Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SECTION 6
Birdlip to Painswick
Distance
7 miles (11km)
Maps
Harvey's Cotswold Way 1:40,000
OS Landranger 163 Cheltenham & Cirencester Area,
and 162 Gloucester & Forest of Dean Area 1:50,000
OS Explorer 179 Gloucester, Cheltenham &
Stroud 1:25,000
Accommodation
Cooper's Hill and Painswick
Refreshments
Cooper's Hill, Prinknash and Painswick
This is another lovely walk, much of it through woodland, but with panoramic view-
points to enjoy too, such as that from the head of the cheese-rolling slope at Cooper's
Hill, and also from the hill fort on Painswick Beacon. Painswick itself is another of the
gems of the Cotswolds, an old market town built of the whitest of all local stones,
famed for its clipped churchyard yews and table tombs, but with much more to admire
in its maze of backstreets.
The way leaves Birdlip Hill and takes to woods immediately, cutting round the north-
ern scarp slope with intimate vistas through the trees, then up steeply onto Coop-
er's Hill. More woodlands continue the walk on a south-westerly course to pass above
Prinknash Abbey. You then cross the A46 at Cranham Corner and head out to the
common land and manicured fairways of a golf course below Painswick Beacon, before
catching sight of the hamlet of Paradise on the final downhill walk to Painswick.
The continuing path heads south from the road which descends Birdlip Hill
and is found directly opposite the woodland track leading from the Peak.
The path slopes downhill among trees and undergrowth with views into
the valley where Brockworth lies in a sprawl beyond Witcombe Reservoir.
On coming to a crossing path, head to the left, with acres of fields and
meadows on the right sweeping towards that reservoir. The path forks and
you bear left, rising easily through Witcombe Wood. At a broad cross-track
bear right, and at the next crossing go straight ahead.
