Our 2006 Programme
Our guided walks through Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds run on a weekly schedule. Our first walk starts at 9.30am on Sunday morning, so you will need to book local accommodation from Saturday night. We can arrange local farmhouse bed and breakfast on request.
Sunday
This is a very special walk around the Slad Valley, exploring the diversity of landscape, flora and fauna made famous by Laurie Lee, in his autobiographical book, ‘Cider With Rosie’. We hope to experience the extraordinary quality of light described by Lee, which often characterises this area.
After lunch at Laurie Lee’s local pub, we can take a stroll to view his gravestone in the local cemetery. The distance can be varied from four and a half to twelve miles according to your stamina!
Monday
We leave the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ to explore three of the most beautiful villages in the region. After rambling over the wolds and down into the third village, we will lunch at a Donnington pub (acknowledged as having the best local beer). After exploring the local village we make our way back along a river, swarming with trout, to our starting point. The walk is 12 miles.
Tuesday
Today we explore the golden villages of the northern Cotswolds. We follow the Cotswold Way from Stanway to Stanton pausing to hear something of the history of these two villages. A serious climb affords opportunities for the photographers. As we climb, the flowers and the butterflies will provide distractions for those not so interested in photography. After lunch in a local pub, the homeward straight follows a gentle downward slope.
Wednesday
A half day walk following the River Leach and finishing with a pub lunch. This will leave you free time to explore Cheltenham, Gloucester or Tewkesbury. Your guides can make alternative suggestions and provide information on opening times of local attractions such as gardens, museums or historic houses.
Thursday
Exploring the Queen of the Cotswolds, Painswick, from all angles. The churchyard, with its fascinating tombstones telling many a tale of local families, the church tower pockmarked by Civil War cannon fire, the interior of the church itself, and the village stocks, all provide historic interest before we set out on a nine mile circuit. On our route, we see cockfighting pits and the gun emplacements from where King Charles I lay siege to Parliamentarian Gloucester. We pass many historic mill buildings, a reminder of an earlier era of prosperity for the area. The timeline of Painswick begins in the Neolithic settlement which we visit and can then be traced through Roman settlement to modern times. As there are no pubs en route we will need to carry our refreshments with us.
Friday
Our final walk explores water meadows, deer parks and World War II heroes. The walk incorporates many of my favourite views. This is the area which supplied much of the quarried limestone used as building materials for the cities of London and Oxford, as well as historic local buildings. Lunch will be enjoyed at a waterside pub and our return journey will take us over the wolds.
Departure is on Saturday before 11am.
We can vary this schedule to cater for your group’s special interests. We can design walks looking at Cotswold churches, or the ancient history of the region. We can also design literary tours, walks around Roman Gloucestershire, bird watching walks. Just get in touch to discuss your interests. For more information on booking, prices, meeting arrangements and more, please visit Booking and Contact Information.
Guided Walks | Our 2006 Programme
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