Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
emerge to a playing field. King's Stanley village lies on the other side - pubs, shops, a
post office, and so on.
For the continuing Cotswold Way go through the kissing gate and along
the side of a garden boundary to a scrub corner. Veer right and soon enter
a meadow. Cross to a second meadow whose path eventually comes out
on a road a short distance from
Stanley Mill
(grid ref: 813043).
STANLEY MILL
Stanley Mill is a five-storey building constructed from brick and stone in 1811, when
its great looms were powered by no less than five water-wheels. These gave way to
steam power in 1827. In its heyday Stanley Mill employed almost 1000 workers, but
it is now obsolete.
Bear right along the road and soon come to the A419. Cross at the ped-
estrian traffic lights, turn left and in a few paces bear right into Ryeford
Road North. Before long you cross the
Stroudwater Canal
to be joined by
the alternative Cotswold Way route which parted company from the main
route in Pen Woods.
STROUDWATER CANAL
The canal opened in 1779 to service the industrialised Stroud Valley. It was only 8
miles (12½km) long, but it linked Stroud with the navigable River Severn at Upper
Framilode by way of a dozen locks. At the time of writing there are plans to restore
the canal, although no date has been given for this.
A little further up the road will bring you to the B4008, which you cross
and turn right. Go beneath a footbridge and, a short distance beyond, op-
posite a garden centre, bear left and walk along the edge of a sports field,
over a railway footbridge and into a field where you bear right alongside a
hedge. Two more fields linked by stiles are crossed, then you walk along-
side another boundary hedge to a stile beside a field gate in a dip. Ascend
the meadow beyond, passing beneath power cables as you do, and find a
squeeze stile by an oak tree. The path continues in the same direction to
a further stile which leads onto a narrow road.
Turn right for about 200 metres, then bear left between houses at
Westrip. The way rises through meadows and out to a second narrow road
