Walk 11: North Nibley - Hawksbury Upton
18th May 2013: Teasel and I set of from North Nibley at 9:38am, along with Mark, Liz, William, George, Alice and Tess the dog, who were joining us for the start of the walk. The route crosses the B4060 and heads up a shady recessed track to ascend the slopes of Nibley Knoll. The official route ascends steep steps, but these have recently been closed by a landslip. The diversion follows the bridleway to the top of the escarpment and then cuts back towards the plateau and the Tyndale Monument. Here there are fine open views across the Severn Vale and the River Severn to the Severn Bridges.
The path now follows the edge and enters woodland arriving shortly at Brackenbury Hill Fort. Here Teasel and I carried on while our companions returned to North Nibley. The path emerges from the wood to follow the edge of a lush green field, and then begins to descend a spur towards Wotton-under-Edge. Perched on the end of the spur above the town is a stand of trees, on a spot originally planted in 1815 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo.
The path descends sharply to emerge back on the B4060 in Wotton, and passes through the town, and follows an alley to a churchyard before leaving the town along Valley Road, which becomes a path alongside a stream, which continues across a road to come out at Coombe. Here the route follows the road briefly, before striking steeply up a track to come back out on another road over Blackquarries Hill. After 1km of road walking a track cuts off right along the edge. Follow this arrive at a seat overlooking Tor Hill. Here we found a guidebook to the Cotswold Way, but soon caught up with its owners and were able to repatriate it.
The route enters a wood on Wortley Hill and begins descending on a forest track that soon becomes a miniature ravine with fallen trees spanning the top before emerging into fields by the village of Wortley. Cross the road and follow a mown path through a grassy field to a footbridge crossing a stream, then follow a track up to the village of Alderley. Here the route skirts around the bottom of Winner Hill to join a road running alongside Kilcott Brook. The road is followed for a mile and then the path heads uphill along another recessed track, through a field and Claypit Wood carpeted with bluebells.
The track along Clay Hill turns a slight bend and suddenly the Somerset Monument of the edge above Hawkesbury appears and soon we are by the base of it. Here a permissive path obviates the need to walk along to road and at 1:48pm we arrives at the reedy farm pool by Hawkesbury Upton.
The path now follows the edge and enters woodland arriving shortly at Brackenbury Hill Fort. Here Teasel and I carried on while our companions returned to North Nibley. The path emerges from the wood to follow the edge of a lush green field, and then begins to descend a spur towards Wotton-under-Edge. Perched on the end of the spur above the town is a stand of trees, on a spot originally planted in 1815 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo.
The path descends sharply to emerge back on the B4060 in Wotton, and passes through the town, and follows an alley to a churchyard before leaving the town along Valley Road, which becomes a path alongside a stream, which continues across a road to come out at Coombe. Here the route follows the road briefly, before striking steeply up a track to come back out on another road over Blackquarries Hill. After 1km of road walking a track cuts off right along the edge. Follow this arrive at a seat overlooking Tor Hill. Here we found a guidebook to the Cotswold Way, but soon caught up with its owners and were able to repatriate it.
The route enters a wood on Wortley Hill and begins descending on a forest track that soon becomes a miniature ravine with fallen trees spanning the top before emerging into fields by the village of Wortley. Cross the road and follow a mown path through a grassy field to a footbridge crossing a stream, then follow a track up to the village of Alderley. Here the route skirts around the bottom of Winner Hill to join a road running alongside Kilcott Brook. The road is followed for a mile and then the path heads uphill along another recessed track, through a field and Claypit Wood carpeted with bluebells.
The track along Clay Hill turns a slight bend and suddenly the Somerset Monument of the edge above Hawkesbury appears and soon we are by the base of it. Here a permissive path obviates the need to walk along to road and at 1:48pm we arrives at the reedy farm pool by Hawkesbury Upton.
Walk Distance: 10.6 miles (17.1 km), 4h10m.
Cumulative Distance: 85.8 miles (138.0 km), 31h25m.
The next walk will be Sunday 19th May. Hawksbury Upton to Tormarton Interchange. There's about 24 miles left to do.
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