Friday, May 27, 2022
  • Galleries
  • Video
  • Login
creativity collective
Search
search filters
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
  • Creativity
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
    • Press Release Central
    • Style Press
  • Style
    • All
    • Beauty
    • Celebrity Beauty Brands
    • Celebrity Fashion Brands
    • Celebrity Style
    • Fashion
    • Personal Style
    • Style Blogging
    • Style Inspiration
    • Travel-Style

    Thirty, Flirty, and Thrifting

    Model Leslie Sidora

    Michelle Obama – Joe Biden Inauguration Style 2021

    Serena Williams Reminds You: You Are Unstoppable

    How to transform a blank wall into a mural wall without photoshop | Jen Jean-Pierre

    A Study of Harmattan Earth tones and Movement

    Carol’s Daughter Launches A Game Changer: Wash Day Delight A New Water-To-Foam Shampoo With Micellar Technology And Aloe

    adidas x IVY PARK

    adidas And Beyoncé Launch The adidas x IVY PARK Collection

    Serena Williams Debuts First-Ever Jewelry Collection

    Trending Tags

    • culture style
  • Reviews
  • Opinion
  • visit
    • bleative web search
    • web directory
    • video watch
    • web watch
creativity collective
Home Travel

Hiking Cleeve Hill of Cotswold Way In Cheltenham England

Danielle DesirbyDanielle Desir
February 16, 2017
in Travel
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

If you follow me on Twitter (@thethoughtcard) than you would know that I am obsessed with the English countryside. Back in July I spent a week in England and despite the unraveling Brexit situation, I had a wonderful time across the pond. I spent most of my time exploring South West England including Cheltenham and Bath. I also spent a day exploring Northamptonshire in the East Midlands.

The first time I spotted the English countryside was during a bus ride from London to Cheltenham. A friend had just moved to England and invited me to spend a week in Gloucestershire. I welcomed the opportunity to see more of England and after spending only a day in London, we boarded a bus heading to the South West.

For the next 2 hours, we drove past rolling green and yellow hills, and small picturesque villages tucked in the countryside. The rest of England looked completely different from metropolitan London and I loved that.

When we finally arrived in Cheltenham, I was already head over heels in love.

Throughout my trip I took advantage of the good weather and spent a lot of time outdoors. In addition to canoeing River Nene in Northamptonshire, I also hiked the Cotswold Way. The Cotswold Way is 1 of the 15 National Trails of England and Wales, and it spans 100 miles. This trail starts at Chipping Campden in the north and ends at the Georgian city of Bath in the south. The Cotswolds has lots of quaint villages and smaller market towns. Itís also a great place to access North Leigh Roman Villa, an ancient Roman ruin that includes bath suites and mosaic floors.

tc image2

Super cloudy day but it didnít rain! Follow the Public Footpath.

Although I didnít have enough time to hike the entire 100 mile trail (trust me I would if I could), I did however hike the Cotswold Way Circular Walk which started at Cleeve Hill. Cleeve Hill was only 15 minutes away from Cheltenham which made this 6 mile route a perfect half-day outdoor activity. I completed the circular route in about 4 hours and only needed a pair of sneakers, my GoPro, a map, a bottle of water and a sweatshirt.

tc image3

National Trails marked with an acorn.

After parking the car in the free parking lot behind the golf course, I followed the Cotswold Way signposts and started my hike.

Although at times I found it hard to navigate the grasslands, following the signposts and occasionally referencing my map kept me on track. I also wasnít shy about asking the locals for help when I got lost.

The Views from Cleeve Hill

tc image4

Hilly grasslands of Cotswold Way.

One of the most strenuous parts of the hike was getting to the first plateau. The terrain was very steep but I made it to the peak with moderate effort.

Past the hills, I could see the entire town of Cheltenham along the horizon. Since Cleeve Hill is the highest point of Cotswold Way, I also had clear views of Brockhampton (a small village east of Cheltenham) and Wales!

tc image5

Takes my breath away.

Despite spending a lot of time admiring the views, I also spent an equal amount of time watching my feet. One careless move meant stepping in a mushy pile of dung. Although I didnít get to see any sheep, I did however spot grazing cows and lots of friendly dogs.

There were also plenty of benches along the route which were great for resting. The benches offered the best views from Cleeve Hill and yesÖ I made sure to stop at every bench. Even on a cloudy day, the views were so worth it.

tc image6

Most benches were wet but who cares when the views look this good.

Cleeve Hill Hiking Mishaps

No outdoor adventure would be complete without a mishap, right?

About an hour into the hike, I must have gotten too close to a poisonous plant because my hands started to sting and burn. Within a few minutes, white blotches started to appear on my hands and I started to freak out.

Of course in a state of panic, I ran to Twitter. I frantically tweeted about my condition and a few friends mentioned that this was nothing to fret over. I had a case of ìstinging nettlesî. The cure was finding dock leaves nearby.

Since this wasnít life threatening, I decided to push past the pain and wait it out. By the end of the hike, I was pain-free.

Restoring the Mud-Capped Wall Project

tc images7

You are looking at an experiment!

On a more positive note, another highlight from hiking Cotswold Way was the mud-capped walls. These walls are part of a restorative project to conserve critically endangered moss.

