Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and in which the eminent botanist, Brian Houghton Hodgson, lived for a while at The
Grange. Worsley was involved in the district's cloth trade by virtue of several mills
powered by local streams. Stephen Hopkins made his fortune in that trade and then
left Worsley to sail with the Pilgrim Fathers to America in 1620, where he became an
important official and died there in 1644.
Walk across the grassy terrace, and bear right on the far side to follow
a wall taking you north-eastward (more splendid views to the left). Keep
ahead when you come onto a track and you'll eventually arrive at a narrow
road where you head sharp left, now walking a little north of west along
Blackquarries Hill. After a little over ½ mile (800m), leave the road on a
bridleway descending among trees to the right. This brings you to another
country road where you turn right and walk into Coombe, but when you
come to a millstream, follow this all the way to
Wotton-under-Edge
.
Cottage in Shinbone Alley, Wotton-under-Edge
The footpath spills out into Valley Road. Walk ahead along this to
Coombe Road, where you bear left and soon reach the Church of St Mary
the Virgin. The continuing route leads through the churchyard (grid ref:
760935). The town has a choice of accommodation, refreshments, shops,
a post office, and so on.
WOTTON-UNDER-EDGE
Wotton-under-Edge was first mentioned in a charter of
AD
940. A fire almost completely
destroyed the village in the reign of King John, in reprisal for Lord Berkeley's part in
the lead up to Magna Carta. Once rebuilt, Wotton became a borough in 1253 and es-
tablished itself as an important wool town. The oldest building is said to be the former
