Wotton Walking Festival 2021

NOTE – All walks will start and finish at the Wotton Auction Rooms Car Park unless stated. Free parking is available in the Car Park. Please be considerate to neighbouring houses.

Walk Grading EASY – a walk on flat or gently undulating ground of not more than 5miles suitable for ‘new’ walkers

MODERATE – A 5 to 10mile walk which may involve several short ascents or one longer one

ENERGETIC – One or more steep climbs and a walk of over 10miles. Requires a good level of fitness.

N.B. Whilst every effort has been made to classify walks appropriately and point out areas of risk it is up to the individual to determine if a walk is suitable

Walk Programme Friday 11th June

Walk No Walk Description Walk Leader Max Start Time Approx Approx Start Point Finish Point Terrain Restrictions Other Stuff No Distance Time

FRI1 Dawn Walk Up to the Westridge Woods Neil Hasson 15 4.30am 3 miles 2 hours Auction Rooms, Auction Rooms, A mix of tarmac and well No dogs. Unsuitable We will be joined then over to Wotton Hill and Car Park Car Park marked out paths. One steep for pushchairs or by a bird watching back for Breakfast Moderate up and down. No Stiles wheelchairs expert No toilets on route

FRI2 The This will be a walk to discover Verity 10 8am 6.5 miles Treasures of the wildlife that inhabits the Small (this will Tyley Bottom valley running up through Tyley include 3 hours Auction Rooms, Auction Rooms, Meadow land and some steep No dogs. Unsuitable Bring binoculars, Bottoms. Two local wildlife and (Wotton some zig Car Park Car Park banks for pushchairs and cameras, a drink bird enthusiasts, who will Lions) zagging to wheelchairs and a snack attempt to identify birds and track No toilets on route mammal species along the walk, wildlife) will lead the walk. It will be a slow walk as we try to track Moderate down, or listen for bird species.

Round Enjoy wonderful views back to Sarah 16 10am 6 miles 3 hours Charfield Charfield Mainly flat following Well behaved dogs Please bring drinks FRI3 Charfield Wotton whilst taking a walk on Norton Village Hall, Village Hall footpaths and lanes with a welcome. Unsuitable and snacks. the footpaths from Charfield to Moderate GL12 8TG ,GL12 8TG couple of gentle inclines and for pushchairs and Avening Green and Tortworth, one steep decent on a lane. wheelchairs. No toilets on route round Daniel’s Wood, down to 2 stiles. Damery Bridge and back to Charfield. WALK IS FULLY

BOOKED

FRI4 Up the A wander along the stream then Please bring drinks Sheeptrack up the sheeptrack to Coombe 7 miles 3 hours Auction Rooms, Auction Rooms, A mix of tarmac and well Well behaved dogs and snacks. to the Hill then a wander through the Neil Hasson 15 1pm Car Park Car Park marked out paths. One steep welcome. Unsuitable Monument woods to the Tyndale Moderate up and down. 2 stiles for pushchairs and No toilets on route Monument and back to Wotton wheelchairs on the

FRI5 Wotton in Much of the detailed scenery Roadside Roadside Please bring drinks the Ice Age around Wotton is a relic of parking parking and snacks. processes that operated on the Dave Green 15 6.30pm 2 miles 3 hours between between Some steeps ups and downs Well behaved dogs bedrock during the Ice Age, such Ashcroft Road Ashcroft Road and a couple of stiles welcome. Unsuitable No toilets on route as land sliding, mudflows. By Moderate and Goose and Goose for pushchairs and means of a walk Green (layby at Green (layby at (please note limited parking. If wheelchairs An optional post radio tower radio tower possible please car share) walk refreshment near Ozleworth near Ozleworth in a Wotton / Blackquarries / Blackquarries hostelry Hill) Hill)

