27th December 2021 Wincombe

 Winchcombe looking festive

Wednesday 8th December 2021 - Diamond Way Final Section

The Final section of the Diamond Way from Bledington to Moreton-in--the-Marsh. Our route took us through Daylesford, Adlestrop and Evenlode. This was the day after Storm Barra had passed through. We started from Bledington in the rain and for a while the going was difficult because of the muddy ground.  An easy flat walk with no real hills.  About 10.5 miles with 752 feet of ascent.

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This shows the complete route.

Bledington in the rain

Some large puddles to navigate around

Past the Daylesford farm shop and then the equestrian centre.

The Daylesford estate is highly manicured and with this rather unusual horses head sculpture in on of the field.

From the old Adlestrop railway station which was closed as part of the Beeching cuts - on the seat is the poem by Edward Thomas 

Yes, I remember Adlestop -

The name, because one afternoon

Of heat the express-train drew up there

Unwontedley. It was late June

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.

No one left and no one came

On the bare platform. what I saw

Was Adlestrop - only the name

And willows, willow-herb, and grass,

And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,

No whitless still and lonely fair

Than the high cloudlets in the sky.

And for that minute a blackbird sang

Close by, and round him, mistier,

Farther and farther, all the birds

Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire

The village green in Evenlode for our picnic stop.

The barn was groaning in the wind

Across the main line.

The end of the walk - St David's church, Moreton-in-the-Marsh

Sunday 5th December 2021

 The Christmas tree in the River Windrush at Bourton-on-the-Water

Tuesday 24th November 2021 Diamond Way

The penultimate leg of the Diamond Way from Farmington to Church Westcote going through Clapton-on-th-Hill, the south east edge of Bourton-on-the-Water, Wyck Rissington and Icomb. About 11 miles with 1100 feet of ascent.  A cold dry and overcast day.

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Farmington - a bus stop or originally a carriage stop?

The village green in Farmington

The undulating nature of the Cotswolds

St James Church, Clapton-on-the-Hill

Clapton-on-the-Hill

Clapton-on-the-Hill our destination the next ridge in the far distance

The redunant gravel pits on the south east edge of Bourton-on-the-Water. Landscaped and filled with fish in the 1970's they are now beautifully embedded in the landscape. The Diamond Way follows these for some distance.

Greystones is nearby

The mast on Icomb hill

The chapel of the Blessed Mary at Icomb

St Mary the Virgin Church at Church Westcote

Sunday 21st November 2021 Quenington

A beautiful autumn mornig for a walk with the Cleeve Ramblers from Quenington. An easy walk to Bibury returning along the Coln Valley then through Coln St Alwyn's and back to Quenington. About 6 miles with 600 feet of ascent.

On route to Bibury

The Swan at Bibury

 Arllington Row across the river

In the Coln valley

River Coln and Coln St Andrews

St John's Church Coln St Aldwyns