Woodmancote, Gotherington, Woolstone, Dixton, Prescot and Nottingham Hill

Heading north the walk is flat till Gotherington, then east undulates to Dixton, turns south to climb steeply to Nottingham Hill before descending west back to Woodmancote.

  • Start Point:
  • SO 9747 2736. Apple Tree Inn, Woodmancote.

  • Length:
  • 6.50 miles
  • Ascent/Descent:
  • 895 feet
  • Description:
  • The walk is mainly on well defined paths although a bit indistinct around Woolstone Hill Farm and descending from Nottingham Hill. If the weather has been wet some of the paths may be quite muddy especially when crossing some open farm fields. The ascent of Nottingham Hill is quite steep, the descent more variable in its gradient.
  • Date Walked:
  • 24th February 2012

The Apple Tree.

Start from the Apple Tree in Woodmancote, grid reference SO 9747 2736. PDF of the walk and/or Google Earth Track of the walk.

Map No Grid Reference Distance Instructions
1 SO 9747 2736 400 yards

Turn right out the pub car park and head west passing Woodmancote Free Evangelical church on the right (see photograph), descending Stockwell Lane to the junction with New Road and Station Road. Bear right into Station Road to the footpath heading north east after about 400 yards.

2 SO 9715 2726 380 yards

Turn right along the footpath heading north east, then bear left and go north across the edge of Woodmancote cricket field, passing the pavilion/community centre on the left (see photograph), exiting the field into Bushcombe Close to its junction with Bushcombe Lane after about 380 yards.

3 SO 9711 2758 1,200 yards

Turn right then immediately left into Butts Lane and follow the lane and footpath north north west to reach the line of the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire railway after 1,200 yards.

  • Turn right and head east slightly uphill to SO 9715 2759 to turn left into Butts Lane.
  • Head north along Butt's Lane which is largely flat with some undulations.
  • At SO 9703 2812 the lane bears left and right round bends down a gentle descent and continues more north east.
  • At SO 9693 2830 Butts Lane ends at a some small industrial premises and a footpath continues just to the right into a scrubby wooded area.
  • At SO 9688 2843 go over a wooden stile into an open field and continue north east with keeping the hedge on the left.
  • At SO 9686 2858 go over a wooden stile and climb the bank to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire railway line. The photograph looks north along the line.
4 SO 9686 2858 1,200 yards

Head north across fields towards Gotherington, then just before the village head east to the lane at Truman's Farm after about 1,200 yards.

  • Cross over the railway line with care and descend the bank on the other side to go over or round a wooden stile and bear right to head north along the eastern side of the field.
  • At the end of the field turn left and go west along the north edge of the field to a footbridge over a ditch at SO 9681 2884.
  • Cross the footbridge and head north across the open field.
  • At SO 9685 2904 cross a wooden footbridge over a ditch and continue north across the next field then bear left and head north west to go through a wooden gate at SO 9686 2931.
  • Cross the field diagonally heading north west towards Gotherington straight ahead. The photograph looks wouth west from here.
  • At SO 9677 2943 ignore the gate and turn right to go along the north edge of the field heading east to go over a stile reach the lane (Manor Lane) at Truman's Farm.
5 SO 9693 2944 420 yards

Head north up Manor Lane then turn right at the T junction (Gretton Road- the photograph is of the cottage at this junction) and go north east to the bridleway heading north towards Woolstone Hill Farm after about 420 yards.

6 SO 9702 2972 750 yards

Head north then north west along the bridleway to join the Gloucestershire Way just south of Woolstone Hill Farm after about 750 yards.

  • Go north along the bridleway and go through a metal gate at SO 9702 2977
  • Continue to another metal gate at SO 9704 2987.
  • Bear left to head north west along the left hand edge of the field. The photograph looks north to Woolstone Hill from here.
  • At SO 9687 3019 the path bears left then right into part of Woolstone Hill Farm yard. On the map the path is shown as skirting this yard to the east but this is not clear on the ground. Take care going through the yard as it may contain old farm machinery and be quite muddy and unkempt.
  • At SO 9679 3030 the path joins the Gloucestershire Way.
7 SO 9679 3030 1,650 yards

Go north east and east along the Gloucestershire Way to the lane at Dixton after about 1,650 yards.

