Day two of the Cotswold Way was probably the day I was looking forward to the most out of the six we’d be on of this long-distance hike. That might be a strange thing to say, considering this would be the most local miles of the hike for me, and would take me along trails I have walked time and time again since we moved to Gloucestershire five years ago.

I don’t know if you understand that at all, because surely the fun of a long-distance hike is walking through places you’ve never been before. And yes, that is a huge part of the adventure. But as I mentioned in my day zero post, hiking the Cotswold Way was all about joining the dots for me – linking places I know well, with the bits in-between. To do that, of course, I had to walk the bits that I walk regularly.

Apart from that, this was also the section of the Cotswold Way from which I can see my home. Which will never get old.

A Two-Trig Day

Slightly shorter than day one, day two of the Cotswold Way would have us walk 17-miles from Winchcombe to Leckhampton Hill. Between those two places, we’d visit Belas Knap, Breakheart Plantation, Cleeve Hill, Prestbury Nature Reserve, Dowdeswell Nature Reserve, Lineover Wood, Seven Springs, and Hartley Hill.

The elevation was a very reasonable 2,800 feet. This was not to be sniffed at, the Cotswolds isn’t flat, but isn’t a scary prospect over the course of 17-miles. Apart from the usual Cotswolds undulation, the ascent was split into three noticeable-on-the-legs climbs to Belas Knap, up Cleeve Hill, and in Lineover Wood. The very steep downhill at Breakheart Plantation should also get an honourable mention, one of the points on the trail where I’d have benefited from walking poles.

We’d bag two trigs today – Cleeve Hill at 317m (actually called The Ring on OS Maps), which is the highest point on the Cotswold Way – and Leckhampton Hill at 293m.

Weirdly, the Cotswold Way doesn’t pass over the highest point in the Cotswolds, despite it being less than half a mile from the trail as it leaves Cleeve Common and heads through Prestbury Nature Reserve. Cleeve Hill trig pillar (the one actually called Cleeve Hill) sits at 330m above sea level. Missing it out feels like a bit of a missed opportunity – but having been there many times, I know it offers nowhere near the views of The Ring.

I wrote something about the new OS Maps ‘Trig Pillar finder’ in a recent Weekly Blog episode.

If you are hiking the Cotswold Way and aren’t local to the area, then do consider making the little detour to do a double trig on Cleeve Common before you move on through Prestbury.

Storms Forecast

The weather forecast was similar to day one – blue sky with fast moving clouds in the morning, with rain expected at lunchtime and early afternoon. That rain was meant to be quite heavy at times, and maybe even thundery. As we got started, we could see ominous clouds gathering over Cleeve Hill and beyond, and fully expected to be in head-to-toe waterproofs by mid-morning.

Given that we were still using my husband as our taxi driver, we had the option of cutting the route short if needed – doing so at Seven Springs would shift the last 2.5 miles of the hike to the following morning and knock an hour off the day.

Thankfully, as with Saturday, we were very fortunate. It was sunny and warm in the most part, and we didn’t need the waterproofs until some drizzle as we crossed Hartley Hill threatened to get heavier and we didn’t want to risk getting soaked through. We got in the car just south of Leckhampton Hill feeling like we’d hit the jackpot with the weather the entire weekend.

Honestly, the weather really can and does make a difference on any length hike, but especially a multi-day one. We were not quite as fortunate the whole week, but celebrated and thanked the weather on this particular day.

Enough preamble, let me get into this adventure journal…

Cotswold Way Day 2

Sunday, Winchcombe to Leckhampton Hill, 17 miles

Fiona, my hiking buddy for the Cotswold Way, was already up and making her sandwiches when I got downstairs at 6.45am – she was very keen! I’d made mine the night before and so concentrated on making tea and breakfast. After some pack adjustments (the blessing and curse of staying at home meant I had the option!), we left the house around 8.15am for the short drive to Winchcombe, and were hiking at 8.30am.

My body felt reasonably good – heavy from day one, but not sore, and the weird aching ankles I went to bed with had disappeared overnight. I don’t know what that was, probably had my boots too tight, so I was careful of that for the rest of the week and didn’t experience it again for the whole hike. I was certainly tired, no doubt about that, but it was a decent enough start for me, and it was easily taken over by the anticipation of another good day on the trail.

Up to Belas Knap

From Winchcombe we began with a lovely short walk through blossom-covered trees, before we started our first big climb of the day. While I’m very much up for getting ascent over and done with early on in a hike, I could have done with a couple of miles to wake up properly. No such luck here – the lungs and legs were put into action almost immediately, as we walked up a steep sided meadow, over a little country lane, and then up onto Belas Knap.

It’s not the Lake District by any stretch, and I know I will be tested much more on the Cumbria Way next month, but the climb from Winchcombe to Belas Knap is not to be underestimated. I’d got up that morning knowing this would be one of the climbs of the hike that would make me pant, and I was ready to plod my way up, making the most of stopping to turn around and look back at Winchcombe in the valley in aid of recovery.

