Cotswolds Way - Day 7

I woke up early at what I think was called the Stonehouse Hotel (or maybe Manor — I’m still unsure exactly), knowing I had around 14 miles to hike today, not counting the extra mile from my accommodation to the trailhead. The morning greeted me with near-perfect walking weather — warm, breezy, with just enough hazy cloud to keep things comfortable. If this is the kind of heatwave we’re promised, I’m all for it.

I started with a stroll along the canal — exchanging “Mornings!” with joggers and catching a nod from a canal bargeman deftly maneuvering an unfinished barge under a bridge. That took some skill.

First mission: preserve my Cotswold Way passport streak. A quick detour into King’s Stanley got that done, albeit with the stamp upside-down !?! I grabbed a meal deal and got back on track.

The next few miles were quiet: developing cornfields and more of those tree tunnels I keep misremembering. My elevation chart showed two beefy climbs, and Middleyard delivered the first, reminding my left calf of its stretching-neglect. Breaking the canopy at Coaley Park rewarded me with hazy panoramas over the Severn River as well as Nympsfield Long Barrow, a stone age burial structure built around 3800 BC! 

After walking past the Long Barrow, I Finally got the views I signed up for.

Then came Cam Long Down, a brutal ascent at what felt like more than 25%, so steep I tackled it in stages which is not my usual MO, I like to keep going to the top then have a breather, no way was that happening on this one. Once at the top however, the 360-degree vista was completely worth the effort and I had the hill to myself. 

For the next few miles, it was fields dotted with impressive old manor houses — beautifully crafted, but shrouded in mystery as to who lives there now. Some being quite open to the view of passers by like myself, others with their 9ft old stone walls keeping their full grounds from curious eyes!

Up ahead stood the Tyndale Monument, perched on a knoll like it was waiting for me. At the entrance, a couple warned me there were stairs inside — about 120 tight, spiraling steps. After all that climbing already, how could I say no?

📜 Tyndale Monument Factoid: The statue honours William Tyndale, the 16th-century scholar who translated the Bible into English from Hebrew and Greek — a venture considered heretical then. He met a tragic end in 1536, but his work laid the cornerstone for the enduring King James Bible.

Reaching the top, the view was slap-you-in-the-face stunning, even if the photos don’t do it justice.

Then, downhill into Wotton-under-Edge, where locals gathered me into a mini pub crawl. One highlight: The Star Inn, where the story goes that John Cambridge — born there in 1784 — emigrated to Canada, founded the White Star shipping line (named after the pub), and that lineage eventually led to the Titanic’s creation.

I wrapped up the day with history, local beer, and well-earned exhaustion. As I headed to my room I realized what number I'd been allocated and had a little chuckle to myself...(British comedy reference)