22/04/11 - Stella with Mappiman

Distance - 10.3 Miles
Walk from - CW Magazine Sep 2008
Number of cache - Only Two
First Cache

The Slad Valley at EveryTrail


At school, they forced us to read Laurie Lee's Cider with Rosie.  They would have been better served if they had bought us on a field trip to the area where the book was set.  Although, I doubt the 15 year old me would have appreciated it as much as I did today.

The Slad valley always appears on Britains Best walks lists - including the top 100 that Country Walking Magazine put together.  Ticking these off has to be another life goal, so on a glorious bank holiday, I packed my camel pack and camera and headed off to Painswick.

Painswick represented the half way point when I completed the Cotswolds Way four years ago.  I completed it over two weekends, so was picked up after stage 1 and dropped off for stage 2.  As a result, I haven't explored the town before, but dropping down the steep streets, there are myriad shops and pubs tucked away.  The Royal Oak was a very welcome stop off place on my return and the Stella was well earned.

Once dropping to the Valley floor, I climbed up through Cockshoot and Blackstable woods.  This was good walking with excellent view of Painswick in the distance.  The woods provided a bit of shade from the Sun, which meant that my hat and glasses, which undoubtedly made me the coolest walker in Slad, were not really required.  A few photo opportunities.

Painswick From Cockshoot

Coolest Walker in Slad - My dog's arse

Bluebells

A little bit of roadwalking - although very quiet country lanes, before picking up the most scenic part of the route in the valley at Famish Hill near the Camp.  This was exceptionally beautiful and I had the place to myself.  It's a lengthy stretch of walking, climbing up and down the valley sides and criss crossing the valley floor. Frequent gasper stops were required to survive Nature's gym.

I speak dog - she said "What are you doing?"

After all this strenuous walking in the sunshine, we arrive at Swift's hill.  The route doesn't actually require me to climb this one last stretch, but there is a cache at the top, so it would have been rude not to.  I am rewarded with the best views of the day, looking out to Stroud in the distance.  It was a bit too hazy to make a good photo, but I did stop for a while to drink in the views.

Time to roll over and nap.

Convice the dog to pose... there is a treat in it for her - no walking tomorrow.

There are other humans on this hill - for the first time today.  Being at one with nature must have brought the romance in a couple of 60 year olds.  As I walked down off the hill they were lay down in a passionate embrace.  We respected their privacy and gave them a wide berth.

Another drop down into the outskirts of Slad (some expecptional properties here) and have another stiff climb up to woods.  I must admit, after nine miles of this, I am getting a bit fed up with another climb, but I know that I am not far from the pub now.  Get up onto a long wooded ridge through woods, emerging at Bull's cross for my 2nd and final cache of the day.

Then, it's just a question of the drop and climb through Painswick.  Decided on the Royal Oak, not because it was the first pub on route, but because of its promised of good food (met) and beer (met).  Sat in the garden, eavesdropping on a group of ladies planning their route on the Cotswolds Way.

A great way to enjoy the unseasonably warm Easter and another top 100 walk ticked off my bucket list.