{"id":1879,"date":"2019-10-26T01:59:52","date_gmt":"2019-10-26T00:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=1879"},"modified":"2019-11-25T10:19:28","modified_gmt":"2019-11-25T09:19:28","slug":"leighterton-westonbirt-arboretum-glos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=1879","title":{"rendered":"Leighterton &#038; Westonbirt Arboretum, Glos"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk; varwalkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=740,width=1230,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script><br \/>\nFirst published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('Leighterton.jpg');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48749078421_a0fc2b96a3_z.jpg\" title= \"48749078421 stone walls, big skies - on the path near Leighterton\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48749078421_a0fc2b96a3_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48749256672_4e6e68baed_z.jpg\" title= \"48749256672 Autumn colour in Westonbirt Arboretum 1\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48749256672_4e6e68baed_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748741948_fc04ed426d_z.jpg\" title= \"48748741948 Autumn colour in Westonbirt Arboretum 2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748741948_fc04ed426d_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748742513_3d06e27418_z.jpg\" title= \"48748742513 Autumn colour in Westonbirt Arboretum 3\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748742513_3d06e27418_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748742673_9dc5ccde6b_z.jpg\" title= \"48748742673 typical local dry stone wall\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748742673_9dc5ccde6b_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748742858_20072c261a_z.jpg\" title= \"48748742858 Slait Barn from the path to Leighterton\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748742858_20072c261a_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748743128_7454cdfc36_z.jpg\" title= \"48748743128 path to Leighterton\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748743128_7454cdfc36_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48749257822_449e379b91_z.jpg\" title= \"48749257822 on the path to Leighterton\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48749257822_449e379b91_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748743738_a01c3fc4bb_z.jpg\" title= \"48748743738 valley path beside Ellick&#039;s Wood\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748743738_a01c3fc4bb_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748744048_cd02f88210_z.jpg\" title= \"48748744048 valley path approaching Bowldown Wood\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48748744048_cd02f88210_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48749258652_75240b54ac_z.jpg\" title= \"48749258652 stone walls, big skies - on the path near Leighterton 2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48749258652_75240b54ac_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48749079001_2218d0b423_z.jpg\" title= \"48749079001 valley path through Westonbirt Arboretum\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48749079001_2218d0b423_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48881547292_34c1ec095b_z.jpg\" title= \"48881547292 IMG_0077\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48881547292_34c1ec095b_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48881361586_2075676a06_z.jpg\" title= \"48881361586 IMG_0079\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48881361586_2075676a06_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48880831478_866388629e_z.jpg\" title= \"48880831478 IMG_0073\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48880831478_866388629e_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48881545987_3fdf6d44d7_z.jpg\" title= \"48881545987 IMG_0074\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48881545987_3fdf6d44d7_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFacebook Link: <script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=1879\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" width=\"200\" colorscheme=\"dark\"><\/fb:like><br \/>\n<a href=\"javascript:pwindow=window.open('\/Walks\/prn.php?f=1879','pwin','height=700,width=1000,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes');\" title=\"Click for printable version\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/Walks\/print.gif\" align=\"right\"><\/a><br \/>\nThe Royal Oak in Leighterton, all mellow pale gold stone, looked like the snuggest village pub in the world. The savour of roasting beef hung in the air like a promise. But first there was a walk to tackle on this sunny autumn morning &#8211; one of the most beautiful walks in the south Cotswold hills, but with a spice of poignancy at the outset.