I think I am simply destined to always struggle on the uphill sections!

Anyway, Belas Knap is worth the effort. A great example of a neolithic chambered long barrow, Belas Knap is a scheduled ancient monument looked after by English Heritage and the County Council. The name probably translates to “beautiful summit” – bellas is Latin for beautiful, and knap is derived from the Old English for the top of a hill. It is one of the Cotswold Severn Cairns, all of which have a similar shape, and are found scattered along the River Severn – we’d see a few more between here and Bath.

Second Breakfast on my Local Patch

After a look around the long barrow, and playing with some very well-behaved dogs, we continued along the Cotswold Way towards Breakheart Plantation. This really was my local patch now, a section of the Cotswold Way I’ve walked on many random Sunday afternoons over the last few years. It felt good to be wandering here – if the Cotswold Way was going to be about joining the dots, then I was going to have to walk the well-trodden paths as well as the new bits. Fantastic.

We walked down (very steeply, watch your step!) through the woodland, across farmland to the impressive-looking Postlip Hall, and up onto Cleeve Hill. We leapfrogged the same pair of mountain bikers a few times as they stopped to chat with various people along the way. Being a Sunday morning, and a predominantly sunny one at that, we did see a fair few other people out enjoying the area. Always good to see.

We had a quick loo stop in the Golf Club, which these days is very public-friendly. The cakes on the café counter looked good, as did the bacon sandwiches being brought out of the kitchen, but we had banana loaf and tea in our bags, so we continued around the hill and up the short but very steep ascent towards the highest point on the Cotswold Way.

Before we bagged the trig, though, we sat on the ground (me on my PACMAT patch, naturally…), overlooking the view across the valley, for a boots-off break and second breakfast. The sit-downs really are one of the best things about hiking – an opportunity to take it all in, munch on something delicious, and enjoy the peace of the outdoors without moving for a few minutes.

Big Views but no Butterflies

As we took a load off, we chatted to a guy who was walking dogs with his family about the weather. Even though the topic is a cliché, we are British after all, sharing with strangers how fortunate we had been so far was a bit of a delight. Well, not until that story changed, but more of that in the next adventure journal post!

Trig dutifully bagged, we continued along the Cotswold Way, which hugs the edge of the escarpment over and around the hillfort. We were treated to really big views; as it was springtime and a little breezy, there was no sign of the haze that has now fallen across the Golden Valley and that will likely stick around until the end of summer.

Tewkesbury Abbey was in bright sunshine, the Malverns were clear, and we could make out the iconic shapes of Skirrid and Blorenge. Honestly, we could not have asked for better.

As I mentioned somewhere further up in this adventure journal, the Cotswold Way leaves Cleeve Hill before you reach the highest point in the AONB. Instead, it heads down off the Common and into the small but beautiful Prestbury Hill Butterfly Reserve.

We were too early for butterflies, but at the right time of year there are over 30 species found here. It’s also known for a variety of orchids, including musk and bee orchids. I really must make an effort to spend some time wandering here in June when this area should be at its most colourful. Someone please remind me of that in a week or two!

Down to the A40

After the butterfly reserve we walked through Prestbury Nature Reserve, met a Shetland Pony, and chatted to some Americans about the cuckoo we could hear calling with all its might in the middle-distance. We could see the Cotswold escarpment work its way around Cheltenham all the way to Leckhampton Hill, which was our intended end point for the day – I was already looking forward to standing up there and looking back in this direction to see how far we’d come!

Fiona was a bit worried about the navigation from this point over to Dowdeswell, recalling that she’d gone a bit wrong on her last attempt of the Cotswold Way a few years ago. There were definitely some new signs along this stretch, and thankfully we made our way along this part without any routing-drama.

Dowdeswell is pretty, but it wasn’t the nicest bit of trail. The footpath is very narrow with fencing either side, at the end of which is a very new-looking house with imposing gates (where I’m sure there was an honesty box when I hiked this stretch as part of my Cheltenham-round in 2018), and where a dog, apparently from a campervan we could see parked a little up the track, did its business right on the side of the trail. Lovely.

Another Well Appointed Bench

We swiftly made our way down to and across the A40 and up into Lineover Wood, a woodland that was first recorded in 800AD but is probably much older. We’d both walked here before, and knew there was a bench nearly at the top of the hill which would make for the perfect place for lunch. But what I had forgotten, or blocked out of my mind, was how steep that hill was…

I really did struggle persuading my brain to get my body up that hill. I shouldn’t have, it’s not that steep or long in reality – not as much as up to Belas Knap that morning and I got up that one fine. And I’ve walked in Lineover Wood more than once before, I had no excuse. I noted in my journal that evening that “I rather hoped it was down to being a bit hungry and not drinking enough”, and thinking back now a month or so later, it was almost certainly the reason. Just a bit too many miles hiked since that banana bread on Cleeve Hill!

