From our home the obvious direction for walks is westwards towards the Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons and the rest of Wales. A couple of weekends back TJF had a dance event in Gloucester that lasted most of the day so me and TBF decided to try a walk in the fringes of the Cotswolds. Only a mile or so from where the dancing was happening was Robinswood Hill Country Park. It’s very prominent feature when driving up and down the M5, with its extensive dry ski slope. It’s always looked like a good viewpoint, so we parked at the base and started our trek from there
And indeed the views from the top at 198m were excellent. It’s quite a lofty, elevated and isolated hill that the views seem disproportionately expansive
I love views down over cityscapes and this one was excellent. The cathedral standing proud over the city
A short walk along the summit ridge and we came to a fine view-point over the spread of the Severn estuary and down to both of the bridges, just visible in the haze
We had the novel experience of walking over a motorway as part of a walk. I was about to say it was the first time I’d walked over a Motorway but then I remembered I used to walk over the M5 on my way to West Brom games when I was a kid and also to the Cinema in Quinton in Birmingham so not such a good fact really
We were following the Wysis Way that thinks the Wye to the Thames. I’d been worried that paths would be overgrown and poorly signposted but apart from a couple of spots all was good
We passed this odd-looking gate/tower affair in the middle of nowhere that just seemed to lead into a field. Clearly of some religious significance based on the inscription
We were heading for Painswick Beacon, an obvious high point on the edge of the Cotswolds
I think the Cotswolds are massively over-rated as scenic area. Most of the central area is huge arable farms with lots of villages named Tweeness-under-the-Water and such like, always thronged with tourists and a £5 car park. However along the edges that overlook the Severn Valley the views are impressive and elevated
TBF found a bench to sit on (you can see here in the middle of the photo below) while I went to the top
As I crested the summit I was surprised to find a Golf Course with a Tee right on the summit. I never expected that. It looked a very fine course
I wandered back down to TBF and we had lunch and cup of tea before we t=retraced our steps back to the car and collected TJF
The map below shows the route but the OS mapping software threw a fit halfway round so I can confirm we didn’t walk in a dead straight line from Painswick Beacon to Robinswod hill, but you get the idea. About 10 or 11 miles in total I reckon
Always nice to try something different
That looks a lovely walk!
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It was! I’m not normally a fan of walking in rural areas but this one with a coup,e of loft viewpoints was rather fine
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What a great way to fit in a little urban hike! wonderful views from on top.
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I’ve wondered for years what the view from the top of the hill near Gloucester was like and now I know 🙂
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Agree about the Cotswolds. I’m not a fan. As for the ski slope. That marks the halfway way point between Plymouth, my home and where I went to Uni in Liverpool
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Cotswolds has few nice spots but overall a bit over-rated I reckon. They are fairly close to home but I rarely visit which says something (although I am a mountain man at heart I suppose). Glad I’ve climbed Robinswood Hill now as its quite an iconic site – for you as well it seems! 🙂
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I’ve enjoyed exploring the Cotswolds in the past but I’ve always been there out of season and decades ago when it had free parking everywhere. Used to be good for cycling in the Autumn when the visitor numbers drop. Stayed at Stow in the Wold YH a few times. Looks a nice walk. Much better for quiet cycling trips then than Cornwall or Shropshire which I did find disappointing on a bike as the roads were often busy and narrow and great views required a lot of effort and frustration. I’m happy in rural areas though and loved all the quaint villages like Upper and Lower Slaughter, Devil’s Dandruff, and Soddom on the Sly.
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Actually cycling out of season would be a good way to see the Cotswolds. We used to head down here for family days out when I was a kid and I used to quite like all the twee villages but once my outlook expanded to walking I saw it a bit differently. It seems to trade heavily now on foreign tourists and a desire to extract money for them. I’m just an old cynic at heart I suppose 🙂
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One for the book! Cracking views, it definitely qualifies, or both do? Unless Golf Courses are excluded?
Have you not crossed the footbridge which carries the Pennine Way over the M62? It’s a bit bizarre. I’ve crossed the M6 on various walks, hardly surprising given how close it is to home. Since I’ve walked coast-to-coast twice I guess I’ve crossed the M6 then as well. Racking my brains without coming up with anything else – it seems my motorway crossing experience is embarrassingly limited!
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Another book then – walking routes with interesting Motorway crossings – I reckon there are 5 or 6 copies sold for sure 🙂
I think Robinswood Hill would be in there but the view from the other one wasn’t quite as good although it was a nice spot
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Enjoyed the photos you took and learned of a new place to visit one day.
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Glad to be of service 😀. It’s a surprisingly fine walk and the views form the top of both hills are extensive and expansive
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Yeah it looks it🙂 a walk to get a little used to I’m sure… well worth the magnificent views from the top
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