Before cars, dung and mud were used to strengthen walls. This organic combination hosted different types of moss species, but by the 1950s, most mud-capped walls were out of use. As a result, many of the moss species either became endangered or extinct. This project at Cotswold Way tests the effects of the combinations of horse, sheep and cattle dung and determines the best habitat for these rare mosses.

tc images8

Heading back to the parking lot, I took one last look at the rutted trackways and hilly grasslands and knew that hiking Cleeve Hill was a highlight of my trip to England. Although I was sad to leave, I knew that Iíd be back soon.

Resources

Cleeve Hill Circular Walk Map
7 Wonders of the Cotswolds ñ Cleeve Hill
A Weekend in Cheltenham

Tags: Cheltenham Englandenglandhikingnaturethe outdoorstravel
Danielle Desir

Danielle Desir

Danielle Desir is a Travel Finance Strategist that uses her financial background and knack for financial planning to empower travel enthusiasts to afford travel and excel in personal finances. She shares creative planning strategies, saving tips, cheap flight deals and even talks about her student loan repayment journey and life after debt on her website, The Thought Card

Recommended

How I Pose in Pics

August 24, 2017

My Bali Swing View

December 10, 2019

Seven Year Itch Inspired

February 17, 2017

How to transform a blank wall into a mural wall without photoshop | Jen Jean-Pierre

April 25, 2020

Michelle Obama – Joe Biden Inauguration Style 2021

January 21, 2021

How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe

July 7, 2016

Latest

Met Gala 2021 Red Carpet Photos

bybleatives
September 15, 2021
0

The theme for Met Gala 2021 was "American Independence"

Read more

Paris Unfiltered: 5 Days in The City of Love

byAshley Elizabeth
July 10, 2021
1

The French capital is one of the most popular cities in Europe

Read more

Thirty, Flirty, and Thrifting

byJoia Monet
July 7, 2021
0

Thrifting has been my favorite way to shop for years now! The

Read more
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Fashion Icon Files: Sandra Clark from “227”

Fashion Icon Files: Sandra Clark from “227”

February 21, 2017

Jetsetter Style

April 14, 2018

Paris Unfiltered: 5 Days in The City of Love

July 10, 2021

My Bali Swing View

December 10, 2019

Being traditional-minded in a hook-up culture

2

Blerdcon 2019 – Revenge of the Blerds

1

My Bali Swing View

1

Paris Unfiltered: 5 Days in The City of Love

1

Met Gala 2021 Red Carpet Photos

September 15, 2021

Paris Unfiltered: 5 Days in The City of Love

July 10, 2021

Thirty, Flirty, and Thrifting

July 7, 2021

Model Leslie Sidora

July 1, 2021

Recommended in Travel

My Bali Swing View

byCiara Kate
December 10, 2019
1

Close your eyes and envision yourself swinging 78 ft. above ground, as a cool breeze of wind hits your face...

Read more

J’aime Paris

byVanessa Ohaha
October 4, 2019
0

Today is my last day in Paris and I cannot be happier with the experiences I had, okay maybe if...

Read more

Where I was supposed to be: How a cancelled Dubai trip turned into a Grand Canyon road trip

byGina Humber
May 20, 2018
0

Can you believe it?  I was finally was headed to Dubai; I purchased it through a group package from a...

Read more

Hiking Cleeve Hill of Cotswold Way In Cheltenham England

byDanielle Desir
February 16, 2017
0

If you follow me on Twitter (@thethoughtcard) than you would know that I am obsessed with the English countryside. Back...

Read more

collective tags

Acting African-American african american writers Beauty Beyonce Black Culture Black Panther Movie black women blogging b michael b michael America Creativity culture curly girl Fashion fashion collection France Ivy Park life maxi dress Met Gala movie review natural hair nmaahc Oprah Oprah Winfrey OWN TV Paris Personal Style Photography relationships Rihanna Scandal sci-fi Serena Williams Shonda Rhimes style style inspiration travel travel-style vintage Wakanda watchingoprah web series writing

creativity collective

bleatives creativity collective features creative expressions, inspiration and information by, and of interest to, creatives of color and the world.

Follow Us

Latest

Met Gala 2021 Red Carpet Photos

bybleatives
September 15, 2021
0

The theme for Met Gala 2021 was "American Independence"

Paris Unfiltered: 5 Days in The City of Love

byAshley Elizabeth
July 10, 2021
1

The French capital is one of the most popular cities in Europe and rightfully so. From the baroque, historical monuments...

Trending

Where I was supposed to be: How a cancelled Dubai trip turned into a Grand Canyon road trip

byGina Humber
May 20, 2018
0

Can you believe it?  I was finally was headed to Dubai; I purchased it through a group package from a...

Paris Unfiltered: 5 Days in The City of Love

byAshley Elizabeth
July 10, 2021
1

The French capital is one of the most popular cities in Europe and rightfully so. From the baroque, historical monuments...

the bleative web

  • bleative web search
  • web directory
  • video watch
  • web watch
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Website Disclaimer

bleatives

Search
search filters
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
  • Creativity
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
    • Press Release Central
    • Style Press
  • Style
  • Reviews
  • Opinion
  • visit
    • bleative web search
    • web directory
    • video watch
    • web watch

bleatives

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In