Cotswold Way

We decided that, to make some progress, we would utilise the half term and press on with the walk for our fifth stage of this endeavour. Since we have brought the Cotswold Way journey to our doorstep, we thought that the weather might support a second successive day and I am pleased to report that it did - just! We were delighted to have the old team back together for this stage, as Kyle joined us for most of the day (he had somewhere to be in the afternoon). We hopped on the 62 bus from the end of our road and then the 882 so far as Birdlip (our finishing point yesterday). We retraced our steps from the Royal George pub bus stop, downhill to the road's the intersection with the route and then continued down the path from there, where we proceeded to give up much of our altitude. We knew that could mean only one thing; more uphill later! The Cotswold Way is very well route-marked, as I have mentioned before, but I do love some of the comical markers one can find along the way, some...

The forecast for Thursday was showery at first, soon clearing up. It was certainly chilly as we headed down to the first bus to Cheltenham. A Starbucks coffee later and onto the second bus and we were already a little warmer. As we headed up the walk from Linover woods car park it just got warmer still. By this point there was no rain and just a moderate northeast wind at our backs. We soon climbed to the top of the hill and across the top heading southwest. Near Wistley, or perhaps Chatcombe woods, there seemed to be hunters out shooting. As we descended toward the A436 Kilkenny road we left them behind. I had hopes of a bacon bap in the coach diner that usually sits in the layby there, but sadly that was not to be, as it was missing. Instead, we headed on up the lane across the roundabout toward the east end of Leckhampton hill, with its wonderful view over the golf course, as well as the vista back the way we'd come. Pretty soon we were strolling across a hill I know very well a...