From the hotel, we were dropped off by Mike, a driver (when hes not working for the County cutting grass). He chatted with me all the way, since I rode in the front of the van. Peter is our guide.
We walked along paths and roads. Houses and beautiful gardens were seen with some frequency. These groups of houses are nominally villages, although none have any services beyond a mail box and a (red) phone box. Most of the houses have been extensively refurbished, repaired, and extended. Apparently they are expensive. Some villages are farm yards, in which all the outbuildings have been converted to houses. We saw this in Devon, too.
To get to lunch we walked along a paved road to the Highwayman Inn, an old coaching house, now adjacent to the new motorway. We were walking on the old in at the back.
The walking became more challenging in the afternoon as we entered the Cotswolds more properly. With a few exceptions, the paths were still but they went up and down the hills and the valley. The second part of the afternoon featured a long, beautiful walk from Syde Church
to an aristocratic property – Miserden. Every time we came to a height of land, we could see back to Syde Church. In effect we walked down into the valley, past the Game Keepers Cottage, across a river (minor stream), and up through the park.
Travelmates near
