THE SEVERN WAY ULTRA
HOLT CASTLE TO CP1 (6.4 miles)
Leave Holt Castle and bear left in front of the church. At holt grange go forward across a cattle grid and onto a broad track which continues to Top Barn Farm where you go through a complex of buildings and forward down a track. At a junction turn right and 30 meters later, go left on a broad track. Just after meeting a surfaced lane, go over a stile on the left, and along the edge of woodland. As you draw level with a pond on the left, turn right over a footbridge, and then, at the edge of a quarry workings, turn left to another footbridge. Cross this and turn right aiming for Grimley church. When you emerge onto a stony track, turn right, following signs for Church Farm. At overhead power lines, turn left on a grassy track parallel with the lines, and then climb to a stile at a power line junction. Beyond this keep to the field margin and on the far side of the field, go left towards Grimley Church. At a gate, turn right to go through the churchyard, passing in front of the main door and continuing between headstones to a road. Turn left past the Wagonwheel Inn and following the road round onto a track leading to the Severn. Turn right over a footbridge to rejoin the river. At 2.7 miles the path reaches Bevere Island and lock. Continue to the Camp House Inn (G/R 835 592) and as you reach it turn right then left through a caravan site to rejoin the riverbank. Between The Camp House Inn and Worcester the Severn Way leaves the river for some distance and passes through woodland. When you reach Sabrina Bridge, cross it and continue downstream, going beneath a railway bridge. Near Worcester Bridge, cross the road at a pedestrian crossing and turn right to a busy junction, and cross with care going forward into South Quay where former warehouses have been converted into apartments. Stay beside the river to reach Diglis and at 6.4 miles, The Diglis Hotel which is CP1 (G/R 849 542).
Navigation difficulty rating: Low, signed The Severn Way
Course type: Stony track, tarmac paths, grassy paths
CP1 TO CP2 (8.6 miles)
From the Diglis Hotel continue along the river path and at 0.5 miles go around the dock area and continue on the path. From Diglis Lock go forward onto a riverside path once more, until deflected away from the river by the in-flowing Duck Brook. Cross the footbridge, turning right through woodland to rejoin the riverbank. The path enters Ketch Caravan Park, continue on the path along an embankment to the far side and pass under the A422 onto a track. This track becomes a woodland path and later goes through the grounds of The Severn Motor Yacht Club before reaching a large open field, Upper Ham at 2.9 miles, and another caravan park at 3.2 miles. Continue along a broad green track going past Seaborne Yacht Company, across a slipway and towards Kempsey. Proceed through Lower Ham at 3.8 miles and on the far side of Lower Ham, at a stile, descend right to a riverbank path. Eventually steps bring you up from the river into a field. Cross to Oak Farm then at 5.0 miles turn right beside the A38 crossing a footway on the other side. Follow the road round a bend until about 300 meters after joining it you leave it on the right at a gate. Walk alongside a hedge until it ends, then turn left across a field. On the far side climb a stile beside a gate and go half-right across the next field. After another stile, turn left, aiming to the right of the buildings at Clifton Lower Farm. As you pass them, go left through the gate to join a farm track, turning right to a stile at the edge of an open field. Go forward along its left-hand edge, and cross a stile in the corner. Proceed along the edges of a couple of fields to meet a track at Sheepcote Farm at 6.3 miles. Turn right, following the track round a field edge until you can leave it at a stile on the right. Turn left across a field and over a stile to rejoin the riverbank. Having rejoined the riverbank just after Sheepcote Farm you now leave it briefly to cross a stile and bear right across a field, meeting a lane on the other side where you turn right to rejoin the riverbank. The route then turns left along a field edge to meet the A38 at Severn Stoke at 8.5 miles. Turn left along the path for 0.1 miles until you reach The Rose and Crown Pub (G/R 857 441) which is CP2.
