Newark Park, Wotton Under Edge

(S/E) The walk starts from Newark Park – car park (ST 781 932). Walk back along the driveway to the park’s entrance (ST 785 934).

(1) At the gates turn right onto Park Lane. Continue down Park Lane, passing Fernley Farm on the lower right, to a lane junction at the bottom of the hill (ST 785 935). Continue forward following Park Lane around to the right, (after approx.150m note a red GPO telephone box), continue ahead for approx. a further 250m. As the road begins to turn to the right (ST 793 935), look for a finger-post positioned to the left side of the road, near a gated house, pointing to a wooden gate.

(2) Pass through the gate onto a well-defined path – Ozelwell Park. Follow the path down to a (private) road (ST 793 934), cross over the road to a metal gate, pass through the gate into the field, turn ¼ left. Continue over the field to a 2nd gate, in the far left-hand corner of the field (ST 793 933). Pass through the gate onto the road, and turn right. Follow the road down to a kissing gate (ST 795 928). Pass through the gate into the field beyond.

Turn ¼ right, continue forward. (As a guide, look for the red roof tiles of a cottage beyond the tree line). On reaching the tree line the ground falls away steeply, follow a faint footpath down and around to the right to a wooden stile. Cross over the stile and onto a road, and continue ahead.

(3) Continue past the two cottages on the left, to a road T junction, turn right and continue uphill for approx. 280m. As the road turns sharp left, continue walking straight forward to a wooden gate (ST 793 925), passing Holwell Farmhouse on the left. Pass through the gate and continue to a 2nd gate, and onto a well-used path. Follow the path around and uphill to a large metal farm gate, pass through the gate. From here the ground rises steeply – Hen’s Cliff. Continue to follow the footpath for approx.1k, passing through 2 sets of gates, until it joins a road at (ST 793 916). Turn left, and continue along this road.

(4) After approx. 60m, a road joins from the left-hand side – the Monarch’s Way. Continue ahead for approx.320m, following the road round towards farm buildings – Tresham Farm. Do not go into the farm building area. Follow the road around as it turns left, continue downhill to a road T junction. Turn left and continue ahead for approx. 200m. Look for a finger-post on the right-hand side of the road, pointing to a path leading downhill. Carry on down the hill to a gate, pass through and follow the path down the valley - Monarch's Way.

(5) At (ST769 908) turn right, and pass through a large wooden field gate to join the - Cotswold Way. Continue along the Cotswold Way, passing through several gates, to a road junction on the outskirts of the village of Alderley.

Note: - Caution. There is no sign, or finger-post, advising of the turn onto the Cotswold Way. If you find yourself walking over a small bridge, over a stream, you have come too far. Turn around, and backtrack for approx. 180m, the wooden field gate onto the Cotswold Way will then be on your left.

(6) At a road junction – Alderley Road, turn right and follow the road round to the right, continue ahead passing several houses on the left, to a road T junction. Cross directly over the road into Winter-Spring Lane. Follow the surfaced portion of Winter Spring Lane for - 40 m approx. Stay on the left side of the lane. Look for a Cotswold Way signpost/footpath marker post, as the lane begins to bear right (ST771 910), stay on the left, and follow a well-used footpath downhill.

At the bottom of the hill, the path turns left and crosses over a stream, via a stone bridge. Follow the path through a gate into a field, continue ahead through a farm gate into a 2nd larger, adjoining field. Turn ¼ right, look for a short footpath marker post approx. 20 m to the left of a single telegraph post. Use the footpath marker post as a guide to cross the field to a kissing gate (ST767 916) at the top far-right corner of the field.

(7) Go through the gate onto a road – Hill Mill Road. Cross directly over the road to a wooden kissing gate, pass through onto a well-marked path. Continue forward for approx. 100m, to a wooden gate on the left (ST 767 917), pass through the gate onto a path, follow the path uphill – Wortley Hill, without deviation. Continue up Wortley Hill until the path meets a road – Blackquaries Hill (ST 778 934). Here, look to the right for a wooden kissing gate in a field boundary wall, pass through and turn immediately left. Continue around the boundary edges of the field to a gate, pass through the gate into Newark Park – car park.(S/E)