Cotswold Gateways Dursley 1 Eastern Loop
Nicole Daw - Community

Cotswold Gateways Dursley 1 Eastern Loop
Start at Dursley Market. Fields and woods of Uley Valley. Owlpen Manor, Uley Bury and Cam Peak, two great viewpoints. Three good climbs and some stony paths and steep descents. Optional visit to viewpoint on Downham Hill after Uley Bury adds half a mile.
hikingTourTrail
Start at Market House end of Long Street
Begin by carefully crossing the road to enter the church yard through the commemorative iron gate and then follow the path to the right of the church and down some steps to Broadwell. Turn left immediately after crossing the stream and follow the water side to the left down Water Street.
Where this road meets Lister Road turn right and then after 100 yards, turn left into Forge Road and continue ahead along Brownings Lane which becomes a stream-side path leading to Ferney. Here, go ahead cross the wide sweep of the road and turn left onto another stream side path.
After running alongside open space behind modern housing on Ewelme Close the path bears to the right away from the stream to reach Uley Road.
Uley Road crossing to steps
Here turn left on the roadside path and after 40 yards, carefully cross the road to a flight of steps leading up to an old mill pond in another open space amongst housing. Pass the mill pond on either side to continue ahead on Caswell Mews to a squeeze stile into a play space.
Turn immediately left over another stile and follow the path as it sweeps up and around to the right beside the trees to a kissing gate. Then follow the path that leads slightly left to kissing gate into a wood. Continue through the wood and then along a broad path to another kissing gate.
Kissing gate. Turn Left
Through the gate, turn left to follow the path over two stiles and then cross, diagonally, the field at the rear of Sheephouse Farm to cross another stile. Bear left here to cross three further fields to reach a road. Continue along the road for 500 yards, past Elcombe Farm, and then turn right along a farm track to the side of the last house. Climb a stile and then turn immediately left to climb a double stile into the field. Follow the path alongside the hedge but where this turns sharp left go straight ahead aiming between the trees to find another kissing gate in the next field hedge.
Kissing Gate after Elcombe Farm
Here, follow the path half-right up to another kissing gate and then continue diagonally across the field heading for the edge of the wood and a waymarker post at which you bear left to enter the wood at another kissing gate and proceed uphill.
When the path begins to level out and bends right to a junction of paths, take the lower path to the left to take a permissive track through the wood. Ignore the path that, soon after, goes down steeply to the left and continue on the track as it undulates and then bends left to join the bridleway which leads down the hill.
Leave bridleway for track to right
Where the bridleway levels out, turn right to follow another track to meet a stile beside a gate to a road (Lampern Hill). Carefully cross the road and take the path opposite which drops down to a stile into a field above Owlpen Hall. Go ahead down the field to cross the tree lined drive via two stiles near to the buildings. Go ahead across a narrow field to another stile and then turn right. Cross another stile in the field corner and then 4 more stiles in quick succession until you reach a kissing gate in a field hedge. Bear right here, uphill, to a stile and then bear left leading to a stile in the corner of the field which leads onto another road (Fiery Lane).
Road crossing (Fiery Lane)
Proceed carefully uphill round a left hand bend and at a right hand bend, before a house, go through the field gate and ahead down the field for 100 yards and turn left to a gate. Continue ahead across the next two fields, pausing to enjoy the great views of Owlpen Manor nestled under the hillside, and then enter a small copse leading to a road (Fiery Lane) Turn left and find two stiles on your right and take the path in the field keeping the stream on your right. After two fields, cross the stream via the old stone bridge and continue across the next field bearing slightly left to a stile and a bridge
Cross these and then bear half right up-hill to a stile beside an interesting remnant tree. Go over the stile onto a narrow path that turns left and then right to connect to Uley Green adjacent to The Crown public house. Go ahead across the green noting the sculpture celebrating the Uley Gorilla, and then carefully cross the main road and follow this up right and around a left hand bend to reach a track on the left leading up to a gate.
Go through the gate and continue with the wood on your right. Follow the path as it bends right alongside the wood and up to a gate into the wood. Proceed along the track until you go through a kissing gate out of the wood. Continue ahead and take the path up hill on to the Bury top. Turn sharp left and follow the level perimeter path which has great views, turning right twice.
Crown - Public House
Uley Bury
On the west side of the Bury look for the directions on the fence post and turn sharp left onto the path which crosses two stiles before heading down quite steeply via two sets of steps and a further stile, to finally join a bridleway. Here, you turn right to then meet the road at Hydegate. Cross the road and take the road opposite signed to Dursley. After 120 yards, as the road bends to the left, go through the facing field gate and continue with the hedge on your right to find a stile leading down onto a bridleway.
(Alternatively if it is very wet and the field is waterlogged, take the bridleway alongside to the right.)
Turn left and follow the bridleway until it joins an access road and then go ahead and when the road bears right, continue ahead on the bridleway that rises gently along the side of Cam Long Down to a gate. Through the gate follow the bridleway as it rises gradually to a junction of paths at the saddle between Cam Long Down and Cam Peak.
Path to Cam Peak viewpoint
Take the path ahead to visit the excellent viewpoint on the top of Cam Peak. If you do not wish to risk the steep descent of the Peak beyond, (which is advisable on wet days), then retrace your steps to here and bear left (northwards) to take the clear route down and around the base of the hill.
Otherwise - as drawn here - after enjoying the view, carefully descend the Peak westwards, cross an access road and then follow the path through the trees to a kissing gate to the road at Spring Hill. Walk carefully along the road for 70 yards and then turn left to cross a stile next to some stables. Cross two fields to a kissing gate at the junction of Farfield with Drake Lane.
Go left along Drake Lane towards Dursley for 300 yards and then turn left onto the footpath next to a house. Follow this path as it turns sharp right and then, after passing a house, turns right again, going down a series of steps to reach Chestal by the Bowls Club. Continue ahead then bear left to walk up Long Street back to the Dursley Market House
Finish