Previous Walks
Cotswolds March 2010
A small group of us met at the Cleeve Hill House Hotel, for our first walk of the weekend. It was muddy following a week of rain, but it gave our legs a stretch after our journeys. We did a circuit of Nottingham Hill, walking out from the back of the hotel, and passing a beautifully refurbished equestrian centre. Then, after tea and cake kindly provided for us by Manfred, our host, we had baths or showers and walked down to the Rising Sun pub for dinner. On Saturday we started our walk from the pretty Cotswold village of Winchcombe,using the Cotswold Way over fields, and passing the ruins of Hailes Abbey, a Cistercian monastery founded in the C12. It was just too early in the year for it to be open, but we had a good view of the ruins over the low hedge. Instead, we decided to stop for coffee at Hayles (sic) Fruit Farm, where they provided us with plastic bags to put over our muddy boots! After intermittent showers and much putting on and taking off of waterproofs, we spotted a hay barn where we stopped for our picnic, and then continued over fields past Sudeley Castle, finishing the walk with a cream tea in a Japanese (yes, really!) tea shop in Winchcombe. Later, Manfred cooked us a delicious meal in the hotel which saved us going out. On Sunday we walked straight out from the back of the hotel onto Cleeve Common, the highest point of the Cotwolds, in sunshine. There was a fun run taking place, and the runners' route passed ours 3 times during our walk, and we called encouraging things to them each time they passed! We stopped and had a look round and inside Belas Knap long barrow, a Neolithic burial mound, over 5000 years old. On arrival back at the hotel our hosts kindly gave us a cup of tea, before everyone departed for the journey home. A rather muddy but most enjoyable weekend! "Fabulous time, relaxing, fresh air,good company and perfect leader/organiser" …Margaret "I thought you were considerate as to everyone's needs, and the group gelled well. Accommodation was excellent,-especially enjoyed the meal prepared for us by Manfred"…Susan
