Cotswold Way - Dowdeswell to Barrow Wake

Saturday 12th June 2021

Last Easter I started walking the Cotswold Way as a series of day walks and by the time of this walk I had reached Dowdeswell on the A40 road east of Cheltenham. Good weather prompted me to resume my trek along the Cotswold Way so I drove down the M6 motorway and parked at Barrow Wake where there are awesome views across the Vale of Gloucester. My only aim at the start of the walk was to get back to Dowdeswell so I turned off the main road onto the Gloucestershire Way that initially passed through dark woodland where there were many wildflowers before emerging onto wide, open fields that were never going to be as interesting as the escarpments on the Cotswold Way, but were decorated with many flowers including buttercups and red clover. After descending into a valley filled with sheep I followed the bottom for quite a while until I realised that I was going the wrong way so I had to backtrack to the point where I had entered the valley and take a path that crosses the northern slopes. Although this was rather annoying, the path I should have been on was so much better as it was covered in wildflowers of all sorts.

After passing through the village of Coberley I reached Upper Coberley where the first house I saw was generously ornamented with many flowers of many colours and was a fabulous sight and later on I even saw my favourite wildflower: spotted-orchids. These sights and waymarking for a Cotswold Way alternative encouraged me to keep going as I turned north and came off the route of the Gloucestershire Way to follow a bridlepath into Chatcombe Wood. I could hear gunshots ahead and soon I could even smell it as I passed close to Ian Coley Shooting School and thankfully I eventually reached the safety of the road. After passing over Wistley Hill I came out onto the escarpment overlooking the Chelt Valley with the Cotswold Way passing by where I was standing. Unfortunately the point where I had previously left the trail was at the bottom of the valley so I had to find a way down the steep hillside until I found the route of the Cheltenham Circular Footpath that took me down a ridge all the way to the bottom of the valley.

The weather had been rather overcast throughout the morning, which was a blessing as it had kept things cool, but as I turned onto the Cotswold Way to resume my trek, the sun came out and it started to get very hot. Slowly, I toiled up the steep path through Lineover Wood with the good surface underfoot helping to carry me all the way back up the hill until finally the gradient eased and I followed the path that keeps to the edge of the steep escarpment precipitously above the wood. Although very steep, this was a thrilling climb and by the time I reached the point where I had emerged onto the edge earlier I was happy to stop for my lunch and enjoy the great views before me that were now lit by the bright sunshine. The Cotswold Way from this point was an absolute delight as it largely keeps to the edge of the escarpment. After passing around Wistley Hill the trail crosses a saddle before climbing up to Hartley Hill passing through an area of seemingly dead gorse that lined the edge and whose brown leaves were visible from a long way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the walk along the edge of the escarpment as it passes through stunning scenery often on rocky ground as I climbed up to Leckhampton Hill with extensive views out west over Cheltenham and Gloucester. Passing the trig point that marks the highest point on Leckhampton Hill, I rounded the corner beside a rock formation known as Devil’s Chimney and began to descend onto a road. This brief dull section soon had me climbing again along a track and up a road until eventually the trail finally passed into more dramatic scenery to follow the escarpment edge through lovely woodland and into Crickley Hill Country Park. The fabulous views continued when I emerged from the woodland as I walked around the dramatic hill until eventually the trail turns sharply east and with my back to the views I gradually descended to the main road finally climbing back up to the car park where I had started the walk.

This was a fabulous walk with very hot weather in the afternoon that quickly drained the energy out of me and left me rather numb to the stunning views that were constantly to my right as I made my way along the escarpment. The Cotswold Way was at its best on this section and was an absolute delight to walk along despite the hot weather. I was in awe of the tremendous scenery that I saw on this walk, so it was tragic that it would be many months before I returned to the Cotswold Way.

Ashridge Estate boundary trail walk

Saturday 1st May 2021

Four years before this walk I came to the Ashridge Estate for the first time as part of the Ridgeway trail and on that occasion I saw some of the bluebells that the National Trust property is famous for and I have wanted to return ever since to see these most delightful flowers. Bluebells flower for only a few short weeks in the spring and generally peak in the first weekend in May, however April last year was cold which delayed the bluebells flowering so they were not at their peak yet, nevertheless I was still hoping for a good display. I parked beside the road in Hudnall Common on the edge of the Ashridge Estate and after setting off along a bridlepath I immediately saw some bluebells in the woodland on the edge of the common, which encouraged me for the walk to come. The path took me out of Hudnall Common and upon crossing a road I entered a wood in the Ashridge Estate and was confronted by the gorgeous smell of garlic from the ramsons that littered the woodland floor as I descended into the Golden Valley. There I joined the route of the Ashridge Estate boundary trail walk, which is described on the National Trust website and provided me with a good, long walk around the estate.