<\/p>\n<p>The cemetery on the outskirts of Leighterton holds a cluster of Commonwealth War Graves. The two dozen young Australian trainee flyers of Leighterton aerodrome who lie beneath the neat white headstones all died in 1918 or 1919 &#8211; most of them the victims of crashes as they tried to master the volatile controls of their Sopwith Camel biplanes.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the cemetery the path led across stony ploughlands and sloping pastures, down into Hawkesbury Spinney where frills of bracket fungus clung to the trees. We climbed a bank and opened a gate into the arboreal heaven of Westonbirt Arboretum.<\/p>\n<p>Squirrels scuffed up rustling drifts of leaves, looking for nuts to hoard against the winter. Families strolled, dogs yapped and photographers clicked away, entranced by the stained-glass effects of the acer leaves as the sun shone through them in liquid reds and acid yellows.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the Arboretum we looped through Willesley, whose neat lanes were edged with immaculately kept walls of Cotswold stone. Then back along Westonbirt\u2019s valley bottom, where a track led away into a steep-sided little cleft that wound this way and that as it climbed gently to Bowldown Road and a whizz of traffic.<\/p>\n<p>A short stretch along the verge and we were on the homeward path through broad sheep pastures where ewes with tender feet went hobbling away, dot-and-carry-one. Past the handsome stone walls and window arches of Slait Barn, and on over stone stiles towards Leighterton and the Royal Oak.<\/p>\n<p>At the bar table by the fire we stretched out our legs, boots off. I opened my notebook and from between the pages shook out a shower of lemon and scarlet leaves, harvested under the trees of Westonbirt, now pressed and flattened to perfection.<\/p>\n<p>Start: Royal Oak PH, Leighterton, Glos GL8 8UN (OS ref ST 823912)<\/p>\n<p>Getting there: Leighterton is signed off A46 (Bath &#8211; Stroud) between Dunkirk and Nailsworth.<\/p>\n<p>Walk (7 miles, easy, OS Explorer 168):<br \/>\nFrom pub, left through car park; ahead along road; in 400m pass cemetery; on left bend, ahead (827910) on Monarch&#8217;s Way, southeast across fields to gate into Hawkesbury Spinney (839902). In 150m, right up broad woodland track (unwaymarked; labelled &#8216;Macmillan Way&#8217; on map); gate at top (841900) into Westonbirt Arboretum. Ahead along Broad Drive. At southern boundary of Arboretum, through gate (844887). Left (field path) to cross A433 (849888, kissing gate). Lane opposite; left at junction; in 200m, left (852887, stone stile, \u2018Westonbirt\u2019). Path (stiles, yellow arrows) across paddocks, then by field edges for \u00bd mile to stile\/steps into road (858893). Left; in 100m, left to cross A433 (855894). Follow bridleway opposite along valley bottom for 1 mile to gate into Bennett&#8217;s Spinney (844901). Ignore Monarch&#8217;s Way ahead; instead, fork right (blue arrow on gate), north for \u00be mile up valley bottom past Ellick&#8217;s Wood to road (846913). Right to Bowldown Road; left on verge; in 400m, left (fingerpost) on path west, then southwest across fields for 1\u00be miles, past Bowldown Wood, then between Sheephouse Covert and Slait Barn, to Leighterton.<\/p>\n<p>Lunch: Royal Oak, Leighterton (01666-890250, <a href=\"http:\/\/royaloakleighterton.co.uk\">royaloakleighterton.co.uk<\/a>) &#8211; proper characterful village pub; excellent food.<\/p>\n<p>Accommodation: King&#8217;s Arms, Didmarton (01454-238245, <a href=\"http:\/\/kingsarmsdidmarton.co.uk\">kingsarmsdidmarton.co.uk<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Westonbirt Arboretum: (0300-067-4890; <a href=\"http:\/\/forestryengland.uk\/westonbirt\">forestryengland.uk\/westonbirt<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/satmap.com\">satmap.com<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/ramblers.org.uk\">ramblers.org.uk<\/a><br \/>\nNB Please keep to public rights-of-way as described; all other Arboretum paths are for ticket-holders only. If you want to enjoy the best of Autumn at the Arboretum, the entrance is on A433 opposite Westonbirt village. Entrance: \u00a310 adult, \u00a34 child, March-November; \u00a37\/\u00a33 December-February.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Royal Oak in Leighterton, all mellow pale gold stone, looked like the snuggest village pub in the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}