railways | Life in the English Cotswolds

It may seem odd that having moved from the depths of the countryside to the centre of a town that the first piece I write about after the move should be about escaping back into the wilds. It isn’t that I’m yearning for open space away from the crowds for, to my surprise, I’m finding life in Cheltenham to be remarkably exciting in ways that I didn’t expect, namely people watching, shopping and architecture (well, I half-expected the latter). What has surprised me, however, is how just yards from my front door there are ‘green ways’ that lead up into the hills. I tend to think of them as my escape routes although I’m really loving the change of pace and lifestyle, albeit it’s early days.

*The old railway track is now a green pathway that links the town centre to the countryside*

Cheltenham has a reputation of having more trees than people and I think it could well be true for the photo below of the Promenade, one of the main shopping streets in the town (and a four minute walk from our door) demonstrates this so well. There are numerous parks as well, and these interconnect with the green ways: not only do they give me a way to exit the town it also gives wild animals and birds a route to enter it. In time I shall be writing about the wildlife I come across and the parks in more detail. Suffice to say, that it is something that I hadn’t really considered: I thought I was leaving the world of deer, fox, badger and otter behind but apparently not for all live within the town centre. Of course, I’m not trying to pretend that I don’t have to walk along pavements and sometimes busy roads as well, it is just that I had assumed that would be my only option to reach open country.

*They say Cheltenham has more trees than people. The Promenade, one of the town’s main shopping streets proving the point!*

*Cheltenham from the roof of the Cotswolds showing just how many trees there are in the town*

The path that is so close to my new home, known as the Honeybourne Line, started life in the mid-1800s as the branch line of the railway bringing in services and visitors into the heart of the town. When it closed in 1976 the station was demolished (it’s now the site of our local Waitrose supermarket) and the area gradually became forgotten and overgrown. It wasn’t until the Millenium that various groups and the town council began to clear it to create a traffic-free walking and cycling route. When finally completed it will link several local towns and communities along its 26-mile course.

*The Millennium bridge spanning a busy road junction – part of what will be a 26 mile traffic-free, green route for cyclists and walkers*

My first venture along this path took me northwards to the racecourse. Cheltenham is famous for its horse racing and it is here, each March that the Gold Cup, one of the world’s major sporting events is held. On the day that I walked there was no racing and so I had the place to myself. A public footpath alongside the gallops would have lead me high into the (Cotswold) hills but I chose to turn towards the town, this time choosing a route through Pitville Park with its beautiful lake and spa building. There will be other days, I thought, when I can climb the hills.

*The Cotswolds rise steeply from the very edge of the racecourse* *giving endless walking possibilities*

*The lake at Pittville Park with its beautiful Regency Spa building beyond*

For my second walk I tried to find a way west and although I finally did reach farmland to walk over, this route involved just a few too many roads for my liking. However, I was rewarded with hazy views of the Malvern Hills and also by stumbling across a mid-length long-distance path known as the Cheltenham Circular Path. This, I have since discovered, starts at Pittville Park and would have taken me on a much nicer and quieter route out of town. A little further on I came across a derelict farm to explore before finding myself back on a stretch of the Honeybourne Line to lead me back home.

*It is just possible to see the centuries-old crown of trees on distant May Hill,*
*a solitary outlier of the Malverns* *over 15 miles away*

The third walk was through a different park – Sandford Park. This was also a surprise for the path followed the course of the little River Chelt and led through well-maintained gardens before opening out into a much wilder part of the park, kept that way as part of the flood defences for the town. Rather like the little winding river back in the secret valley the Chelt can rise very rapidly after heavy rain. As with my first walk, I thought I would leave exploring the hills for a later date, but it was such a glorious day and the path so tempting that I climbed the 900 feet to the top. There I was rewarded by stupendous views of not just the Cotswold and Malvern Hills but also, way off in the far-distance, the misty shapes of the Long Myndd and Shropshire Hills, fifty miles away. It is also here that my path linked to the Cotswold Way, another National Trail of over 100 miles length so the possibilities are literally endless.

*It’s hard to believe this is still within the town*
*– a tranquil stretch of the River Chelt by Sandford Park*

*Formal gardens at Sandford Park give way to much wilder, natural areas, rich in wildlife*

When I was a young man before the responsibilities of home ownership, career and all the other things in life that get in the way, I used to spend a lot of my time walking these long-distance paths. Now that I have finally retired, I’m looking forward to spending much more time clocking up the miles although I doubt I shall be walking the 25 miles a day I would do in my youth. Moving to a new area, although still in the Cotswolds, there is much to explore both in the town and the country. The town with its rich history of its development as a spa in the 1800s when the fashionable and wealthy came to ‘take the waters’, the hill country and its villages or the vale of the River Severn – England’s longest river – will give me plenty of walking opportunities and plenty to write about. I can’t wait to get going!

*When I reached this enticing path, I just couldn’t stop myself from exploring further!*

*I reached the top and the Cotswold Way long-distance trail. From here it is possible to walk over 100 miles*

There’s nothing like messing about in boats on a warm, late spring day…

The building of the Oxford Canal was first brought into action with the passing of an Act of Parliament in 1769. Beset with difficulties – mostly financial – its total 78 mile length wasn’t completed until 1790. Linking the industrial Midlands region of England with the south of the country, the cost-cutting that was required has allowed the canal to claim it is one of the most scenic. This is partly due to the canal following the contours of the land giving the canal numerous bends, rather than the more usual (and more expensive) building method of cutting a straight line through the landscape.

003 copyright

Although the northern section from its start at Coventry to Napton was straightened in the 1820s, the southern section to its end at Oxford where it enters the River Thames (giving access to London) remained unchanged.

016 copyright

Once completed the canal became one of the busiest and most profitable in England and, unlike many others, prospered even after the coming of the railways. Barges carrying coal to London were still plying their trade as late as the early 1960s. Today, the railway rules and often follows the same route.

058 copyright

However, the Oxford Canal is still one of the busiest waterways in the country, only now with leisure traffic. On the day of our attempt at barging it was pleasantly quiet and we shared the canal with few others. The only hint of an industrial past was the working barges of the Canal & River Trust, the charity responsible for maintaining the two thousand miles of waterways in England and Wales.

025 copyright

Travelling at a speed slower than walking pace isn’t for everyone – I found it a little frustrating – but it does give ample opportunity to admire the scenery, buildings and wildlife. The tithe barn at Upper Heyford, built around 1400AD, is magnificent. More images of the barn, which is privately owned, can be seen by clicking here.

130 copyright

076 copyright

One of the cost-cutting methods used in construction was to incorporate a section of the River Cherwell into the canal. The problem that this created with variable water flow is still an issue today. Another saving more readily visible are the locks: fewer in number and deeper, many have single gates instead of the more usual two.

096 copyright

023 copyright

Manoeuvring such a large boat is a surprisingly quick skill to master but there are always other, more savvy boat people around that are happy to assist or advise when needed. Our boat was hired from the yard at Little Heyford and we travelled north, meeting up with friends for a bankside picnic before returning to the marina.

101 copyright

A daytrip – or perhaps a longer holiday on a barge – is definitely to be recommended even though I found the pace a little too slow. The next time I am on one I shall remember the words of Pooh, that wisest of bears: “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there one day.”

133 copyright