Circular via Canal and Stratford Park (Cotswold Gateway Stroud Walk 2)

Easy Circular Stroud walk via Stratford Park (suitable for wheelchairs and buggies)

Distance

1.5 miles / 2.41 km

Duration

0.5 to 0.75 hours

Difficulty

Unsurfaced paths, basic fitness

Mobility aid rating

Pushchair friendly

Shape

Circular

Last reviewed

29/04/2026

Start

Address

1 Bedford St, Stroud GL5 1AE, UK
View start on Google Maps

OS Grid Ref

SO8510705155

What3Words

social.commuted.notes

Refreshments

Many places in Stroud

Travel Info

Start at Rail Station Exit down Station Rd to Russell Street & turn right. Then turn left into George St to find the Subscription Rooms Start from Bus Station Go through Merry Walks shopping centre & turn left into Rowcroft and follow round to right into George Street

Navigation

With the Subscription Rooms at your back, head towards the right hand corner of the forecourt and walk down George Street, turning left at the bottom to follow Rowcroft beneath the railway bridge.

Crossing the road at one of two points, head towards the Cotswold Canals Trust Visitor Centre. (1) Cross the road from the centre and follow the path down and around to join the tow path of the canal.

Turning left at the interpretation panel, go under the A46 road bridge. Follow the tow path behind the buildings on your left and then a lock on your right. Go through the pedestrian stone archway on the corner of the large red brick building (Lodgemore Mill) archway. Continue beside Lodgemore Mill until you meet a road bridge. (2)

Turn right over the bridge, following the road as it climbs and bears left and then right, to meet the A419 Cainscross Road. Use the pedestrian crossing to cross the road and turn right. Continue until you are opposite the DIY Superstore and find a footpath on your left which takes you into a wilder area known as the Long Ground, with the Painswick Stream on your right along a tree lined corridor. (3)

Follow the stream until it disappears through a culvert beneath the viaduct, where you climb to reach a supermarket. Walk around the supermarket and cross on the zebra crossing by the main entrance.

This path will take you through the car park, emerging on a main road with Stratford Park opposite. A traffic island makes the crossing easier here. Enter the park through one of two entrances. (4)

Explore the park at your leisure. Within its 56 acre grounds, it has a fully equipped leisure centre, museum, arboretum, woodland, lake, formal gardens and play areas.

Return the same way towards the supermarket, using the island or the pedestrian crossing 50 metres to your left.

Turn left and walk up to the mini roundabout to the main A46, turning right at the top. (5) This path will take you over the brow of Beeches Green and into the town, which can be accessed using the pedestrian crossing or the overhead pedestrian bridge.(6)

You have a choice of routes back to the Subscription Rooms:
• Turn left and right up Gloucester Street to the base of the High Street where you turn right and then left up George Street.

• Go through the Shopping Centre, using the lift or stairs to the right of the cinema.

• Turn right and then left pass the multi-storey car park to follow Rowcroft Retreat (pedestrian lane on right) to George Street.