FRI6 Walk Talk Meeting at the Festival carpark. Well behaved dogs Please bring your Wotton Walk up to Wotton Hill then via welcome. own refreshments, social walk to the Cotswold Way and main Kay Keane 20 7pm 5 miles 2.5 hours Auction Rooms, Auction Rooms, An ascent, suitable for most, if you would like Tyndale path through the woods to Car Park Car Park up to Wotton Hill. After here Unsuitable for to have some, for Monument Nibley Monument, have a break (Walk Talk Moderate most of the route is fairly even wheelchairs. when we are at North there enjoying the great view Wotton) and the terrain is a hardened having a break at Nibley and and then walk back via the same mud path if dry and muddy if Most of the walk on the monument back! path. Going up the tower, which wet. Suitable footwear etc is well defined paths so has many steps, for an even needed. may be suitable for higher viewpoint may be an pushchairs although option if it is open then. there are a few kissing gates

FRI7 Two A quick saunter past Spuncombe George We will pop into 2 Bottoms, Bottom for a cheeky pint at the Richardson 30 7.30pm 6 miles 4 hours Chipping Car Chipping Car A mix of footpaths and quiet Well behaved dogs pubs for a Two Pubs, New Inn, Waterley Bottom Park Park lanes. Some steep gradients welcome. Unsuitable refreshment. This One Night followed by another in North (Wotton Moderate and 5 stiles for wheelchairs or is an evening walk Nibley and a night hike through Round pushchairs and a torch / the woods back to Wotton. Table) headtorch is recommended.

Walk Programme Saturday 12th June

Walk Ref Walk Description Walk Max Start Approx Approx Start Point Finish Point Terrain Restrictions Other Stuff Leader No Time Distance Time

The opportunity to walk one of the new Cotswold Gateway routes in the company of The Shaun 15 9.30am 6.5 miles 4 hours Chipping Car Chipping Car Some challenging sections, a No dogs. Unsuitable Please bring drinks SAT1 Three Peaks Costwold National Landscapes Pettitt Park Park mixture of track, woodland, for pushchairs and and snacks. of Wotton Rural Skills Officer. As we walk Moderate fields and tarmac. Two steep wheelchairs. Ed will be on hand to answer climbs. Several stiles. No toilets on route any questions relating to rural skills and the training courses that the National Landscape team run. The walk takes in 3 of the hills surrounding the town offering fantastic panoramic views

A gentle meander across fields Please ensure you SAT2 A Longer and lanes to the Neil Hasson 20 10am 17 miles 7 hours Auction Auction Rooms, A reasonably tough walk with Well behaved dogs. bring enough food Explore Monument then a stunning hike Rooms, Car Car Park approx 2500 feet of up's and Unsuitable for and drink for the up towards on the Energetic Park downs. A mix of tarmac, pushchairs or walk although Monarchs Way. The second part footpaths and fields. Several wheelchairs there is an option of the walk loops round stiles. to refill water Ozleworth Estate before bottles after dropping back down to Wotton. approx. 12 miles We will aim to maintain a steady WALK IS FULLY No toilets on route pace with regular breaks at the BOOKED top of the hills

SAT3 An Slow Ways is a national project introduction to create a network of walking Rick 20 10.30am 9 miles 4 hours Auction Auction Rooms, A mixture of well defined Well behaved dogs. Refreshments and to Slow Ways routes that connect all cities and Berersford Room, Car Car Park trails and quiet country lanes. Unsuitable for toilets available in with Wotton towns and thousands of villages Moderate Park There are some steep pushchairs or Dursley at approx. Area Climate across the UK. (Wotton sections. There are several wheelchairs the halfway point Action Join us as we walk the Slow Area stiles. Network Ways route from Wotton to Climate Dursley via Waterley Bottom Action and return along the Cotswold Network) Way via North Nibley