The boundary trail as described starts from the Ashridge visitor centre going in a clockwise direction, but since I was starting from the other side of the ridge I decided to do the walk in the opposite direction so I headed up the grassy Golden Valley with woodland lining either side and the sun shining overhead, but sadly the good weather would not last.  After passing over a tarmac road I skirted around a golf course and followed the waymarked path past the backs of houses with large gardens filled with flowers including bluebells and daffodils. Leaving the golf course behind, the well signposted path took me through woodland and over a road to a small reservoir. Turning left I followed the edge of Ringshall Coppice where I could see some bluebells desperately trying to come through, while to my left was Dockey Wood, which is famous for its bluebells. Although I couldn’t enter the wood from my path I could see many bluebells and also many people walking through the wood. I diverted to the corner of the wood to have a peer inside, but I couldn’t get very close to have a good look, though I was happy with the distant sight of carpets of bluebells so continued along the path towards Ward’s Hurst Farm.

Entering a wood called the Coombe I found an abundance of wild garlic and dog’s mercury as I continued along the path through the wood until I emerged with a view before me of Irvinghoe Beacon. Diverting onto a wide track I walked around the edge of an arable field and up to the top of the descending ridge that comes down from the Beacon where I had far-reaching views to the north and west across the Vale of Aylesbury. Turning up the wide, grassy ridge I slowly climbed up to top of Irvinghoe Beacon where the Ridgeway trail has its northern terminus and where I had visited four years earlier. Now, I set off along the Ridgeway again passing lovely displays of cowslips, but by this point in the day the sunshine that I had enjoyed earlier was marred by dark clouds that threatened rain. The Ridgeway took me around the top of Incombe Hole and down the hill, until at a crossway of paths I turned left to keep to the undeveloped land climbing back up the hill and into the woodland where I found more bluebells and it started raining. With a wide track underfoot I headed along the ever more popular path heading towards the Ashridge visitor centre while the rain continued to fall until I reached the Bridgewater Monument.

Four years before I had seen a vast number of bluebells just a little way south of the visitor centre so now I attempted to find that spot as the rain eased and I found that, as elsewhere, the bluebells were not as extensive as they had previously been due to the cold spring. With the skies remaining overcast it was now quite cold as I continued along the trail. On reaching Northchurch Common I, without realising it, left the boundary trail taking a route straight across the common as I simply headed straight ahead and even when I realised I had gone the wrong way I still just kept going straight ahead of me until eventually I reached Northchurch Farm where I found a signpost for the boundary trail as if I’d never left it. As the boundary trail crossed several farmer’s fields I seriously considered abandoning it as it was no longer fun. A direct route back to my car was an easy straight course and would avoid another golf course, but instead I turned right in a wood following the boundary trail, though I was still undecided on whether to keep to the trail. The walk through the wood kept my spirits up and the sun appeared to further encourage me while the path avoided almost any problems while traversing the golf course, so in the end, much to my surprise, I kept to the boundary trail.

Coming off the golf course, I passed between houses and into Great Frithsden Copse descending steeply through the gorgeous woodland where immature bluebells were scattered across the woodland floor. The undeveloped bluebells let this walk down when at this time of the year they are usually better developed, but when the boundary trail was not on farmer’s fields it was an enjoyable walk. Climbing up the hill beyond I passed through several grassy fields and soon I was descending into the Golden Valley and back to the point where I had joined the boundary trail. It was probably never worth cutting the trail short as I didn’t have much left to do and it wasn’t long before I was climbing out of the valley onto the bridlepath that took me back to Hudnall Common. This was a rather mixed walk with some bluebells and other wildflowers, but not as many as I’d hoped. The weather was also mixed with not much sunshine and some prolonged rain in the middle of the day. The boundary trail was generally well signposted, though there were sections where I had difficulty and at one point I went completely the wrong way. However, it was great to do a prolonged walk to stretch my legs and woodland walking is always a pleasure.