Cotswold Strolls - Cleeve Hill to Winchcombe
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The writer - on the road again!
Continuing our plan to stroll around the lanes of the Cotswolds, our latest effort took us from just below Cleeve Hill down to the beautiful town of Winchcombe.
Driving up from Winchcombe towards Cleeve Hill, we looked for a good parking spot to begin our walk - 'up' being the operative word as Cleeve Hill is the highest of the Cotswolds Hills and, at 1,083 ft, is the highest point in Gloucestershire.
Directly opposite Cleeve Hill Golf Club, just as the road becomes a dual carriageway, we spotted a little lane on the right which had plenty of parking spaces.
Credit: © 2021 Sue McGreal
Through Langley to Winchcombe
The first half mile of the walk isn't particularly pleasant, to be honest. The good news is it's downhill and there is a footpath which keeps you off the busy road but the hedges hadn't been cut when we went which made it a little tricky in places and, of course, downhill going means uphill coming back!
After half a mile, turn left into Langley Road and it's like turning into another world. Peaceful, quiet, virtually no traffic, just the occassional cyclist and fellow walkers.
Skirting Langley Hill on the left and passing several pretty houses and farmhouses, it's a thoroughly pleasant walk with panoramic views to both sides.
After about 3 miles, you reach the outskirts of Winchcombe. As you walk down Back Lane, there are several footpaths on the right which take you into the town, one going through the churchyard at the back of St Peter's Church.
Credit: © 2021 Sue McGreal
St Peter's Church, Winchcombe
The church was built in the mid 1400s and is well worth a visit, if only to view the altar cloth sewn by Catherine of Aragon but there are plenty of other interesting features detailed in the link below.
https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/glouces/churches/Winchcombe.htm
We first came across St Peter's some years ago when they had the most amazing second hand book sale - every pew and aisle was lined with books and there were excellent bargains to be had.
Credit: © 2021 Sue McGreal
History of Winchcombe
People have lived in the Winchcombe area since circa 3000 years BC but it wasn't until the time of the Saxons that it began to rise in prominence. Many of the Saxon kings were associated with the town which enhanced its reputation and the Benedictine monastery founded in 972 brought in many pilgrims over the years which made the Abbey extremely wealthy. They were great landowners, owning nearly 25,500 acres, including (for a time) Snowshill Manor and estate. The town became equally wealthy, partly from the pilgrims but also from wool trading.
These good times continued more or less until Henry VIII declared the Dissolution of Monasteries in 1539 when the fortune of the town went into decline.
It wasn't until the nineteenth century that things began to pick up again and Winchcombe began to expand. The Dent family were now owners of Sudeley Castle and built several new schools and churches and the almshouses known as Dent's Terrace for the town.
Sudeley Castle
Although it adds an extra 2 miles to the walk, a visit to Sudeley Castle is a must for any Winchcombe visitor.
The castle was originally built by Ralph de Boteler, who was Lord High Treasurer of England, in 1443, and has proved popular with members of the nobility and royalty ever since, especially the Tudors. There have been visits by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I lived there for a while as a child, attended by Lady Jane Grey, and Katherine Parr lived (and died) here after the death of Henry with her new husband, Thomas Seymour. She is buried in St Mary's Church in the grounds.
Today Sudeley Castle is a privately owned, thriving tourist attraction. If you fancy a nice day out in beautiful surroundings, check out more details on the Sudeley Castle page.
Winchcombe Fame
As you might expect from such picturesque surroundings, both Winchcombe and Sudeley Castle have been used as film locations. 'Martin Chuzzlewit' (1994) and 'Emma' (1996) were filmed here as was our old friend, 'Father Brown'!
The town is also no stranger to celebrity weddings. For instance, Liz Hurley's wedding to Arun Nayar at Sudeley Castle in 2007 saw the arrival of Sir Elton John and David Furnish amongst others.
The biggest claim to fame recently though has to be the Winchcombe meteorite which fell to Earth on 28th February 2021. Amazing to think that something containing information on the creation of the solar system should end up landing safely on a drive in Winchcombe!
Other points of interest
Winchcombe is a 'walker friendly' town, having plenty of self-guided walks and special walking events in the area. Have a look at their website for more information - https://www.winchcombewelcomeswalkers.com/
There is plenty of choice for places to eat in Winchcombe. We had a lovely breakfast in The White Hart Inn. The food was delicious, very reasonably priced for the quality and the service was great too - https://whitehartwinchcombe.co.uk/
All in all a great day out.
Sue McGreal
Last updated: 23 August 2023 - Please note: This blog was first written over a year old and things may have changed since the blog was written.