SAT4 A Wotton A family suitable walk, heading Julie Jenner 25 11am 4.5miles 2 hours Wotton Wotton Grass and footpaths around No dogs. Unsuitable Please bring drinks Trotters out from the Community PARC Community Community the PARC and footpaths along for pushchairs or and snacks. Walk… Not along lanes and tracks into fields (Wotton Easy PARC, PARC, with some tracks/lanes. wheelchairs No toilets on route trot or run ! of the surrounding area Trotters) Skatepark car Skatepark car Several stiles along the way! park park

This walk takes in the peaceful woodlands of Westridge and One steep, long, uphill section, Well behaved dogs Please bring drinks Woodlands Laycombe before turning back Stella Laing 20 1pm 6.5 miles 3 hours Auction Auction Rooms, uneven and maybe muddy welcome. Unsuitable and snacks. SAT5 of Wotton near Rushmire and heading over Rooms, Car Car Park paths, 5 stiles to climb, fields for pushchairs or No toilets on route to Conygres. Moderate Park with long and possibly wet wheelchairs Stunning views and the grass, a short section along possibility of seeing deer in the single track road, steep fields. descent at the end.

Hillesley A loop encompassing Wortley, SAT6 Saunter Alderley, and Hillesley. Wotton 15 1.30pm 7miles 3-4 hours Auction Auction Rooms, Mainly footpaths with a Well behaved dogs Hopefully a stop at Hopefully stopping for a quick Ladies Rooms, Car Car Park section on a quiet country welcome. Unsuitable The Fleece but refreshment at The Fleece in Circle Moderate Park lane. A few steady climbs and for pushchairs or please bring drinks Hillesley (subject to Covid several stiles. wheelchairs. and snacks for the regulations) then back to walk Wotton. Toilets at The Fleece (if open)

SAT7 Nind Nature An explore of the wonders of Jeff 20 2pm 4 miles 2 hours Heritage Heritage Approx 12 stiles, no significant No dogs. Unsuitable Please bring drinks Reserve and Nind Nature Reserve and Trueman Centre, Centre, hills. Short section on road. for pushchairs or and snacks. Wortley Wortley Gardens Easy Chipping Car Chipping Car wheelchairs No toilets on route Gardens Park Park

SAT8 Walk Talk Walk to Tor Hill via Symn lane, The route is mostly undulating Well behaved dogs Please bring your Wotton Browns piece, then to the field with one main ascent going up welcome. Unsuitable own refreshments Social Walk by Bearlands, walk up a small Kay Keane 20 4pm 5 miles 2 hours Auction Auction Rooms, Cuckoo Lane and one steep for pushchairs and as we will have a up Tor Hill part of Nind Lane, then up Rooms, Car Car Park descent. Most of the terrain is wheelchairs break at the top of Cuckoo Lane. Have a break at Moderate Park a hardened mud path if dry the hill the top with a great view across and muddy if wet, some of to the River Severn. Then join which is across fields and No toilets on route the Cotswold Way to Tor Hill sections through both and down through Wortley and Wotton, Wortley and then back to Wotton. woodland.

At One With A gentle explore of the stream THIS IS AN SAT9 Your Camera and back through the church. ACCESSIBLE WALK – A Short There will be lots of stops to Sarah 10 4pm 2 miles 3 hours Potters Pond, Potters Pond, Easy terrain on pathways No dogs. Accessible take photographs and Clough Car Park Car Park Plenty of stops to take Suitable for Please bring drinks Walk experiment with your camera Easy photographs pushchairs and and snacks. with an expert on hand to assist wheelchairs No toilets on route

Walk Programme Sunday 13th June

Walk Ref Walk Description Walk Max No Start Approx Approx Start Point Finish Point Terrain Restrictions Other Stuff Leader Time Distance Time

SUN1 Wotton and A delightful walk passing Nanny Rachel 20 9.30am 10 miles 5 hours Auction Auction Rooms, Some challenging sections, a Well behaved dogs Bring drinks and the Bottoms Farmer's Bottom, along Gilbert Rooms, Car Car Park mixture of track, woodland, welcome. Unsuitable snacks for a coffee Ozleworth Bottom to the Energetic Park and fields. Several stiles. for pushchairs and stop and a picnic unusual Ozleworth church, wheelchairs. at Ozleworth returning along Tyley Bottom. Church Varied terrain, including woodland, streamside walking No toilets on route and open land with views of the countryside.

