Travel Day to Cheltenham to Walk Cotswold Way

First of all, thank you all for your continued comments. The encouragement keeps me going. I didn’t mention that to get to the North Sea to dip my feet in, I had to go down 144 steps then climb back up 144 steps then up a wee hill to the metro. What an end to the day!

Leaving Newcastle this morning at 8:35. 

Boarding the train. 

Train station isn’t very busy this time of day. 

On board and moving. 

I'm off to the Cotswolds today. it's a journey of just over 4 hours by train (if all goes well).

Now a bit about the Cotswold Way.

In terms of difficulty, the Cotswold Way is definitely one of Britain’s easier National Trails. The vast majority is on dirt, grass, and other soft trails, and while there’s no shortage of hills, they’re not high enough to cause too many problems and the highest one was on the first three legs which Jo Anne and I completed in 2016, but the second highest is ahead.

The Cotswold Way runs nearly the entire length of the "Cotswolds Area of Natural Beauty" (designated as such in 1968), 102 miles, hugging the western edge from Chipping Campden in the north to Bath in the south - the exact distance will depend on where you stay each night, how far you have to go to get food, any exploring you do of the larger towns, and whether you take any alternate routes. Plaques mark the start and end points, near the center of town in Chipping Campden, and in the busy square outside the cathedral in Bath.

With its scenic views, picturesque towns and villages and historic sites, the Cotswold Way is one of the most beautiful long-distance walks in the UK. Jo Anne is meeting me in Cheltenham, where we stopped in 2016, and where I will pick up the trail again. If you would like to see and read about the first three days of this walk you can go to my Heritage Walk blog. You can get to the link by clicking here

Heritage Walk or on my photo at the bottom of the page where you will find links to of all my blogs.

Described as a ‘quintessentially English landscape’ the Cotswold Way offers typical picture-perfect Cotswold Villages. With streets lined with thatched cottages, beautifully kept gardens and solid houses built of golden Cotswold stone, the Cotswolds reflect the ultimate rural idyll.

For the first few days of the walk the path follows an escarpment overlooking the Severn Vale and the cities of Cheltenham and Gloucester. From here the views are breath-taking at times and on a clear day you can see all the way across to the Black Mountains in Wales.

The scenery along the route varies and includes miles of beech woodlands complete with overgrown and deserted quarries where once Cotswold stone was dug.

There are fields of harvested wheat and corn with neat fields of grazing sheep divided by Cotswold dry stone walls.

Today it appears that the main industry of the Cotswolds, apart from farming, is tourism. In fact, it is said that you will see small groups of fit and hearty-looking women of a certain age all along the trail (hmm, perhaps like me? Although David, from the park in Bowie where we walk every day, called me stout vs hearty 😆).

Walking the Cotswold Way can feel like a journey through time. The route manages to chart the history of this part of England from prehistoric times onwards. Along the way there are two Neolithic Long Barrows, which are stone burial chambers covered by grassy mounds, as well as evidence of hill forts from the Iron Age.

The remains of Great Witcombe Roman Villa serve as a reminder of when the Romans were in Britain.

Fields of sheep are testament to the time in the Middle Ages when Cotswold wool was a highly sought after product and the wealth from the wool and cloth trade can still be seen in the form of beautiful manor houses, fine merchants’ houses and even a castle; Sudeley Castle near Winchcombe.

Medieval churches and abbeys, Hailes Abbey and Bath Abbey being prime examples, reflect the fact that the church was once a powerful landowner with much of its wealth derived from sheep.

Several old mills along the way hark back to the Industrial Age and the textile industry. There is also a somber reminder of battles that were once fought in this area. On the final leg of the walk the route passes through the English Civil War site of the Battle of Lansdown which was fought in 1643.

There’s something special about ‘thru-hiking’ and  a long-distance trail; knowing you’re going to be hiking the entire trail at once and moving in one direction to reach the finish line all under your own steam. It’s about passing through the countryside and villages at a slower pace, having time to take it all in and see the views you never would have if you had driven through or just stopped in for tea.

You sit under trees, rest on benches, and eat in villages you never knew existed; speak to local people, visit the local pubs, and buy your vital supplies in local shops. It’s a connection like no other and by being on foot with just a bag on your back you’re exposed but open to all experiences – just a visitor but a local in that moment, it opens you up to a place in a totally unique way.

Sorry, I know that was more than 'just a bit' but I didn't know where to stop and I'm on a very long train ride so I'm killing time. 😊

I arrived by train at 12:50 and Jo Anne arrived by bus at 1:15. I took a taxi from the train station and she walked about a mile from the bus station. 

We met up at the Cotswold Grange Hotel, situated in a quiet, leafy avenue of similar grand buildings. It's only a 15 minute walk to the start of my walk tomorrow, and a short walk to the city center for dining, making it a grand location.

Entry. I was trying to get a photo of the stained glass window but it was too bright. Took the one below a little later. 

We have a choice of huge shower

Or huge bathtub. 

After getting settled on the THIRD floor, no lift in these little Inns, we walked off to find some food. Walking toward city centre. 

Hard to see in the photo but cute little pastel houses in a row. 

We settled on the Kemble Brewery Inn.

Jo Anne had braised beef with mushroom Madeira sauce. 

I had the grilled lemon chicken. 

After getting back to our room I decided it was time for tea. It’s just three o’clock and we’re pretty much done for the day. 😁

Views from our room.  

“I am continually with you;

you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Psalm 73:23-26

What an incredible promise this is. Meditate on it. As we wait, we learn that the things of this world are fragile and fading and that the eternal things of heaven are our ultimate hope and worth waiting for.