22/11/14 - Slow Cotswolds

Distance - 7.5 Miles
Geocaches - 2
Walk Inspiration - Jarrold - More Cotswolds - Walk 24


A walk in celebration of my new Guide Book, which plopped through the post box earlier this week.

Why all that rushing around?

It's a bit of gem to be honest, promising a wealth of exploring.  And it could be my mantra for the new year - taking my time, understanding the area that I am walking and making sure I visit everything close by that offers adventure.

That is until I get home 6 hours after leaving this morning and get a greeting from Sonia along the lines of "Where the bloody hell have you been?"

The walk is from the perennial favourite Guidebook, Jarrold.  Very rarely disappointed by the walks in here and this one has been marked as "todo" in my list for the last two years.

Armed with all the knowledge of Eastleach and the promise of "noble oases of peace", I head off under dark grey skies.

This is agricultural Cotswolds and not much to report until we hit the Leach Valley.

First View of the Leach

A Thames Tributary - literally coming out the ground at this point

The walk heads upstream up the Leach, to then go around some fields and head back down on the otherside.  The valley is certainly the highlight, where I walk along the stream, with high banks from its former glory flanking me on either side.

The Valley Floor

I walk around the wonderfully named, but little to observe,  Macaroni Downs.  The weather takes a turn for the sinister that forces me to hide in a strategically placed pigsty.

What do you folks get up to on your weekends?

You can see what happens next

Did we give permission for you to hide in our house?

The shower, as intensive as it is, is mercifully short.  I am back on the walk, through woodland and picking up the River Leach again.

River Leach - Autumn Colours

After the Rain

First of Two Similar Bridges

Not long before I heading back into the town.  There are only two caches along the route and they are both found quickly.  Two things remain - check out the two churches on either bank of the Leach.

Eastleach Martin Church

Eastleach Turville Church

And to check out the pub.  It looks wonderful, perched high above the town and of course, in perfect harmony with its surroundings.

But there is a potential problem.

Victoria Inn Ahead

Oh No - Its Arkell's

Blogfans will know that I have been doing a lot of walking in this area on the Ridgeway.  And I have been asking questions of the local brewer Arkells.  I have tried two different beers in two different pubs and been massively underwhelmed.

Giving the benefit of the doubt and hoping for third time lucky, I go for a 3B.

And the result?

There is a reason why all the other punters in here are drinking Peroni.