Mitnew two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Mitnew here.

Nic Howes trialled this route, walking from Newent to Mitcheldean, Sunday 25.9.22. I much prefer it over Mitnew one for reasons detailed on my review of that route.

Newent Market House is the start/finish point (Photo one). The route heads south on Culver Street, passing a substantial exposure of the Triassic Helsby Sandstone on the left, before following a footpath on the right into woodland, along the course of Peacocks Brook.

At the southern corner of Newent Community School playing fields there is a tricky bit of route finding where the passable PROW deviates from that marked on the OS map; it descend towards the Brook but turns right just before the bridge across it, and follows the path SW with the stream close on the left. Photo 2 shows the location; the faint path branches right at the bottom of the clear path down, immediately before the footbridge over the Brook.

The route crosses a lane near Brook Farm and reaches a pond with water lilies further on (Photo three); a fisherman had just caught a Roach as I passed. Further south, the route passes close to the International Birds of Prey Centre, named on the map but permanently closed according to the sign I saw there when cycling past on the lane earlier.

The route joins a lane at The Green and follows this south to Woodgate, after which it turns left on the Three Choirs Way for less than 100 metres, past the barns where I saw these magnificent traditional barrels (Photo four) and then branches right along a footpath leading to a fine piece of mixed coppice (Photo five).

Further south the route passes a small lake around which the "West's most romantic getaway" has been set up; see Photos six and seven and https://www.barefootandbower.co.uk. Shortly after passing Barefoot and Bower, the route abruptly forks right off the woodland drive at a point shown in Photo eight.

Woodland paths are legendary for getting lost on, and care is needed (compass and/or GPS) to stay on track along the route south through attractive Newent Woods, eventually emerging and crossing a field with a view of Clifford Manor (1882) to the left. The route turns left along a lane leading to the Glasshouse pub, which was temporarily closed on the lunchtime I visited. Photo nine shows the route's approach to the Glasshouse, with Judge's Lane on the left and the Wysis Way on the right, the latter being the variation on Mitnew one that Mitnew two follows.

The route follows the Wysis Way up the flanks of May Hill to reach its summit; the climb is well worth it for the magnificent views across hundreds of square miles of the region that I'm fortunate to call home. No photograph can do justice to the experience of standing on a dramatic viewpoint (that's a reason why we love Slow Ways) but the panoramic Photo ten includes the River Severn on its left, and the Brecon Beacons National Park just to the left of the distinctive group of trees on May Hill summit on the right.

The route now descends steeply across the SW flank of May Hill, crossing Yartleton Lane by a landmark modern house with a triangular profile. Continuing across fields, the route eventually meets a surfaced access lane in the vicinity of The Old Farm; it's worth looking out here for the large tulip tree behind a new house on the right (I first spotted it by looking up after seeing the tulip-shaped leaves on the ground).

The access lane meets Barrel Lane, along which the route turns left, descending to pass under the former Ross to Gloucester railway line (Photo eleven). Barrel Lane meets the A40 at Boxbush and a short deviation from the route takes in a visit to The Farmers Boy pub (Photo twelve), a welcoming survivor in the hard-hit hospitality sector in the area: https://farmersboyinn.co.uk .

A pavement beside the A40 links Barrel Lane with The Farmers Boy, and halfway along it the route follows the Wysis Way, heading off steeply uphill in a SW direction, towards Bilbut Farm; on this section the route passes some lovely old oak trees (Photo thirteen). On the steep ascent to the col in which Bilbut Farm sits it is worth turning back to see a great view of the domed profile of May Hill, prominent and recognisable from miles away (Photo fourteen).

From Bilbut Farm the route descends easily to Bradley Court Road, with good views over Mitcheldean. Although traffic moves fast on Bradley Court Road (where doesn't it in rural areas?) it's a short walk with good visibility, down into Mitcheldean and the finish/start at its imposing church (Photo fifteen).

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