Navigation difficulty rating: Low, signed The Severn Way
Course type: Tarmac paths, grassy tracks, fields CP2 TO CP3 (9.4 miles)
From the rose and Crown go back to the main road and bear right on the same road you just approached on. Continue for 0.3 miles then turn right sign posted the Severn Way Footpath. Continue through several gates until at 1.06 miles you reach the river path. Continue on the Way and after a couple of bends, it turns right again onto a lane going past the entrance to Severn Bank and onto a driveway to the Coach house. Just as you approach the Coach house, bear left through a gate onto a grassy track that descends past Cliff Wood to rejoin riverside fields. As you approach Upton, the route is channelled through an underpass and on the other side turn right to climb to the road and then cross Upton Bridge. Having crossed the bridge into Upton, turn sharply left onto waterside in front of the Plough Pub at 2.7 miles, and continue along the river. Continue on the Way and at 5.8 miles, pass under the M50 (G/R 867 368). As you approach Tewksbury, a wooded cliff now towers above the other bank. Just beyond this is Mythe Bridge, turn right over a stile and then left to join the A438 at 8.4 miles. Cross the bridge going forward to a footpath on the left. Turn down steps through two iron gates and then turn left towards the river until you can pass beneath Mythe Bridge. Follow the Way and then a field-edged path to the confluence of the Severn and the Old Avon. When you meet the road at Beaufort Bridge, turn right to King John’s Bridge and then right again onto a towpath alongside the Mill Avon. When you reach a flour mill turn left across a bridge and then right to a nearby footbridge. Go over the footbridge and turn left along the edge of Severn Ham. Re-cross the Mill Avon at the next footbridge at Abbey mill. Just after the mill on the right, is CP3 based in The Victorian Pleasure Gardens (G/R 893 330).
Navigation difficulty rating: Low, signed The Severn Way
Course type: mainly river paths, fields
CP3 TO CP4 (10.6 miles)
From The Pleasure Gardens, head through the gardens and then after 0.2 miles through a car park and turn right into Lower Lode Lane signed The Severn Way. At the end of the lane you rejoin the river by the Cheltenham College Boathouse. Go past this and through a metal gate to resume the riverside route. Between Tewksbury and Gloucester, the Severn Way now barely leaves the river, making navigation very easy to the outskirts of Gloucester. From the outskirts of Tewksbury, the route passes the village of Deerhurst and reaches after 3.5 miles The Coal House Inn. Go forward towards a caravan park, and beyond this, enter a large field remaining with the river to reach at 4.3 miles, Haw Bridge. Cross the B4213 and go down to Bridge House. A short way on, go left over a stile into a field and turn right along the edge of a riverside field that eventually leads to the junction of Coombe Hill Canal and the river Severn. Keep forward to meet a road at Fletcher’s Leap and turn right to reach the Red Lion at Wainlode at 5.7 miles. Leave the road just after the Red Lion, branching right to a stile and a gate to climb above Wainlode Cliff into a large field. Keep right heading to field to a stile in a corner at the edge of woodland. Beyond the stile, go forward into a field briefly then cross a stile on the right to enter woodland. This is Norton Hill, which lies adjacent to Wainlode Hill. The Severn Way now goes through woodland before crossing a field and then descending by steps through more woodland to rejoin the riverbank. When you leave the trees, follow the right-hand field edge and eventually the Severn Way crosses Rodway Lane. Continue south going through Sandhurst Nature Reserve to reach Upper parting where the river splits into two channels. The Severn Way follows the east channel and continues close to the river. After going round a large field, keep to the right of two electricity pylons to a footbridge at 10.4 miles. The path steers you towards a road, go forward to the road and turn right to
reach the White Horse at 10.6 miles which is CP4 (G/R 829 208).
