10th October 2021
Dear All,
Publication
delayed today as we have just returned from an exciting 6 hours at Hinchinbrook
A&E where I spent a few over rated hours passing a kidney stone – not something
I recommend!
We had
an excellent few days in the Cotswolds travelling down on Sunday and returning
Friday. We tool Lawrie and Naureen, friends from Histon as Lawrie has just had
cataracts removed from both eyes. We stopped off at Chedworth Roman Villa on
the way down which has some remarkable mosaics and had a warm up walk to
Chedworth village. Our accommodation for the week was Burleigh Court Hotel just
overlooking Stroud. Our room was for some reason, the pick of the place with
anti room, bedroom, a spare bedroom and bath room. Breakfasts were excellent
and evening meals adventurous with the emphasis on creativity rather than bulk!
Chedworth Roman Ruins
Burleigh Court Hotel
We
walked each day and nost routes were very undulating with plenty of climbing
involved. Each day there was a long walk of 11 to 14 miles, a shorter? walk of
8.5 to 10 miles and a casual walk. We stuck to the short walks.
On
Monday we walked from the hotel along a ridge to Oakridge for lunch then back
along the Golden Valley between the river and a canal with a steep climb to
finish (us off!)
View across the Golden Valley
View to Brinscombe
We were
leading on Tuesday which was a challenge for a route we had not recced with 13
people in tow. Fortunately a couple of folks had GPS gizmos so we did not go
far wrong.. We started at Cranham and walked through Painswick, Paradise! and Sheepscombe
for lunch. The return to Cranham was mostly uphill!
Beech woods
Cranham
Wednesday
was supposedly the easiest day with a circular walk through four villages:
Sherston, Eastern Grey, Foxley and Norton. We gained some of the casual walkers
on the promise of lrelatively level ground but a couple of the did not last the
pace and had to be picked up in a car. Progess was not helped by the vast number
of styles we encountered. After the walk we explored Stroud taking in the
museum, park and arboretum.
Cotswold Barn
Mudstone in the Museum
Thursday
we started at Newark Park near Westonbirt Arboretum. We had fantastic views
across to the Severn Valley and had lunch in Wotton-under-Edge a very
interesting village complete with alms houses and a haunted house!
Wotton Alms Houses
The Short Group
Most
returned straight home on Friday but we visited Highgrove to keep an eye on
Charles and Camilla. It was an interesting visit but heavy on security and only
guided tours allowed so you could not dwell on areas of interest – ot take
photos! The journey back was the usual Friday afternoon crawl but we were back
by 5.50pm.
Highgrove Thyme walk
Highgrove Arch
With love
Mike & Kate
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