Leg 14: Leighterton to Hawkesbury Upton


Eight walkers plus Lily the dog had been watching the weather forecast very carefully in the days before the walk. We were promised a warm, dry, sunny day, but this seemed unlikely as we gathered at Leighterton, in rather overcast conditions.

The carefully worked out transport logistics were thrown into confusion at the start of the walk, because we hadn't realised that the Badminton Horse Trials were taking place just down the road, and the traffic was very heavy. 

Eventually, we were all assembled at Leighterton, the sun came out, and we set off. 


After about a mile along a lane, we passed the very handsome Boxwell Court. It is reputed that Charles II stayed the night here on his flight to France, although the King’s own account does not support this; we do know that the owners of the house at the time strongly supported the Royalist cause.

We all agreed this walk was the best for scenery so far this year; we were soon treated to lovely views across Ozleworth Bottom, a deep but grassy valley.

The plan was to stop at Tresham for lunch, and we were very ready for a break by the time we got there. We were treated to some live music as the residents of Tresham were holding a Coronation picnic in the Tresham Millennium Garden just below our lunch spot, which had lovely views down a long grassy valley, the next part of our route.

We joined another lane. Some of us experienced a bit of deja vu as we’d been along the next part of the route before; here the Monarchs way joins the Cotswold Way for a mile or so along this lane.

Soon we branched off right, up a small hill into a beautiful, wide, grassy valley, and then onto a track which led up to the Somerset Monument, a memorial to General Lord Robert Somerset who fought at the Battle of Waterloo. Apparently he lost his hat during the first cavalry charge, and while searching for it a cannonball tore off the flap of his coat and killed his horse. But the General survived, and died in 1842.

By now, we were all a bit exhausted, but it was downhill from here, to the Beaufort Arms in Hawkesbury Upton, where we enjoyed a refreshing drink.

And we managed to avoid most of the Badminton traffic on the way home.

Blog written by Rod.

We are raising money for Grassroots Suicide Prevention, which is a cause very dear to our hearts. Contributions can be made here:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/28-30MonarchsWaywalk2022

 

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