Cirencester Ramblers

On 26th August 17 members took evening walk around Cirencester's Home Guard Defence Line. The walk was lead by Bill and Jane Irving, who are also members of Living Memory Historical Association. This is the local charity which runs Cirencester's 1940s Museum in Sheep Street and the old Hospital Air Raid Shelter.

The weather was fine and members found the information gleaned very interesting.

On Sunday 23rd August, 15 Ramblers and 3 guests went on a 6½ mile walk starting in the pretty village of Naunton. The weather started dry, but unfortunately, a prolonged, heavy downpour affected the walk. Thankfully, the rain eased after the group took refuge in Upper Slaughter church for a coffee stop.

The walk afforded fine views across unspoilt Cotswold countryside, particularly so on the approach to the picture postcard village of Upper Slaughter.

Leaving Upper Slaughter, the walk followed a wooded track alongside the infant River Eye before crossing the B4068 at the entrance to Eyford Park. The walk followed the Wardens Way long distance footpath across fields and through woodlands before descending to the starting point in Naunton, where some of the group enjoyed a pub lunch in the village pub.

21 members and two guests set out from Snowshill on a 7 mile walk taking in Stanway and Stanton. The weather was good and they were rewarded with lovely views.

Leaving Snowshill, they took a lane up to the ridge above the village and after crossing two fields, an early refreshment stop was made, looking towards Broadway Tower. Pressing on, they walked along a track and through woods to reach the road to Stanway. Leaving the road, the path went through an orchard and passed the watermill to the handsome gatehouse of Stanway House. Walking down the road they entered a field onto the Cotswold Way, opposite the thatched cricket pavilion donated by the author J M Barrie, who used to stay at Stanway House.

From here, they followed the Cotswold Way to Stanton, and a stop for lunch. Refreshed, they walked up this typical Cotswold village and passed The Mount Inn, starting a long steady climb to the top of the hill. A short walk to a wood, crossing over a field, led to a lane back into Snowshill.

On Sunday 9th August 6 members and 1 visitor from Spain set off from Miserden for a 14 mile walk. The group headed off and after crossing through beautiful countryside in the direction of Througham, they stopped for a quick coffee break on a grassy slope near Snows Farm Nature Reserve. They then walked through the reserve sited at the head of the Slad Valley and about three miles north-east of Stroud. (The Dillay Brook runs through its centre. It is unimproved pasture, woodland and scrub.) The route continued through High Wood and Catswood, until they reached the outskirts of Slad, well known to fans of Laurie Lee’s “Cider with Rosie”. Instead of turning right to enter the village, they headed left to view some the places and events from the book. Richard, who had brought a copy of the book with him, read excerpts at the scenes where Miss Flynn drowned in the pond, where Rosie and Laurie frolicked under the hay cart, Sixpence Robinson and other delights.

They then climbed up the long and winding Downhill and up Famish Hill and returned to Miserden via Honeycombe House, an early C17 listed building, where our leader supplied them with “Crunchie” (honeycomb, get it?) to give us the energy needed for the final climb back to Miserden.

This walk took them through the many hidden valleys of a truly wild and beautiful area of the Cotswolds.

 New bridge opens up new route for disabled access in the Cotswold Water Park

Thanks to a combination of partnership working, volunteering efforts, no small amount of collaboration and just a bit of determination, a new circular route for those with limited mobility and parents with pushchairs has been opened up in the Cotswold Water Park.

In May this year, local walking group the Cirencester Ramblers made a successful application for some grant funding from the Community and Environmental Improvements Fund to replace a single plank (and very rickety) bridge with a fully DDA compliant wooden bridge running from the canal tow path to the shores of Lake 6, at the Gateway Centre, near South Cerney.

At the same time as the installation of the new bridge, a significant project was undertaken to upgrade and improve the footpath running along the lake edge, thanks to funding provided by the Rights of Way team at Gloucestershire County Council. Visitors will now be able to use this route the whole year round without getting muddy!

Quote from Richard Holmes of Cirencester Ramblers

“ This project has enabled the creation of a delightful circular route designed with the aim of enabling more people to access the countryside, which is at the heart of what the Ramblers strive to achieve all across the UK “

Quote from Jill Bewley of the Cotswold Water Park Trust

“We are really pleased to see the completion of such a practical project funded by the CEIF, and one which will benefit so many people. We get a huge number of requests for information about routes suitable for wheelchairs and buggies, and with the ease of accessibility at the Gateway Centre this is sure to prove really popular.”