  • Turn right onto the Gloucestershire Way and head north east gently uphill across an open field which may be heavy going underfoot at times.
  • At SO 9705 3046 go through a metal gate and bear slightly right to go east still climbing across another open field which again may be heavy going underfoot at times.
  • At SO 9726 3046 go through a metal gate and continue east still climbing gently. The photograph looks east to Dixton Hill from here.
  • At SO 9743 3049 go through a gap in the hedge and bear left to go north east across a field continuing to climb.
  • Go over a wooden stile at SO 9767 3064 and bear slightly right to go east gently descending across a field.
  • At SO 9800 3064 go through a metal gate and over a ditch then continue east now gently climbing to a metal gate south of Manor Farm opening on to a lane.
8 SO 9818 3059 700 yards

Turn right and go south along the lane downhill across a bridge over a stream (Tirle Brook), then uphill, over the railway line to the road junction after about 700 yards. The photograph looks south from the railway bridge.

9 SO 9819 2999 560 yards

Cross the road and go south west across the fields to the bridleway which climbs Nottingham Hill at Greenway Farm after about 560 yards.

  • Cross the road, go over a wooden stile and go south west across the field.
  • Go through a metal gate at SO 9809 2993 and continue south west across the field.
  • At SO 9792 2988 cross a wooden footbridge over a ditch/stream and continue south west.
  • At SO 9779 2980 go over a wooden stile or through the gate to its right and go west through a metal gate at SO 9773 2978 and past old farm buildings (see photograph) to the bridleway which climbs to Nottingham Hill.
10 SO 9770 2977 1,070 yards

Go south up the steep bridleway climbing Nottingham Hill to where the climb starts to slacken at a metal gate after about 1,070 yards.

  • Turn left and go through a wooden gate of a metal barrier to the left and start to climb south towards Nottingham Hill. The majority of the climb is steep and through woods or a wooded margins. The photograph looks back down the climb.
  • At SO 9789 2936 the path bears left and steepens a bit more then bears right to continue climbing south.
  • At SO 9797 2934 continue climbing south as a path crosses east to west.
  • Continue to climb to a metal gate with a "Winchcombe Way" sign on the post.
11 SO 9807 2894 1,090 yards

Go through the gate and go south east, climbing at first then broadly level along the top of Nottingham Hill to where a path leads off to the right just before two old stone gateposts after about 1,090 yards. The photograph looks west through the old gateposts.

12 SO 9859 2809 910 yards

Turn right and zig-zag mostly west and south descending to Bushcombe Lane after about 910 yards.

  • Turn right before the old stone gateposts and go south west through woods.
  • At SO 9852 2802 bear right to continue through the woods heading west.
  • At SO 9844 2803 bear left and climb a short bank, and continue south west through lighter woods descending to emerge from the woods at a Cotswold stone wall by a metal gate.
  • Go through the gate and continue west downhill through an open heathy area dotted with shrubs and low trees keeping the wall close on the left. The photograph looks up to Nottingham Hill from along here.
  • At SO 9833 2803 bear left and go south downhill towards the lane.
  • At SO 9831 2799 go through a metal gate, then before reaching the lane turn right round a large metal barrier and go west up a short slope.
  • At SO 9823 2799 go over a wooden stile in a Cotswold stone wall.
  • Continue west with a Cotswold stone wall on the left, then a house and at SO 9798 2804 turn sharp left and head south east downhill through a metal gate, over a wooden stile followed immediately by a stone stile in a wall into Bushcombe Lane.
13 SO 9798 2804 1,000 yards

Cross over the road and go south west downhill to return to the Apple Tree after about 1,000 yards.

  • Cross diagonally over the lane and go over the stile to the side of the metal gate.
  • Go south downhill and over a wooden stile at SO 9806 2788 continuing south then south west round the corner of the field to go over stile or through a metal gate at SO 9804 2784.
  • Bear left and continue south west down steep descent into light woods. The path bears a little to the right to head more west downhill and is indistinct in places. At the time of the walk the woods were being thinned out and the ground was quite churned up. The photograph looks uphill into the woods.
  • At SO 9779 2770 cross a wooden footbridge over a ditch followed immediately through a metal gate into an open field.
  • Continue south west descending quite steeply across an open field with a light fence across the middle.
  • At SO 9766 2764 go through a metal gate in the fence on the left and continue downhill south west.
  • At SO 9759 2753 go through a metal gate, turn right and go west for a few yards then left through a gate and continue south downhill.
  • At SO 9754 2749 go through a metal gate and continue south west downhill towards the Apple Tree pub visible lower down the hill.
  • At SO 9746 2737 go through the wooden gate to the left of the metal gate into the car park of the Apple Tree pub.
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