Bishops Cleeve WI walk the Cotswold Way

I had a great evening with the members of Cleeve Group in Prestbury the other night and Yvonne Cole, President of Bishops Cleeve WI was telling me about their walking group. I asked her to send me some details.



Yvonne wrote:


"There are five of us doing the Cotswold Way Walk, all in our 60's. We started last October, by end Jan two of them were on 2 months holidays, started up again in May. You would think all of us being retired we could fit it in quite well, but we do have a problems meeting every week. The five of us doing it are: Joan Williams, Ann Buttler, Jacky Mason, Margaret Clapton and me. Margaret and Joan plan the route from the Cotswold Way Book and map, we generally do 8 miles at a time, and as a lot of the walks are very hilly we feel at our age that is enough. The longest walk was 10½ miles. We are not doing this for any other reason than we wanted to see the scenery and we obviously like walking. It is amazing the chatter we get through and discussions (when not going up hill), because Joan, Ann and Jacky are on W.I. committee we do not have chance to have long discussion at W.I. The five of us usually go on the monthly W.I. walk that Joan organises.



We started at Chipping Campden on 18th October doing a 10½ mile walk to Laverton, it was very misty for part of our walk, then it cleared up. Next was November Stanton through to Winchcombe, this was 7½ miles, a lovely sunny day. December was from Winchcombe to Cleeve Hill Golf Club 7 miles, once again fog, then brilliant sunshine at Belas Knap, then over the hill fog again. Jan 07 Golf Club to Severn Spring 8 miles, very windy, most beautiful scenery. If I remember going up the hills we took our coats off because we became so hot. The next walk in January Severn Spring to the Air Balloon Inn 6 miles, it just rained all the time, how wet we got and could not see anything. We decided we would never walk in that sort of rain and wind again. May Air Balloon to Painswick 9½ miles, what a wonderful day, so hot, tee shirts, the garlic bulbs were all out, the views marvellous. We stopped and had a cup of at The Haven Tea Garden, a wonderful lady who had been doing teas from her little place for at least 30 years or more. We walked up the side of Coopers Hill (cheese rolling hill), walked by side of Painswick Golf Club and the Beacon view excellent. The next May walk Painswick - Kings Stanley 8 miles, a cooler day and not much sunshine, passed the half way sign. Walking through the different woods on the last two walks were wonderful, the lush green leaves that had all come out on the trees and the view of the river Severn, miles away was a lovely sight. We passed Haresfield Beacon went through Standish Woods then down through Ryeford into Kings Stanley to pick up the one car."





Clearly Yvonne's group are enjoying this challenge. How about letting us know about your adventures?