Bledington Circular (Cotswolds Pt.1) – 9 miles

  Monday morning arrived on our autumnal Cotswolds adventure, the day forecast to be the brightest of our stay. With that in mind, we put on our boots and set off to explore some all-new footpaths. We left the starting point of Kingham Station into a cool day and made our way down the road into the outskirts of Bledington, over a rushing stream, past what used to be a mill.  We eventually arrived at the day’s first footpath, and immediately came across a spring bubbling up through waterlogged grass. Not long after the path began to get quite muddy, with evidence of horseshoe-churned earth, and I nearly slipped right over very early on in the day. Thankfully this didn’t go on for too long and we came out onto an open, recently ploughed field, the route running along the drainage ditch at the edge. At the corner of the field, we began to question the age of the instructions as they led us the wrong way. Doubling back, we used the OS app to set us back on course and entered a narrow woodland.

  This then emerged onto the next section of road walking, which lasted a few hundred meters before we turned into our next footpath. This led us straight through the middle of a field and up the opposite edge, where we picked up a farm track.  This wound us between a series of fields, where we became surrounded by colourful tree canopies.

  *THE HEDGE EXPLODES WITH LOUD SQUAWKING AND FEATHERS*

  Bloody pheasants.

  After our heart rates returned to normal, we walked on beside a row of orange-crowned sentinels. The track continued to run between more fields and bejewelled copses, before branching off to the right across the middle of a further four fields.  At this point blue sky appeared clear overhead, as we made our way slowly up to eventually arrive in the small village of Idbury.  We quickly came out the other side and carried on along the road, enjoying a few clear views from our raised vantage point, before a large hedge appeared to guide us the rest of the way to the equally tiny neighbouring village of Nether Westcote. There, we took a side lane to the right which soon turned into a track, and began to ascend back down. Hopping over a stile onto a smaller path we carried on along a few more field edges, until eventually our stomachs got the better of us and we sat on a convenient log to enjoy our sandwiches.

  Lunch eaten and in the next field awaited our best sheep field of the day, as the sun began to lower in a seasonally early fashion. Shortly after this, came our biggest surprise of the day. We were walking through a patch of overgrown scrubby trees. Beth was a few in front, and I just happened to turn my head as I passed a small opening in the undergrowth. I suddenly found myself only a couple of meters away from a deer.  We both stood perfectly still, staring at each other in shock. I whispered to Beth ahead, who turned around just in time to see him stood looking at us, before he decided that the best option was to scamper off into the foliage.  Needless to say, he soon vanished, and we never saw him again – all pretty cool!

  The route brought us back out to cross a few more open fields as the sun continued to lower toward its late afternoon position, and we soon found ourselves walking back into Bledington, only from the other side from which we had left.  We passed the church and made our way down to the village green, where we stopped so that Beth could consult the instructions.

  Now pay attention, because the next series of events are important, the consequences of which would not fully reveal themselves until two days later.

  I looked up from the map just in time to see a light-blue McLaren 720s with its roof down coming around the corner in front of me. Given that this area is very much Jeremy Clarkson’s patch, I tried to catch a glimpse of the driver. Sadly, I only thought to do so as it drove away, and as such could only see the driver from behind. However, from this vantage point, I could see a driver with silvery hair and a visible bald patch. With a jolt, I began to wonder…had that been the man himself? Well, we would eventually find out, but that’s a story for another time.

  Anyway, on with the walk and we made our way up past a farm and through a couple final fields around the back of the village.  Unfortunately, one of these contained a sewage treatment plant, which did stink.  However the next was home to a couple of cows, so a mixed bag. This last footpath then brought us back out opposite the old mill, and we returned back down the road to the station.

  This was a pleasant and easy nine-miles, with plenty of colour to enjoy and of course the close encounter with our deer friend. However, Beth and I both quickly agreed that we felt that the Cotswolds had more to give. With this in mind, Beth, the wonderful fiancée that she is, mentioned another route which had also been amongst those suggested by our Air BnB host. She said that it was described as strenuous and that, perhaps, we could give that one a go…

Would we get to experience the Cotswolds in it’s full glory?

Did I really see Jeremy Clarkson?

Find out in Part 2!