Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SECTION 3
Winchcombe to Cleeve Hill
Distance
6½ miles (10½km)
Maps
Harvey's Cotswold Way 1:40,000
OS Landranger 163 Cheltenham & Cirencester Area 1:50,000
OS Explorer OL45 The Cotswolds, and 179 Gloucester, Cheltenham
& Stroud 1:25,000
Accommodation
Cleeve Hill and Bishop's Cleeve (+1½ miles (2½km))
Refreshments
None until Cleeve Hill (just off the route)
On this short, but rather strenuous, section of the walk, a fair amount of height has to
be gained. It's both a scenic and historically interesting stretch, beginning shortly after
leaving Winchcombe with magnificent Studeley Castle seen across the fields, then
passing near the tree-enclosed site of a Roman villa, before the walk leads steeply up-
hill to discover Belas Knap, the first of the great Neolithic burial chambers of the route.
The way then treads a wide expanse of country
en route
to Cleeve Common, a vast,
moorland-like area of unenclosed land. On its tour round the common the way makes
a long 4 mile (6½km) loop (not all of it on this section), whereas a few hundred yards
on paths and tracks heading west would bring you onto the continuing route! Such is
the nature of long-distance walking. However, visual gains are substantial, for splen-
did panoramas are a just reward for following the waymarked path. Cleeve Common is
above the 1000ft (305m) contour, while lying just below it on the northern slope is the
small village of Cleeve Hill, where bed-and-breakfast accommodation can be found.
Having entered Winchcombe along the B4632, follow the road into the
centre of town but, shortly before reaching the parish church, turn left into
Vineyard Street (signed to
Sudeley Castle).
Immediately after the road
crosses the River Isbourne go through a kissing gate on the right and walk
ahead across a meadow to a second kissing gate at the far corner. With a
hedgerow on your right maintain direction with Winchcombe seen through
gaps in the hedge, and eventually come onto Corndean Lane. Bear left
along the lane for about 400 metres. Shortly before it curves to the left,
enter a drive on the right where a sign gives 1½ miles to Belas Knap.
