Winchcombe, Cotswold Way

Following the acorn waymarker, I found myself on the Mile Drive, unsurprisingly a mile-long trail section running like a canal through a mix of woodland and farmland. Carefully crossing over the A44, I entered a small section of heavily wooded area running parallel to the road. It doesn’t last long, and then I’m back in the open fields, gently ascending a hill until I reach Broadway Tower, a classic folly with expansive views from the top.  

Down the hill, I went into the pretty village of Broadway. The main street is lined with red chestnut trees and Cotswold stone shops, galleries, and eateries. Broadway is closely linked to the Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries when artists and writers were drawn to the village’s tranquil atmosphere and away from the bustling industrial cities.  

Climbing up onto the escarpment, I followed a broad track lined with trees on one side and fenced pasture on the other. At one point, the track narrowed to barely the width of my foot and was fenced on both sides. Widening once again, I arrived at Shenberrow Hill, the third-highest point on this journey.  

Following a steep descent into the village of Stanton and its small population of 198, I wandered through the quiet street and back out again into the countryside. It is hailed as one of the prettiest and most unspoiled villages in the Cotswolds, and it is very pretty indeed. 

I wound my way towards Winchcombe, first on a well-paved country road and then through meadows with no obvious trail except for the marker posts guiding my way. Sections of drystone walls delineate the meadows from farmlands. These wall structures are perfectly stacked without mortar in between and yet are amazingly strong. The base is usually 2ft (60cm) wide, narrowing near the top to just 14 inches (35cm). Small stones are used to fill the gaps, and a row of upright stones complete the wall. The lack of mortar allows air to go through the stones, keeping them dry. Well-built walls can last several hundred years, as can be seen all throughout the UK.  

My final stop in this section was the medieval town of Winchcombe. Dating to the Roman days, this once-walled town grew to prominence during the Anglo-Saxon period. The main street is lined with a mix of 15th-century timber-frame and limestone buildings.  

Here, I’ll be looking for a place to indulge my taste buds with Double and Single Gloucester semi-hard cheese, some crackers, and a Gloucestershire cider. It is no surprise that both are closely associated with the Cotswolds, given the many manufacturers and breweries found in the region.