Walk 11: Coaley Peak to Dursley (4.7 miles)

The weather forecast for today had consistently said there would be no rain. But when we arrived in Dursley this morning to leave a car at the end of the walk, the weather was so wet that we debated whether to abort the walk. Our intrepid companions for the day, Ben and Julia, were happy to continue despite the rain, so on we drove to Coaley Peak, our start point. And although it was very overcast and dreary when we got there, the rain held off throughout the walk, and we remained dry. 

The beautiful views from Coaley Peak that we saw last week were unfortunately obscured by cloud, when we started the walk

but as we meandered down through Coaley Wood and the cloud started to lift, we caught glimpses of the landscape over to the Severn in the distance. 

The woods, as usual were beautiful to walk through. 

We came across a limestone cliff, and stopped to look for fossils. 

Lily was more interested in having the stones thrown for her.

On leaving the woods, we walked past some farm buildings, and onto a lane and then through a field of maize, which gave us good views of the steep climb we were about to embark on up to Cam Long Down.


This was a very steep hill, which we climbed slowly 
but the fantastic views at the top were definitely worth the effort.

From here it was a lovely stroll along the ridge, until we dropped down into Dursley.
Dursley, like much of the Cotswolds, was founded on the wool trade, and nearby Cam Mills is still the home of the leading supplier of textiles for snooker and pool tables. Dursley is also known for being the home of R A Lister and Company which was founded there in 1867 to manufacture agricultural machinery.  However, we were more interested in the famous Old Spot pub, many time winner of the CAMRA pub of the year. Although best known for its beer, its Sunday roasts are also recommended, so this week we broke the tradition of picnicking and lunched there. It lived up to its reputation.
When we arrived to pick up the car at Coaley Peak, the sun had come out, and the views were back.
This was another lovely walk. Only 6 more to go until we reach our destination. We have raised over £2500 for Maggie's so far thanks to the fantastic generosity of our friends, family and colleagues. If you would still like to donate, the page is at

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