Walking in Winchcombe (in the Cotswolds)

[Pauline]

I am posting this for @SusanSeattle who is spending a few days in Winchcombe this summer. I thought I had a brochure about Winchcombe local walks (which I was going to scan and email to Susan), but I don't. Several towns put out these nice local brochures, but others rely on you going to their website and printing out walks.

Winchcombe Welcomes Walkers - Self Guided Walks has a good list of walks - 15 walks from 2 to 7.5 miles. The walks are nicely formatted in a PDF with a good description and map.

I recommended these walks (all of them look good, but these are my favs):

Walk 2: Winchcombe to Farmcote and Hailes - approx 7.5 miles. This is a lovely walk - we have done it a few times. Farmcote is a charming hamlet in the hills above Winchcombe. It has a very pretty and small church. Hailes Abbey is beautiful - the remains of a Cistercian Abbey. More about Hailes Abbey.

Walk 5: Winchcombe to Belas Knap - approx 5 miles. Walking out to Belas Knap you are on the Cotswold Way - uphill all the way but not that bad. And Belas Knap, a pre-historic long barrow, is very interesting (the most interesting of the long barrows around here). More about Belas Knap.

Winchcombe Welcomes Walkers is on Facebook.

There is a steam train line that goes from Cheltenham (at the racetrack) to Winchcombe to Toddington. You could take that from Winchcombe to Toddington and then walk back on the Cotswold Way. GWR Train. That would be a 2 - 3 hour walk. You would have to walk on the road from the train station to the Cotswold Way where it crosses the B4077. From the train station turn right on B4077 and you will come to the footpath marker just after the road to Stanway (not far).

If you wanted a long walk, about 12 miles, you could take the bus from Winchcombe (runs hourly) to Broadway and walk back on the Cotswold Way. We have done this and it is a long day of walking - but is the most beautiful part of the Cotswold Way.

Photo from last summer in July, looking back at Winchcombe on the walk to Belas Knap.

 

[Pauline]

Well, this is interesting! A couple of years ago, after a walk, we were in Food Fanatics in Winchcombe (a very good shop, deli and coffee shop) and one of the guys working there told me there were remains of a Roman villa on the way to Belas Knapp. I couldn't find any information about it and every time we walk there I think about it - was he wrong? If not, where was it?

Today I found it. On the Walkers website there is a walk from Winchcombe to Spoonley Villa. That is the Roman villa. Once I had the name I could find more. Wikipedia - Spoonley Wood Roman Villa. It looks like the remains are not in great shape, one of the original mosaic floors was taken to Sudeley but a reconstructed mosaic floor remains. My favorite part of the Wikipedia writeup - "For two years the site lay open, during which time it was damaged by frost, rabbits, and visitors." < Those rabbits!!

We will be off to Winchcombe on the next sunny day (or the one after next because first we have to see the daffodils near Newent) and then I can add it as a Slow Europe Day Trip

 

[SusanSeattle]

Pauline,
thanks for all the ideas. I first stayed in Winchcombe when walking the Cotswold way. We saw a sign for the for Spoonley Villa, but weren't sure how far off the path it was. Later, locals at a pub told us there wasn't really much there. At Belas Knap, we met a group on a walk with a historian. I'm looking forward to being back for a few nights & taking in more of these walks.

 

[Pauline]

@SusanSeattle I forgot that you have walked the Cotswold Way, so you won't want to redo the walk to Belas Knap. But there are several other good ones.

I still want to see those Roman villa ruins! There are better ones in this area, but I will hunt out these (and report back).