Cotswolds - Day 2 - Painswick

I’m 

Birdlip to Painswick

~840' total ascent 

Looking down a stairwell going into the breakfast room. 

Jo Anne’s crumpet, yogurt, granola and fruit. 

My crumpet and fruit 

If you’ve never had a crumpet, you have missed out. Most people compare them to an English muffin but they aren’t at all really. They aren’t sliced, are grilled on only one side, and the bubbles go all the way through. They are tender and just a delicious mouthful. I had one a couple of years ago on the C2C and Jo Anne looked for one after she saw how good mine was but we never found them again. This morning it was quite a surprise to see them offered at breakfast. We both thoroughly enjoyed ours. When I left home I said I would allow myself one fish & chips, one crumpet and one sticky toffee pudding. The fish & chips I had the other day was a bust but the crumpet was a hit!

This is the Royal George Hotel. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful. 

It's a beautiful day, with more blue skies and no rain in the forecast, and after a lovely breakfast and packing up our gear we are off for a day of ups and downs.

Joining the trail 

Fortunately, as soon as we walked out of Birdlip, we entered a forest, thick with a canopy that gave us some shelter although it is early enough in the day that it isn’t hot yet. In fact it’s a bit cool this morning. 

The only downside to walking through the woods is the sun can’t get through to dry out the trail. 

The word for the day is MUD! Mud mud everywhere mud. 

But the walk was incredibly peaceful and uplifting. These videos probably won’t sound anything like it does in real life but thought we’d give it a try anyway. 

It is so green, it feels like something is turning the brightness up on all the color.

We had peekaboo views along the forest trail of the fields we had been walking in, and even they seemed a brighter shade of green.

Witcomb Farm and Witcomb  Reservoir

Flowers seem to grow just about anywhere. 

Yellow poppy

You could smell the wild garlic as we walked. Or rather, as we marched upward and onward. 

Looking up Coopers Hill (cheese rolling)

I decided cheese rolling might not be for me when we arrived at the home of this competition. For the only reason of winning cheese and glory, contestants chase a double Gloucester cheese down an almost vertical hill! It's a risky affair, with paramedics kept busy throughout the five races, but that hasn't stopped the proceedings -yet. It's a good thing we’re not walking this trail at the end of May or we would be sharing this hill with over 4,000 spectators.

Steep climb up. 

Jo Anne’s making her way up. You can’t tell how steep it is from the photo but I’ll insert a pic later that shows the elevation. 

These photos are from the top and you can’t even see the hill as it drops off the edge. There’s no way you could even walk down that hill with hiking poles. Those people are crazy!

Jo Anne’s still coming 😁

They should really call it people rolling. 😳

We made it to the highest point on the trail for today. 

Vancouveria a form of Ivy

The Holly and the Ivy. 

Jo Anne wanted to sing the song but couldn’t remember the words. It’s a traditional British folk Christmas Carol that can be traced back to medieval times. The current version was collected in 1909 by Cecil Sharp in the market town of Chipping Campden (ironically the starting point of the Cotswold way). Here are the lyrics:

The holly and the ivy when they are both full grown, of all trees that are in the wood the holly bears the crown. 

The holly bears a blossom as white as lily flow'r, and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our dear Saviour.

The holly bears a berry as red as any blood, and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good. 

The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn, and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn. 

The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall, and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to redeem us all. 

O, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer, the playing of the merry organ

Sweet singing in the choir. 

This looked like a gravestone out in the middle of the forest. It has a vine fossilized into the side of the stone.

You can’t really tell but this log was filled with water. 

Water logged 😁

Jo Anne said a crumpet and shortbread all in the same day. Yumm!

Before the final gentle downhill walk to our accommodation we experienced fantastic views from Painswick Beacon, also known as Kunsbury Camp, dating back to around 400 BC. From the layman's viewpoint, it is arguably the fort that gives greatest vent to the imagination along the Cotswold Way.

This is the ladies tee box on hole 9. 

Golfers waiting on all the dog walkers, joggers and hikers to make their way down the path. 

The Iron Age hill fort remains have helped make the golf course, which is built on it, possibly one of the most tricky in the world.

Quarrying has left its mark, but the outline of the fort can still be clearly seen.

Red valerian

Crossing the golf course again. 

Three ladies pushing their golf bags and looking for their balls. 

We make our way down into Painswick and it’s not quite noon. The avg time to walk this trail today is 4 hours and it took us 4 hrs and 4 min. How about that? This might be a good place to insert a photo of the elevation. 

Whew!

The small town of Painswick, which harks back to the Domesday Book, came as something of a surprise. The off-white stone of the buildings, many built by wool merchants during the 18th century, comes without the golden hue and thatched roofs found in the villages to the north and the whole style is a little more elegant. They’re built of mellow Cotswold stone from the local quarry on Painswick Beacon. The towns many beautiful buildings can be seen as you wander around its quaint and narrow streets. 

The Falcon, our lodging for tonight, dates back to 1554 and is a small hotel and restaurant overlooking the historic village church and its famous 99 clipped yew trees. As a matter of fact the view from our third floor room is of the church and trees. 

The restaurant offers the best of fresh, seasonal British food with an interesting belief that a dish should be savored to the very last mouthful. I think we did just that. 

Jo Anne had the light lunch fish and chips. 

I had the steak and ale pie with roasted veggies and cabbage

served in the cutest little enameled pan

After we ate lunch and rested our legs for a bit we walked around the village checking out the sites.

St Michael’s 

St Mary’s 

There are 99 yew trees on the grounds of St Mary's Church. Legend has it that the Devil won't let the 100th one grow. The clock on the tower was erected to celebrate the millenium. The Arts and Crafts Movement was influential here in the early 20th century and the tradition continues.

The central window in the old Christ Church on Goucester St, was designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and made by William Morris's company. If you are familiar with the craftsman style, William Morris is a familiar name to you. 

The yew trees

Looking up under the trees

So unusual

Crematory headstones 

This was the lych (means coffin) gate. It says: My soul doth magnify the Lord Jesus Christ my Savior My spirit hath rejoiced in God. 

The gate marks the division between consecrated and unconsecrated ground, where the bearers sheltered with the coffin, waiting for the clergyman to lead the procession before the burial.

Street sign

Stocks

I’ve put Jo Anne in the stocks. 

Love this old Land Rover and what a beautiful dog in the back. 

This is a Pica bird or European magpie 

Purple toadflax

Fuchsia

Star of Persia 

Turkish sage

Great masterwort

Anemone clematis 

This smelled heavenly

French rose

Aarons beard

Quaker Friends Meeting House

This Meeting House dates from 1706, fifty years after Quakers came to Painswick. 

Quaker worship is based on silence. This is reflected in the simplicity of the building.

More beautiful roses 

After all that walking around we thought we needed some dessert. 

I had the Eton Mess with coconut cream, passion fruit, and mango sorbet covered with meringue shards. It was plant based and gluten free. I puzzled over how they made the meringue that tasted like regular meringue. It was light and delicious. 

Jo Anne had Banoffee  Cheesecake and caramelized rum banana topped with grated chocolate. It was creamy, rich and delish!

Our stats for today. 

Steps - 26,659

Miles - 10.8

Elev gain - 840’ or 47 floors

We’ve been thinking about, and praying for those who’ve lost homes in the Ruidoso fire as well as those who are battling illness and loss of family and friends. 

There can be no greater joy than to know that we have been reconciled to our Creator and forgiven of our sin. Possessing this joy doesn't mean that we deny the reality of the hardships we face, but it does mean that we persevere through our trials, knowing that we are right with God and that we can find joy even in the darkest times because we ultimately belong to Christ forever.