22/01/17 - Seven Springs and Cockleford's Green Dragon

Distance - 5.5 Miles
Geocaches - 11
Walk Inspiration - Last Year's Calendar

The Mappiman Family Calendar has many entries - Gigs for Child #2, work appointments for Mrs Mappiman and trips to the smoke for me. As you might expect, it's a walking themed calendar and on 2016 close down,  I looked through the monthly offered routes to determine suitability.

A localish walk to Tomtit's Bottom simply could not be ignored.

Walking directions suggest starting at Seven Springs, where there is both a layby to park in and a pub to seek refreshment.  Google Maps show its a Hungry Horse.  Further investigation suggest that the Green Dragon Inn may be far more suitable for pub connoisseurs who have no use for a plastic tree to play on in the beer garden.

And the opening hours look good.

There's a fair amount of lane walking on this route, but it does keep us out of the mud.  We head west, past the Girl Guide Centre and the impressive Cowley Manor house.  The guides are on some sort of activity that involves collecting wood on a trolley.   You can spot the future captain of industry by the way one particularly vocal Guide is cajoling the others into the hard graft.

Best view of Cowley Manor House

We continue on lanes to Cobberley before picking up the Gloucestershire Way.  Only discussion point is where black cows fit into Mrs Mappiman's bovine danger ranking.  On passing through their field, we can file them under docile.

Lane Walking to Cobberley

Seven Springs is roughly the half way point.  We see what we could have won in all its glory before picking up a bridleway I must have previously walked, as its marked the Cotswold Way on the OS Map.

Seven Springs Inn - for Hungry Horses

The bridleway brings us to Upper Coberley, where the pre-requisite for living here is a surly disposition.  We attempt to get an hello out of an elderly horse rider but should have realised the futility of this when we spotted he was beating his charge with crop and concentrating on shouting "Giddy Up".  Fair play to the horse - it refused to buckle under septuagenarian delivered corporal punishment and continued at its own leisurely pace.

The village does lead us to a high level path with great views, which no doubt would have been more impressive once the weak winter sun had burned off mist.

Mrs Mappiman not helping with the Cache finding.

Tomtits Bottom is nothing more than a wooded copse, unworthy of its name.  It does lead to Cockleford Farm and ultimately, the return to the Green Dragon.

Idyllic Cockleford Farm

The Green Dragon is a fine example of a Cotswold pub and its remoteness has not affected it popularity.  The car park is full at 12:10pm and once we have debooted and entered, the only place available to sit is at the bar.

Possibly unlike the Hungry Horse, there are no light eating options available.  Its a £13.95 Sunday Lunch or nothing.  Its not that we are tight, just that kids (and both of them are home) may be disappointed with beans on toast for tea.

A superb Hooky and Steak and Ale Crisps will have to suffice.

Imminent Crisps