Gloucestershire & the Cotswolds

Rodborough Fort walk

Rodborough Common, grazing cattle, Gloucestershire — Cattle grazing at Rodborough Common in Gloucestershire | © National Trust / Richard Evans

This easy 1-mile walk takes you around Rodborough Fort and over limestone grassland with far-reaching views of the Gloucestershire countryside. The grassland is an area of European significance and if you visit during the summer months, look out for the orchids and butterflies that make their home here.

Near to

Minchinhampton and Rodborough Commons

Start point

Rodborough Common car park, grid ref: SO851040

Address
Rodborough Common, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2LN.
Directions via Google Maps
By train
Stroud, 1 mile (1.6km).
By bus
The closest bust stop is about ¼ mile (0.4km) away at the top of Rodborough Hill. Bus No. 36 from Stroud Bus Station (Stroud/Kingscourt service), Walkley Hill, Prince Albert Inn stop. It takes about 10 minutes' walk up the hill from the bus stop to Rodborough Fort.
By road
From Stroud, take the A46 towards Bath (less that ¾ mile/1.2km) until you see signs to Rodborough and Minchinhampton, up a steep hill (Rodborough Hill). Turn left, pass over a cattle grid with the fort above you. Continue a few hundred yards up the hill and the car park is on the right-hand side (with a height barrier at the entrance).
Total stages: 5
Total stages: 5
Start point
Rodborough Common car park, grid ref: SO851040
Stage 1
From the lower section of the car park, follow the driveway up to the fort. When you reach the fort gates, turn right and walk along the track, keeping the wall to your left. As you follow this round, you come into open ground with views of Randwick Woods, Doverow Hill and the River Severn.
Rodborough Fort
The fort was first built as a folly, or a decorative eye-catching building, in 1761 for Captain George Hawker (it was originally called Fort George after him). In Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, there is a large landscape painting showing a view from the folly in 1764, complete with battlements and cannon. It was bought and rebuilt on a larger scale in 1870 and turned into a house.
Stage 2
Continue along this path, with the fort to your left, until you reach a seat (a memorial to Frank George Tirel). Take the right fork on the path. Continue along this path, cross a track passing almost at a right angle to your own, until you see a clump of trees on your left with a seat in the centre and a memorial to Lord Baden-Powell.
Wild flowers throughout the year
Look out for the remains of quarries on the right, good spots for seeing fragrant orchids. There are 13 types of orchid found on Rodborough Common, all favouring the limestone grassland on the plateau top and slopes. The soil is rich in calcium and poor in nutrients, which encourages delicate plants over coarse and vigorous species. In spring, look out for early purple orchids and the extremely rare pasque flower. Look out for lady's-tresses in late summer, and blooming pyramidal orchids in autumn.
A pyramidal orchid | © National Trust/Katherine Alker
Stage 3
Turn left and go through the trees, on a path at 90 degrees to your previous path. Note the old hollowed-out beech tree on your left as you walk. Keep to this track until you see a car park in front of you, at which you will be rewarded with views over the Chalford Valley.
Duke of Burgundy butterfly at Rodbourgh Common, Gloucestershire | © National Trust / Richard Evans
Stage 4
When you see a car park, turn left and head back towards the fort. Keep the road on your right (not too close) and the fort on your left and you will reach the car park at which you started the walk.
Stage 5
The final steps to return to your car are down a very steep path or quite steep steps, over the rim of an old quarry.
End point
Rodborough Common car park, grid ref: SO851040
Trail map
Rodborough Fort walk route map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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near Stroud, Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire

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cotswolds@nationaltrust.org.uk

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