Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SECTION 7
Middleyard (King's Stanley) to Painswick
Distance
9½ miles (15km)
Maps
Harvey's Cotswold Way 1:40,000
OS Landranger 162 Gloucester & Forest of Dean
Area 1:50,000
OS Explorer 179 Gloucester, Cheltenham &
Stroud 1:25,000
Accommodation
King's Stanley, Randwick (+ ½ mile (800m)),
Haresfield (+ ¾ mile (1km)), Edge and Painswick
Refreshments
Edge and Painswick
This is one of the loveliest sections of the Cotswold Way. It climbs out of Stroud's
industrial valley and onto the escarpment, through woods, out to jutting prows, and
gives memorable views over birch-speckled commons with the white stone of Pain-
swick beckoning ahead. Painswick itself makes a happy end to the day: an old market
town with interesting backstreets, it also has an utterly delightful churchyard noted far
and wide for its neatly trimmed yews and table tombs. Once away from the thunder-
ous traffic descending on Stroud there's barely a dull moment. It's a country walk of
considerable variety with many a long mile of nature's own peace.
From Middleyard the way leads across fields to Stanley Mill. There follows a short
stretch of road walking, but then you break away and climb a hillside on the western
edge of Stroud's probing tentacles, up to high, bird-raucous Standish Wood and out to
a pair of promontories with outstanding panoramas. Haresfield Beacon is the second
of these, a glorious spot worth savouring. After this, it's back to woods again along the
edge of Scottsquar Hill, over Edge Common and a series of meadows, to finish in the
bleached delight that is Painswick.
See map,
Southbound, Section 7.
The continuing path nudges down the left-hand side of King's Stanley
Baptist Church, through a squeeze stile and ahead to a fence. In the next
field go half-left at the back of garden boundaries to the corner, then along
the left-hand hedge of a third field. Another stile takes you into a larger
arable field which you cross to a narrow farm drive. Cross directly ahead
and walk along the boundary to a kissing gate on the right.
Note
For accom-
modation and/or refreshments, continue ahead, cross a stream in a wooded gully and