We made it to the bench for a good length boots-off break. I’d filled my green tin with a beef salad sandwich, cherry tomatoes, mini cheddars, grapes, and a finger of fudge. As we sat and ate, we watched a weather front build and move towards us, which looked to be gathering the promised afternoon rain. I really did not want to get caught in a thunderstorm, and willed it a very slow journey across Cheltenham.  

Severn Springs and Hartley Hill

Lunch eaten and boots back on, we set about hiking the last five miles of our day. There was a very short amount of ascent left before the path turned right and headed along the upper edge of the woodland, through some beautiful open meadows, some crop fields, and around a glamping site. It wasn’t long until we were down at Seven Springs, which it is argued is the source of the River Thames (I’ll leave you to decide if that is true or not, it’s quite the debate!), although we didn’t go searching for that specifically.

The A435 was closed so crossing this main road was a doddle compared to the A40 a little earlier that afternoon. This was our early get-out if we needed it, but the rain hadn’t started yet and it was only 2.30pm so we continued on, walking up Hartley Lane towards Hartley Hill.

Possibly because the main road was closed, there were more cars on this single-track lane than I’ve ever seen before, which made that mile-or-so a bit slow going as we stepped onto the verge time after time. One driver very nearly knocked Fiona over by veering towards her as she went by. The smallest little car, being driven at next to no miles an hour, with plenty of space to get by two hikers on the verge… It was far too close for comfort! Honestly, it makes you wonder if we need to re-sit driving tests every five years.  

Imagine Peace

Once on Hartley Hill we were treated to a nearly new quarry stone footpath (and no more cars!), which continued all the way around the edge of the Cotswold escarpment. The gorse was bright and smelt amazing, and the views across Cheltenham and back to Cleeve Hill were stunning, even if the clouds were getting darker and darker. We quickly put our waterproof jackets on as rain started to fall, but thankfully it didn’t come to much – we probably could have managed without.

That new path went all the way to Leckhampton Hill, where we made the smallest of detours to bag the trig pillar there. Last time I was here it was painted like a Dalek; but at the moment it has a yellow band of paint on it with the words: “Imagine peace permanently flowing quietly forever through the prime golden spiral core of your being”. I don’t know how I feel about painted trig pillars, but I kind of like the statement, even if I’ve not been able to find the source of the words.

We continued on around the edge of the escarpment and down to Hartley Lane car park, where my husband came to fetch us to take us home.  

Showered and Sorted

Back home it was the usual post-hike routine – shower, stretch, eat, and get sorted for the following day. Dinner was a very easy chicken stir fry with spring rolls, followed by more baked goods, this time courtesy of my husband who had made a batch of Nanaimo bars. One of my favourites.

The getting sorted part was a bit more complicated on this particular Sunday evening as I was now swapping from my little 24-litre day pack to my larger 40-litre version, and packing everything I’d need for four full days on the trail.

I’d done most of this on day zero, so the task mainly involved transferring the bits from my day pack that I had been using so far, and making three final decisions based on how the first 35-miles had been.

The first was whether to carry my water bladder or not – which, after coming home with at least a litre of water left that afternoon, was a no brainer; my bladder was filled and packed. The second was if I needed my walking poles or not, and in the most indecisive manner, I put those by the front door to resolve that one in the morning. And finally, was if I needed to pack my puffy jacket, which after packing it and unpacking it at least six times during the evening, my husband decided for me by taking it away!!!

I should add that all of that was done to the soundtrack of heavy rain falling outside, and some rumbling thunder in the distance. It is fair to say that we were very glad indeed that it held off until we were safely back home.

Reflections on Cotswold Way Day 2

The highlight of my second day on the Cotswold Way was, by far, sitting up on Cleeve Hill eating banana bread and drinking tea, looking out at the vast vista – a view which included my house. It’s a spot I have sat and sipped from my flask countless times, but that will just never get old. There really is something special about hiking your local National Trail, and I felt all those warm and fuzzy feelings in those few minutes on Sunday morning.

If you discount the before-bed stress of making the final decisions on what to pack for the rest of the Cotswold Way, the worst memory from day two was probably how I felt on my way up through Lineover Wood. After quashing some of my fitness fears on day one, and feeling like I was bounding along for the first half of the day, I was unhappy having to give myself a talking to on a hill that should have been a breeze. Even if it was my own doing by not fuelling properly through the day. I can confirm now that I did much better at that the rest of the week, and although some of the hills were hard going (and others were very hard going!), I didn’t feel like that again.

Happy Day

Day two of the Cotswold Way, from Winchcombe to Leckhampton Hill, was a very happy one. I’d put a lot of pressure on it, telling anyone who asked that it was the section I was looking forward to the most. Thankfully for my psychological state, it delivered – and then some. The views were once again wide and beautiful, the weather was kind, and the terrain was (mostly) easy going. I went to bed that night feeling tired but content at what we’d achieved over the weekend, and was very excited to get on what felt like the ‘trail-proper’ the next morning.

If you have any questions about the Cotswold Way please do let me know.