Paibro one

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Walked this route in two parts (Cheltenham to Stroud) North to South in the winter 2022/23 as part of walking the Cotswold way.
Part One: Brockworth to Cranham Corner (15/11/2022)
Late start today in Cheltenham because of damp weather but gradually it cleared up. Brockworth (or for me the junction between the A46 running south and Ermine Street) has good bus connections to either Cheltenham or Gloucester, so it started there on the little island next to a Shell station, Subway and a Toby Carvery. I was trying to get back up onto the Cotswold Way on Cooper's Hill behind. The path goes back behind the Shell station through a meadow and a few fields before it starts to climb, I disturbed someone in the field doing meditation (sssh!). Some of this was muddy and difficult but the path was marked and you start to rise up through a field, onto Cooper's Hill. For me it was a steepie but you got rewarded with opening views north of Cheltenham and across to the Malverns. The path just keeps going up and up though and gets pretty steep sometimes and very sticky in places with mud. As a temporary relief I finally come across to Cotswold Way with better signage and a little bit of tarmac but then it goes up some more! through some steep zig zags under trees. By the time I got to the top it had taken a full hour (I'm old) and a great view but it was hard work.
The path gradually goes down from here but I had a bus to catch (not so many south of Brockworth) so got a bit anxious. Through trees, a bit slippy underfoot and there was a bit that sent you back into a steep climb for a couple of hundred yards but I became aware that I was in, much more managed , Buckholt Woods and gradually winding and descending down to the A46 at Cranham corner. Plenty up and downs on this one, Cooper's Hill is pretty steep. Walk time - about 1h 40m but quicker if you are younger (or fitter). Probably too difficult for wheels because some of the slopes are very steep though there might be alternative ways to approach it.
Part Two: Cranham Corner A46 to Painswick (09/01/2023)
Having done the beast that is Cooper's Hill, this walk was much more pleasant. I was following the Cotswold Way down to Stroud. Getting dropped by the bus at Cranham Corner A46 (#66) you realised that this was fairly high up so all of this leg was downhill apart from a short bit up from the bus stop heading on a broad path through trees south. follow the Cotswold Way (CW) markers, this is a good path here. You go up through trees to Kite's hill where the ground opens out for Painswick Golf course where you are walking along a ridge really, an odd mix of iron age undulations and golf bunkers. Generally the track keeps to the left to keep you off the golf fairways. There are sometimes good views east and the tops of the undulations are treeless and grassland now. The clear track starts to drop down and veer away left, still alongside the golf course as you reach a small cross road and the path then takes you down into woods past a small quarry. I came across loose cows in the woods here, for a little while the path becomes quite windy and narrow. Then, finally, you start to come into Painswick after one more cross of the golf course, probably the 18th. There is a tarmac road here to cross but beware golfers driving shots in from up on the right, they will stop if they can see you. The track goes down now towards the right (Golf Course road) into a T junction with the B4073 and some views south. Turn left then you are coming past houses (Cotswold stone), keep following the road that goes straight down the hill until you reach the main road (our old friend the busy A46) and there is a right turn to follow it down the main street to the big church, shops, a couple of pubs and the bus stop. It's nearly all been down hill this part. This section took me just an hour. Easy walking, would be mostly ok with wheels.
To be honest the mileage isn't huge for this walk (5.25m, 8.5 km) but it is steep and windey in places. This was a reasonable winter's day so I had benign weather and good views. Some facilities at the Brockworth round about and some shops and a pub (The Falcon) in Painswick. Nice place though careful walking past the golf course.

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