Rodborough woodlands and villages walk
The National Trust commons are most well known for their open, species-rich grasslands and the wildlife that calls them home. However, on this walk you will discover some of the commons hidden treasures by exploring the woodlands that populate the lower slopes. In summer, the woodlands are a cathedral of green and in autumn you will be treated to the beautiful display of reds and coppers that can only be produced by beech trees. The walk will also take you through some archetypal Cotswold villages and past rare native junipers.
Map
Start:
National Trust layby; grid ref: SO847026
1
Park up in the NT layby on the Rodborough quiet lane and walk back out towards the road. Cross here, being wary of traffic, and head towards the gateway with white gates. Turn left before entering the gateway and follow the wall with it on your right hand side.
2
Enter the woods at a wooden gate and follow the old pack horse route through the woods enjoying the tranquillity of the woodlands.
3
After a right hand curve in the path past some buildings, look for a path on the left and take this route. Before you leave the track, up on your left there is a glade within the woodland that is fantastic for wildflowers and butterflies in the spring and summer months. Take a break here for a while if you like and enjoy the wildlife; it is especially pleasant on warm, sunny days.
Beech woods
The Cotswolds are well known for their beech woodlands, from dramatic autumn leaf colour to swathes of bluebells in the spring.
4
Continuing along this new path you will come across a junction at which a path goes down the hill to your right. Take this path a short distance before turning left when it intersects a lower path.
Archway
If you look back now, you will see an old archway, a feature remaining from when the route was used by pack horses.
5
At this point you will emerge on the road in St Chloe. Turn left and follow the road uphill.
6
When you come to a T-junction, turn left and continue on the road in St Chloe. Turn left and follow the road uphill.
7
When you pop out onto Bear Hill, just below the Bear of Rodborough Hotel, cross the road and pick up the grassy track that bears off to the left. Follow the track as it sweeps along the edge of the plateau.
8
The track will eventually open out. Bear left across the open grassy area and join a small path leading down the slope towards the woodland (in which you will find the layby where you started the walk).
Juniper
This slope is home to a healthy population of juniper, one of Britain’s few native coniferous tree species. It has suffered dramatic declines over the last century as a result of intensive land use and is a particularly rare habitat in the UK. Here we use specific grazing regimes to suppress scrub species and promote the growth of juniper.
End:
National Trust layby; grid ref: SO847026
