Painswick (From Worcester News)

Painswick

11:25am Monday 28th March 2011 in Local walks By Julie Royle

SOMETIMES referred to as Queen of the Cotswolds, Painswick is an exquisite little town occupying a hilltop position to the north of Stroud.

It overflows with unspoilt buildings, including St Mary’s Church, which is famous for its 99 yew trees. The precisely clipped yews share the churchyard with a superb collection of beautifully carved table tombs which reputedly are among the finest in the country. Above them towers a 53-metre church spire, a landmark for miles around, which has been rebuilt several times.

St Mary’s was damaged during the Civil War, when Charles I was attempting to capture Gloucester.

A troop of Parliamentarians took refuge from the fighting inside the church, which was then besieged by Royalists. The church soon fell to its attackers but Gloucester held firm and Charles retreated to Painswick.

He was evidently impressed by it because it’s claimed it was he who gave the name Paradise to a hamlet just to the north, below Painswick Beacon.

There are some very fine houses in Painswick, such as the 16th century Court House, but it’s the abundance of charming, unspoilt cottages which makes it such a pleasure to wander around its narrow streets, including some surprisingly steep ones descending to lovely Painswick brook, which is lined with former woollen mills now converted into homes.

You could spend all day enjoying Painswick but the surrounding countryside demands attention too. Much of it is protected as part of the Cotswolds Commons and Beechwoods National Nature Reserve. This is a collective name for several different reserves, two of which are included in this walk.

The first you’ll come to is Pope’s Wood, which is owned by the National Trust and jointly managed with Natural England.

The Cotswold beechwoods are reckoned to be among the finest in Europe and it’s well worth exploring Pope’s Wood more fully before leaving it on the bridleway described here.

Also part of the National Nature Reserve is Rudge Hill, crossed at a later stage in the walk. This is limestone grassland with a rich flora in spring and early summer.

It also has a scattering of trees with good numbers of beautiful silver birches and it’s an ideal place for a picnic. It’s part of the much larger Scottsquar Hill.

The walk also includes other woods and commons which don’t form part of the National Nature Reserve, such as Huddinknoll Hill (another grassland common) and the National Trust’s Maitland Wood.

All the woods and commons mentioned have full public access so you can wander wherever you like, but please remember that dogs must be on the lead on access land from March 1 until July 31.

This isn’t just some arbitrary regulation, it’s to protect wildlife.

The Cotswold Way National Trail forms much of the route of this walk. Anyone unfamiliar with such trails may be astonished by the quality of the Cotswold Way.

No route description is required because the signage and waymarking are faultless.

Impressively, the other paths used in this walk are nearly as good.

One purpose of national trails is to attract international tourists, so in addition to being maintained to a high standard they also benefit from extra touches to enhance the walking experience.

On the Cotswold Way this has led to the welcome provision of beautifully crafted traditionalstyle milestones.

There’s one on this walk, near the end, at a distance of 47 miles from Chipping Campden, 55 miles from Bath.

FACTFILE

Start: Stroud Road (A46), Painswick, Gloucestershire, grid ref SO864094.

Length: Eight miles/13km.

Maps: OS Explorer 179, OS Landranger 162.

Terrain: Pasture, woodland, commons, arable, with a few gentle slopes.

Footpaths: Superlative.

Stiles: One but it can be avoided, Parking: Car park off Stroud Road in Painswick or walkers’ car park on Cotswold Way north of Painswick.

Public transport: Train to either Cheltenham or Gloucester then Stagecoach 46 from Cheltenham to Painswick (daily) or Stagecoach 93 from Gloucester to Edge (Monday- Saturday); gloucestershire.gov.uk or Traveline 0871 2002233; firstgreatwestern.co.uk or rail enquiries 08457 484950. Both Cheltenham and Gloucester may also be reached by bus, changing at Evesham for Cheltenham and at Upton-upon-Severn, Hereford or Ledbury for Gloucester.

Refreshments: Pub, hotel, shop and tea rooms in Painswick, Edgemoor Inn by the A4173 on Scottsquar Hill.

DIRECTIONS

1 Take the north-bound Cotswold Way, which leaves Painswick in Gloucester Street (B4073). Walk to Pope’s Wood then leave the Cotswold Way and take a bridleway descending left. Follow it to the B4073 and cross to a minor road opposite. After 100m turn left on a footpath. Descend to a junction and turn right. Walk past Spoonbed Farm and proceed through woods and fields. Keep to the left of a grassy bank when you come to a slightly ambiguous waymark. After that the path is very easily followed until you reach a lane at Upper Holcombe.

Turn right, then left when you come to a T-junction.

2 Take a bridleway on the right when you reach Huddinknoll Hill Common. Follow it across the common then rejoin the lane.

Continue in the same direction to meet the A4173 at Edge. Turn left then cross over to take a road signed to Whiteshill and Randwick.

Soon after passing the last of the houses take a path into Maitland Wood – not the track along the woodland edge but the path next to the National Trust sign. Choose any route you like from a dense network of paths and you will intercept the Cotswold Way at some point – if in doubt just keep roughly parallel with the road and you can’t go wrong. Turn left and follow the Cotswold Way to Painswick.

Worcester News recommends the use of OS Explorer Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside. This walk is based on OS Explorer 179.