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Go back to 2 - Stanway to Belas Knap | 3 - Belas Knap to Dowdeswell | More to Come!
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On top of Cleeve Hill (317m)
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Date: Sunday, March 13, 2005 Weather: Cold, mostly overcast. Itinerary Summary: Belas Knap - Cleeve Hill - Dowdeswell. Distance and Terrain: 9 1/2 miles, several 1/2 ascents/descents of the Cotswold Escarpment, mostly on the scarp and therefore less muddy. Time: 5 1/2 hours including one 30 minute break. Comments: This part of the Cotswold Way runs close to a major city (Cheltenham) and yet always feels remote. Not as varied as the first two sections but with good views and excellent walking conditions. No facilities along the way but a good pub, the Waterside Inn, on the A40 at Dowdeswell which has plenty of parking space. |
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We start Part 3 at the "official" parking area near Belas Knap. Actually, the parking area consists of some muddy ruts on the side of the road with room for about eight cars if everyone parks carefully. In summer this space may be at a premium.
But the sign pictured at left says much about the area around Cheltenham, a sad reflection on the difficulty that visitors face when leaving cars parked while walking in the country. We are very much aware that policing in rural areas has diminished over the years and what few resources are left tend to go to those who shout the loudest. Visitor parking is not going to have a loud voice when discussing local community priorities. |
| The restored long barrow at Belas Knap is located on the Cotswold Edge above the parking spot, at an elevation of just over 300 meters. So if you plan to walk from Winchcombe (as we have done in the past) it is quite a long hard slog to get to the top!
The main entrance to the site includes an informative display including an air photo of the site. It is important to recognize that this long barrow has been partially excavated and restored and we are not sure how genuine the reconstruction might have been so you must take it as you find it! One of the better web pages on Belas Knap is here. |
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The ends of the barrow contain features shown here. On the left is the northern "false entrance", ironically the grandest feature of the barrow and perhaps designed that way to conceal the real burial chambers. On the right is the southern entrance which was found to be a burial chamber. Some people believe that the axis of the barrow may be an energy line. |  |
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Each side of the barrow contains an entrance into the "real" burial chambers where remains were found by archeologists (though they may not have been the original residents of the mound!) On one side it is possible to scramble inside the chamber but there's not much to see! |  |
| The Cotswold Way continues in a westerly direction. This is a remote area which is surprising as there are large towns (Cheltenham and Gloucester) very close by. The remoteness is made all the more apparent by the lack of buildings and those that are present are in ruins. Wontley Farm has been abandoned, providing some nice subject material for "rural decay". There are several more photos in the Flickr Cotswold set.
The Cotswold Way now turns due west and begins to climb toward Cleeve Common, a large open space that has been quarried for building stone in the past and is now a recreational area, complete with golf course. |
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The trail actually heads north for a while and before long the town of Winchcombe looms into view, sitting in its hollow surrounded by the Cotswold Hills. To those thinking in terms of reaching the other end, such twists and turns may seem regressive, but the design of the Cotswold Way is to try an include as much of interest as possible. Cleeve Hill is one such piece of the puzzle. |
| Just when you think you are going to stay high up for a while the trail suddenly plunges down to a small stream, complete with mill pond. This is above the small village of Postlip. The trail comes down the ramp seen in the photo, crosses the stream and then heads straight back up toward Cleeve Hill, quite a climb! |  |
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The trig point on Cleeve Hill commands fine views over the Severn Valley toward the Malvern Hills. We had had some snow earlier in the month and here, on the summit, was a patch remaining from what was probably a thick drift of snow. The weather had deterioriated somewhat during the day after a promising start so we were pleased to see sun shining on the Malverns if not on us! |  |
| The route now continues almost due south along the Escarpment above Cheltenham. The town rests in a bowl surrounded by the Cotswolds on three sides - which may explain why these "plains people" like to think that their town is the "centre of the Cotswolds"! The importance of Cheltenham was assured when hot springs were tapped into to provide a Spa, just like Bath had been many centuries before. It is also well known for its race course and the Cheltenham Gold Cup is a premier event on the racing calendar. This shot shows the racecourse set amid the northern suburbs of the town. |  |
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The rest of the day turned out to be rather dull and the only positive subject for the camera was flowering gorse, pictured here. |
| This scene in a disused quarry above Cheltenham says much about the problems facing the countryside by people who don't understand why keeping the countryside pristine is so important in a densely populated land.
The Cotswold Way sign has been pushed over and points the wrong way! Off-roaders use the quarry to "practice" and race around. As you know, we write travelogues about off-roading but we cannot empathize with this activity which is noisy and disruptive and in the wrong place (one 4x4 nearly ran us over and we were on a National Trail). OK, we are on a soap box here, it happens occasionally! |
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| Fortunately we can end on a pleasant note. Near the end of the day's hike we came across several gate posts with fanciful carvings. Here is one of them.
The route finally drops down under some humming power transmission lines into the valley of the River Chelt at Dowdeswell Reservoir and the end of our hike, the Riverside Inn. A "swift half" allowed us to rest up for a few minutes before driving back home. The Cotswold Way walk has been put on hold for the moment but we do intend to continue. Grandchildren and other pleasant priorities seem to be getting in the way! |
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Go back to 2 - Stanway to Belas Knap | 3 - Belas Knap to Dowdeswell | More to Come!
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Travel Notes
The Photos
Maps
"Official Resources"
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