Hawkesbury Upton via the Church of St Mary the Virgin (3.75 miles)

Cotswolds National Landscape has worked with local communities to create ten Cotswold Gateways locations, from which people can follow walking and cycling routes to explore the surrounding countryside of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Following footpaths, bridleways, and minor roads, these routes provide opportunities to discover hidden corners, epic views, historic sites, and a rich diversity of wildlife. The highlight of this walk is the Church of St Mary the Virgin, set in a beautiful, peaceful location below the historic and steep sided Hawkesbury Knoll.

Distance: 3.75 miles
Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate – one steep climb and a few stiles
Parking: the Village Hall Car Park can be used if the Hall is not in use (donations gratefully accepted via box onsite) so please check the Village Hall Car Park Calendar on the Hall site to confirm OK
Public transport: accessible from Wotton-under-Edge and Yate buses 84 & 85
Refreshments: Beaufort Arms ; Fox Inn; Hawkesbury Stores

Points of Interest:

Hawkesbury (Somerset) Monument - a tall tapering stone tower ashlar monument to Lord Robert Edward Somerset, by Lewis Vulliamy dated 1846. Lord Somerset was a soldier by occupation and became a General. He fought in the Waterloo war of 1815 that led to the end of the Napoleonic wars. He was born in Badminton and became an MP for Cirencester.
Hawkesbury Knoll Long Barrow - is a chambered tomb sitting on the top of Hawkesbury Knoll, right on the edge of the steep Cotswold scarp, with splendid views west over the Vale of Berkeley, and the River Severn to the Forest of Dean and Wales. It is aligned in a north to south direction.
St Mary the Virgin - St. Mary’s Church has been a centre for Christian worship for many centuries, from well before the Norman Conquest. In 972 King Edgar (‘the Peaceful’) granted land here to the Benedictine Abbey of Pershore, in whose hands it remained until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539.

For more information please see here: Cotswold Gateway - Hawkesbury Upton 2 Route

Or select the button below