Generally, I prefer walking to Nailsworth by sticking to the Railway path/cycle route, with the slight deviation through houses when the old line reaches Dudbridge. But this Slow Ways route offers a nice variation....

Steven Coombs

This is a very good easy route, well maintained and flat tarmac almost the whole way, as it's a cycle route. It's pleasant under the trees but it wasn't nearly as rural as I expected - there are fences and buildings visible to the side for much of the way. If you want more countryside, you could choose one of the other variants which take you into the fields and up Selsley Hill!...

Andrew Davies

A short but steep climb through woods up to the common. Then lovely views as you walk towards Minchinhampton. Easy to navigate no problems....

Karen Phimister

One tip is that after the Council offices you need to keep left through the Council car park, over the river and get up on to the embankment (above the busy road)....

Neil Phimister

It takes you along the canal path to Ebley then some gentle ups and downs up to Selsley Common and through fields to Woodchester and then down to join the canal path into the centre of Nailsworth. Really pretty and varied walk. Some muddy bits I would recommend this route....

Karen Phimister

You pass behind Rooksmoor Mills where there is a lot of building going on (mostly apartments I think). Also, Damien Hirst's warehouse - one of his tall pieces can just been seen between the leaves of the trees. You'll approach a lit tunnel and just before it, you will turn right to take a path through a small housing estate and cross a small river. You'll emerge onto a road with a pedestrian crossing and then have to climb some steps to walk along the next section of disused railway line - I think if you were to turn left instead of crossing at the lights, then turn right at the next set of lights and walk up the fairly steep hill, you will find a ramp down onto this section of disused railway line). At the mini roundabout, you could take a right and walk up the hill where you'll find the railway station on your left (there is a footbridge over the tracks to reach the ticket office and platform 1). The route however tells you to continue past the mini roundabout, under the railway bridge and take the first right, and then right again to approach the railway station from the ticket office side....

GiselaB

Yes, it's a bit more varied than using the old railway line out of Stroud to connect to the old railway line into Nailsworth, but it is not the most direct route and there were a couple of inaccuracies in the mapping. Out on the road, turn briefly left, before heading right and uphill towards Selsley and not Kings Stanley. At the Bell Inn, turn left just before and you're on a track which for me was the highlight of the walk. In the final field where the remains of an old Priory are behind a wall on the left, the route mistakenly tells you to turn right by the stile as you exit. Again, I think it's unnecessary to turn left here to walk backwards in effect. You can turn right, go down the hill and also pick up the old railway line into Nailsworth. The old railway line is very pleasant to walk along, especially when it's wet or hot as you're sheltered by the overhanging trees....

GiselaB

This is a good route and far more varied than following the National Cycle Network route 45. Just north of North Woodchester the route makes use of a field where there is no path. Instead of heading for Water Lane, use Church Lane and connect to the public path there....

danravenellison

I'll be sharing an alternative route option to follow the cycle path too....

danravenellison

With the vast majority of the route off-road and easy to navigate, I was able to enjoy being in the conversation without having to find my way....

danravenellison

Our only comment would be that we found it a nicer route to walk the edge of the common in Minchinhampton instead of turning into Common Road, you come out by the side of the church a couple of minutes walk from the square....

Sunjor

A very pleasant, and relatively short, walk between Minchinhampton on top of the hill and Nailsworth in the valley below. However, where it meets the common, you can just walk across the common to the Halfway Café, and beyond here, you can continue on the common rather than walking on the road....

GiselaB

There's a pub in Avening open for food from midday on Saturday & Sunday's, or after 5:30 on weekdays....

Georgia M

(We did the walk from Nailsworth to Dursley for public transport reasons, but the comments above read as though we did it from Dursley to Nailsworth.)....

Anne

Some stiles and kissing gates and field walking as well as hills so maybe not for everyone but lovely countryside walking and views ending with a long descent into Nailsworth....

GIllian

A nice walk along the canal from the centre of Stroud to Dudbridge then over hills and fields to Woodchester where it joins the cycle path to Nailsworth. I experienced a slight problem as I approached The Priory as I couldn't find the footpath indicated along the side of the field to the right, however the waymarked footpath straight ahead led to the same place and it was easy to pick up the road to Woodchester. Toilets and refreshments available as you leave the canal path and at the Sainsbury's about 100m off the path where it crosses the A419....

GIllian

However, the section after Nympsfield was difficult to navigate, and almost unpassable in places due to the large amount of standing water. This was after a spell of dry weather, so I would imagine it would be much worse in poor weather....

jamiekirk

The stretch from Nympsfield, through the valley, is more difficult as the footpath signs are widely spaced and the route is not well trodden. There is long grass and boggy stretches in the valley bottom. Careful map reading required!...

JD

Busy road to cross in Avening and Tetbury....

Ledgero2