Cotswold Gateways Dursley 2 Western Loop
Dursley Market House is the starting point for this walk, which takes a wide loop, west, around the town through fields, woods, and a golf course. There is a sustained climb early on and one descent which can be muddy and uneven, otherwise paths are good.
Directions included with waypoints.
This walk is one of a series of 37 Cotswold Gateways walking & cycling routes published by the Cotswolds National Landscape at www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/cotswold-gateways
The last revision date is March 2021. If any of the directions need updating please do let us know by emailing info@cotswoldsaonb.org.uk
Other self-guided walks published by Cotswolds National Landscape are available at www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/explore-and-enjoy
Start
Begin down Silver Street and turn first right up Boulton Lane. Continue upwards to the top of Union Street and go into the wood. When the fence on your left turns down go up ahead on a broad path to reach more level ground at a junction of several paths. Turn sharp right onto a broad path. Hold this line, without deviating, for ¾ of a mile.
When you reach the road go left up the hill, then right followed by left
Stinchcombe Hill Golf Course
The walk will now follow the perimeter of Stinchcombe Hill Golf Course for 1.5 miles (2,500 metres), with woods on your left and the course on your right. On reaching the edge of the wood find the Cotswold Way fingerpost and turn right. After the car park go left along the edge. After going through a corner of the wood you will emerge with a panoramic view in front of you. Turn right to follow the obvious narrow path and, ignoring the Cotswold Way which turns up right, continue on this line. You come to a fork at some trees. Go ahead around the headland and up sharp right to a bench. Now walk with the bench behind you, and pass, in succession, a stone memorial bench, Cotswold Way fingerpost, trig point, topograph and waymarker, still with woods on left and golf course on right. Come to a stone shelter. You can pass behind or in front of this, then follow Cotswold Way signs until you come to a stony track beside which is a mounting stone where riders would remount their horses after leading them up the track you will now descend, on your left.
Leave Cotswold Way
This track, which is rough and can be muddy, leads down to a road.  Once there turn left and cross before the bend.  After the lane signposted to Stinchcombe are the gates to Piers Court.  Go through the pedestrian gate and walk along the drive, over the cattle grid, and just after the low stone wall on your left ends, turn right across the grass slope towards a stile.  After the stile go straight down through two fields into the churchyard. If you are not visiting the church, go down through the churchyard, left of the church, and turn right onto Wick Lane up to the road junction.
Echo Lane
Turn left and walk down Echo Lane for 80 yards and then turn right through the gap in the wall to head for a stile and gate and go up the field beyond.  The route is now more or less straight ahead, parallel to the motorway, over 5 stiles to a main road (Tait's Hill B4066).  At the road go up right to a metal gate and stile by a fingerpost on the opposite side.  This leads to a track.  Go down the track, through a kissing gate, then slightly right across the next field to another kissing gate.  Now the path goes directly up and after two more stiles passes through a clump of trees.  Go around left, past a sheet metal gate in a conifer hedge to reach a road. (Field Lane).
Field Lane
Across Field Lane follow the field edge for 40 yards then turn left to follow a path between fences to a kissing gate. Go ahead down the field, through the kissing gate, to a road (Spark Hill). Go down left, then turn right up Manor Avenue and cross after 75 yds to descend a short path leading to Knapp Lane. Turn right and follow this road as it bends left to A4135 main road. Here turn right and in 130 yds cross at the pedestrian crossing and go straight ahead at the fingerpost pointing to Upthorpe.
Cross road A4135
The route goes straight through Rackleaze Nature Reserve, crossing the River Cam and exiting at a stile. Take the obvious path half left to a gateway and continue to a larger opening. Here you turn right up to a kissing gate. Carry on through 5 more gates to a road. This is Upthorpe.
Cross road (Upthorpe)
Cross the road; turn right and after 50 yards go up wooden steps on the left, between houses leading into a field which you cross to a gate. Turn right, cross the stile and go half left, first towards two large trees, then make for the field gate. Once through the gate bear slightly left to the first of two stiles that take you across the corner of a field. Go ahead down the next field, aiming left of the line of telegraph poles, to find in the bushes some steps leading down to a footbridge over Delkin Brook. When you emerge from this little cutting follow the obvious way ahead across two fields to a kissing gate leading beside a house to Hopton Road.
Hopton Road go right to enter churchyard
Cross the road and go right to enter the churchyard via the gate in the wall. Along the path on your right you will see a former British Schools building.  Keeping the Church on your left, follow the path around, passing to the left of a large oak tree. Exit along the drive and cross the road to the footpath at the Dursley fingerpost.
Keep the houses on your right until you turn left over the wooden bridge after the play area. At Lister Road turn right and cross. At the corner go up left on Kingshill Lane then immediately left again following the footpath, then take Rednock Drive past The Knapp to enter Dursley Recreation Ground through a pedestrian gate. Continue ahead to Dursley centre. The exit gate is at the right-hand end of the swimming pool in front of you. Go down the side of the swimming pool to Castle Street. To return to the start of the walk you can go down this road past Sainsbury’s or cross into the pedestrianised town centre and turn left.
Finish