Navigation difficulty rating: Low, signed The Severn Way
Course type: Fields, grassy tracks, some tarmac
CP4 TO CP5 (14.0 miles)
From The White Horse leave the car park turning left at the road back towards the sluice gate. Turn left before it to rejoin the riverside path which passes behind The White Horse. The path leads to the former Walham boatyard where you go down the steps, past some ponds, then on along the towpath and at 0.9 miles is passes beneath the A40 bypass bridge (G/R 821 197). Go through a field and at 1.2 miles pass under a railway viaduct (G/R 824 193) to enter Westgate Park. Walk to the far side then turn right under a fly-over and proceed across the end of a pedestrian walkway and under another fly-over. Turn left to emerge at the roadside near a petrol station. Go past the petrol station, following the road round to the right past the Countrywide Store to meet Gloucester’s Victorian quayside. When you reach the entrance to Gloucester Docks at the Severn road, proceed into the Docks and turn right over a lock gate, (G/R 827 184) opposite the Antiques Centre. Go forward to rejoin the Severn Road. Turn left at the Severn road to a T- junction which is Llanthony road. Turn right here to another T- junction at 2.1 miles (the road in front of you is also Llanthony road). Turn left here and then cross the road to look out for a right turn into Sudmeadow Road 0.2 miles later (G/R 822 179). After the last terraced house on the right, turn right down a fenced path. At its end, turn left to re-emerge beside the Severn, continuing along the riverside path that loops around Sud Meadow. When having passed the village of Hempsted and approaching The Rea, branch left, still on an embankment, to a stile in a hedge, beyond which at 5.1 miles, you cross a footbridge to a road (G/R 810 164). Turn right and follow the road to its end, then, just before the last house, turn right through a gate and a garden to a stile (G/R 806 159), beyond which you join the riverbank. At 6.2 miles you meet a road again at Lower Rea (G/R 801 151), turn right and stay on the road for approx 800 meters then when it bends left, leave it for a path returning to the riverbank. Continue past houses and then to a stile which beyond, you go through a series of riverside fields and orchards. Not far from Wicksgreen you leave the floodbank to go through an orchard at Waterend Farm. On the far side go forward over a footbridge. After passing the village of Longney the river suddenly broadens to accommodate Longney Sands. At the end of the sands you come to Bush Crib, where you pass a cottage and continue along the floodbank, crossing a section of cultivated turf to Longney Crib where the Severn narrows again. The path after a short distance reaches the hamlet of Epney, where the path comes out to a road. Turn right here and proceed to Upper Framilode, once there turn right and at 14.0 miles you will reach The Anchor Inn (G/R 750 103) which is CP 5.
Navigation difficulty rating: Low, signed The Severn Way
Course type: Fields, floodbanks, some tarmac
CP5 TO PUNCH POINT 1 (5.4 miles)
From The Anchor Inn continue along the road (taking care against the approaching traffic !) and at 0.7 miles passing over the river Frome bridge then turning right signed the Severn Way to reach St. Peters Church at 0.9 miles. Continue past the church which is signed the Severn way and continue forward to a junction at 1.3 miles where you bear right. Continue along the lane until at 1.8 miles you will pass Priding House. Just after the house the road bends left, leave it here to rejoin the riverside path, again signed the Severn Way. The route now follows the floodbank around the peninsula until at 5.4 miles you reach The Old Passage Inn on your left (G/R 695 113) which is where PUNCH POINT 1 is located.
Navigation difficulty rating: Low, signed The Severn Way
Course type: Floodbanks, fields,
PUNCH POINT 1 TO CAMPSITE
Continue along the route, through Smiths Wood and on to Saul Lodge where the route turns left (G/R 741 082) and shortly meets a small road where you turn right towards Fretherne Bridge. Cross Fretherne Bridge (G/R 746 084) then turn immediately right onto a path by the side of the canal and forward to a footpath on your left (G/R 745 083). Turn left onto this footpath and continue towards Manor Farm which is your campsite for this leg (G/R 748 081).
Navigation difficulty rating: Low, signed The Severn Way
Course type: Floodbanks, fields,
Total mileage- 58