation in the “Grand Designs” style.
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| Sign of the times? |
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| Somebody's "Grand Design" |
Across another field on the
outskirts of Painswick past a rather ornamental wrought iron sign post (SO8635
0972) and then down a lane into Painswick.
This attractive village is
on the main A46 and we were pretty certain there would be a bus back to Stroud.
We stopped to take pictures of the lynch gate to St Mary’s Church, found the bus stop and realised that we had 40 minutes or so to have a refreshing drink in the Falcon Inn (7/10). It was warm and welcoming and we had plenty of time to warm up and relax with some interesting beers on offer.
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| St Mary's lynch gate |
The 66 bus back to Stroud was
on time and before we knew it we had arrived in the town. We have yet to
discover the more scenic route to get from the bus stop to the station. Our
tried and tested way involves dodging through the multi-storey car park of the
adjacent shopping centre. This surely can’t be the most desirable route? We
checked at the station and were in time for a slightly earlier train and we
even had time for another drink. This time we found the Imperial Hotel in
Stroud (7/10) near the station and a great improvement over the Weatherspoon
pub with its sticky tables and carpets that we had been in before. It was warm
and comfortable and mainly full of elderly patrons playing backgammon, cards
and bridge. We found a comfortable spot on some leather seats and enjoyed the
15 minute wait before strolling across to the station.
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| St Mary's church Painswick |
The train was much smaller
than usual and crowded with school pupils from the various Stroud secondary
schools returning to Swindon, mainly. A few got off at Kemble. Obviously the
noise levels were high and the train was full. It got us thinking about the
education policy and costs involved. Stroud in in Gloucestershire and Swindon
is a unitary authority 25 miles away.
At Swindon it was a short
wait to change trains and back to Didcot and Reading by a reasonable time.
Yes we know we only did 6.3 miles (10.1km) but it is
late autumn and the days are short. Not a bad day for walking we managed
without too much mud or getting rain-soaked.
That is all for 2019. Look forward
to returning to Painswick in the spring especially as we are now more than
halfway.