SUN2 Tresham A circular walk taking in Lower Circular Kilcott, Hillesley and Wortley. Ray Allen 25 10am 8 miles 5 hours Auction Auction Rooms, Some challenging sections and No dogs. Unsuitable Bring drinks and Rooms, Car Car Park around 10 stiles for pushchairs or snacks for a coffee Moderate Park wheelchairs stop and a picnic

No toilets on route

SUN3 Making Art An innovative walk with the All materials must Walk objective of producing a range be provided and of creative outputs. The walk carried by the To book on will feature six 15 minute stops Martin 12 10am 4 miles 5 hours Chipping Chipping Hall, Some climbs, several stops, No dogs. Unsuitable walkers. After this walk during which walkers will Clarke Hall, Chipping Car easy walking. Around 6 stiles for pushchairs or each stop the email produce one or more creative Easy Chipping Car Park wheelchairs pieces produced martin@clark pieces of work inspired by the Park will be taken to econsult.org surroundings e.g. painting, the Chipping Hall drawing, sculpture, and arranged in a photography, poetry, music, display to be open song, dance, video, prose. during the WWF

SUN4 Geology A short walk to look at the Matt 30 10am Approx 60-90 Laybay at top Laybay at top Relatively easy terrain for No dogs. No toilets Walk for Kids geology of Wotton Hill designed Watson 1,000m mins of Old of Old London both adults and kids Although a short for younger children and those (0.5m) London Rd Rd walk there are with mobility issues. We will (entrance to several kissing gates find fossils in the fields and look Easy woods to that may it tricky for at limestone cliffs with rocks Wotton Hill) pushchairs or made from shells. wheelchairs

SUN5 Blackquarries Following the Cotswold Way out and Tor Hills of Wotton to Coombe, up Sarah 16 1.30pm 4 miles 2.5 hours Auction Auction Rooms, A very steep up. Good paths Well behaved dogs Please bring drink Blackquarries Hill, past the long Norton Rooms, Car Car Park but slippery if wet so walking welcome. and snacks barrow, down Tor Hill and back Moderate Park poles could be helpful. 2 stiles. Unsuitable for No toilets on route to Wotton. pushchairs and wheelchairs

A ramble around rural Charfield taking in views of the . Please bring drinks SUN6 Charfield – We shall visit Charfield Mills, St. Steve 22 1.30pm 3 miles 2 hours Charfield Charfield Moderate slopes, Flights of Well behaved dogs and snacks. Past, Present James medieval Church and Hake Memorial Memorial Hall, steps over railway welcome. No toilets on route & Future Charfield train crash memorial, Easy Hall, Wotton Wotton Road, embankment. Some of the Unsuitable for and view Brunel's station. Road, Charfield, paths are likely to be muddy. pushchairs and Charfield has rapidly expanded Charfield, GL128SR One stile. wheelchairs in the last 10 years and in GL128SR another 10 years the rural walks could well be through housing estates.

As the light falls and the birds Jacqui 12 9.15pm 1mile 2 hours Conygres Conygres Scout Moderate difficulty, mostly No dogs. Unsuitable A torch / Listening settle we can walk along Griffiths Scout Hut, Hut, Old flat with one steep ascent. for pushchairs or headtorch is SUN7 Night Walk thinking all is quiet and there's Moderate Old London London Road Rough track, tripping hazards wheelchairs advised not much happening. Then we Road (especially as it will be dark!). turn on the bat detector!_Come No toilets on route and join me for an evening walk PLEASE NOTE NEW and enjoy the amazing soundscape of the bat world. I START TIME will be leading a walk to listen to bats and share our understanding of these fascinating flying mammals.