A Golden Day In The Shire: Gloucester.
The great thing about weather apps, is that they indicate the week ahead.
The information from 'Yahoo' this week indicated that Tuesday 20th would be a clear, non-wet, bright autumn day and so it proved.
D. and I set out to re-visit the Cotswold village of Notgrove, near Stow on The Wold.
Leaving the main Cheltenham to Oxford Road, we turned left onto the Stow road (A436).
The road leaps upwards and gains the higher grounds. The visibility was excellent; the sky was blue and God was in his Heaven.
To me, the Wolds hold a special quality. There is clarity of vision and a breath of clear and often cold air.
The word ' Wolds ' used to mean forest, but as the trees were cleared , the term 'Wolds ' now refers to high ground.
Once gaining this aspect, we turned right along a small country road which led us to Notgrove. A quaint, quintessential Wold village, containing farms, houses, village hall and a parish church.
It was in the direction of the church that we made our way, after first parking in the village hall car park.
The walk took us down the lane and then left, into what at first seemed a private drive, but amongst the legend on the gate post was the word church.
Passing close to a farm yard and in sight of the church, we saw our walk ahead, over a stile and down into a sloping field.
This double avenue of, mainly beech stretches for half a mile. It serves as a windbreak and links Notgrove to Cold Aston. The beech trees are aged ninety and can live up to four hundred years.
But ' great day in the morning, ' it was only when we walked outside the grove that we were met by this riot of colour. Has the Cotswolds ever looked more glorious? I doubt it,
View through the 'Brewhouse' window.
The information from 'Yahoo' this week indicated that Tuesday 20th would be a clear, non-wet, bright autumn day and so it proved.
D. and I set out to re-visit the Cotswold village of Notgrove, near Stow on The Wold.
Leaving the main Cheltenham to Oxford Road, we turned left onto the Stow road (A436).
The road leaps upwards and gains the higher grounds. The visibility was excellent; the sky was blue and God was in his Heaven.
To me, the Wolds hold a special quality. There is clarity of vision and a breath of clear and often cold air.
The word ' Wolds ' used to mean forest, but as the trees were cleared , the term 'Wolds ' now refers to high ground.
Once gaining this aspect, we turned right along a small country road which led us to Notgrove. A quaint, quintessential Wold village, containing farms, houses, village hall and a parish church.
It was in the direction of the church that we made our way, after first parking in the village hall car park.
The walk took us down the lane and then left, into what at first seemed a private drive, but amongst the legend on the gate post was the word church.
Passing close to a farm yard and in sight of the church, we saw our walk ahead, over a stile and down into a sloping field.
This picture is taken the reverse way
This was a great start to our country walk with the field, at first plunging down and then rising steeply to the boundary wall and lane; a perfect tonic for the leg muscles.
Reaching the wall, we left the field by a gate onto the lane. A right turn took us in a few yards to the main reason I wanted to return to this part of the Gloucestershire Way, namely the wondrous beech grove.
This double avenue of, mainly beech stretches for half a mile. It serves as a windbreak and links Notgrove to Cold Aston. The beech trees are aged ninety and can live up to four hundred years.
A view through the avenue.
The edge of a Cotswold wall completes the picture.
And if all that wasn't enough, we caught sight of a big bird winging close to the tree- tops.
It was, a friend told me a Red Kite and if you enlarge the above picture, you can see a band of colours on his wing-tip.
Thoroughly bedazzled by all these colours, we returned to the car noticing a last glimpse of Autumn as we crossed back to the road from the large meadow.
All in all, I'm sure you will agree, a walk that will stay long in the memory.
LllllllllllllllllllllllL
Visited "The Brewhouse " pub in Gloucester docks with little d. Had a delicious burger and fries and washed it down with a splendid pint of 'Stevedore', which is brewed upon the premises.
At only 3.6%, but full of flavour, it makes for an excellent supping beer.
View through the 'Brewhouse' window.
The Beer on a door for you all.
Probably been a tad 'sniffy' about the dock sculpture " The Candle, which is dedicated to the fallen heroes of the Great Wall, with an inscription by the Late Ivor Gurney.
But I have to say, at night time with the light coming through, it takes on a life of its own.
Which of course, reminds me that we all 'fall back ' this weekend and lose an hour.
We are indeed, heading for those dark days before Christmas.
Cheerio for now,
Ck.
Comments
Post a Comment
please feel free to comment and point out faults.
glad to have you aboard .
Curlykale.