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corner and follow this until you pop out on to the A612
next to the farm shop (don’t worry if you miss this road in
Gonalston as the road you were on joins the A612 a few
hundred metres further up). Turn right and head back
towards Lowdham. It is customary to ‘sprint’ for the town
sign in owdham, so make sure you finish the ride with as
much speed as you can muster and then freewheel back
to the War Memorial to the adulation of those you have
vanquished in the sprint and the look of awe from the
casual bystanders lining the route.
Views stretch as far as the eye can see as you push on
through the vast shades of green. From Stonehouse, take
the undulating road left which drives you onwards to
Upton St Leonards, or, if your legs are still feeling fresh,
you can head into the hills. Branch right over the Common
via Painswick and the lumpy Slad valley to push yourself
and test your endurance.
ack on the bike, rise out of yndcliff ood. The road
shadows the river as you begin to head towards the
infamous Severn Bridge, which you can catch sight of as
you swee
ast Che stow. t took five years to build the
huge structure which opened in September 1966 and is
now one of two bridges. Riding the 1.6km bike path that
sits alongside the M48, you have plenty of space to really
en oy the im osing design. The height offers u a view
across the Gloucestershire landscape. Crossing both the
Wye and Severn, head east over the water as you reach
the halfway point of your ride.
Shortly after reaching the far side, fork left. The roads
slim down as you allow yourself to be eased back into
quiet country lanes. Gentle roads wind through southern
loucestershire offering u neatly arranged agricultural
land with o en fields and large country homes. ith the
sun smiling on your back, breeze through small hamlets
and villages until you reach Berkeley.
Birthplace of physician and scientist Edward Jenner,
the small village is home to around 2000 people. Ride
through the high street, with St Mary’s church and the
legendary Berkeley Castle to your right. Ten metres before
the crossroads take the hidden left at The Berkeley Tea
Rooms. Selling a range of sandwiches and hot food, the
small courtyard is a perfect place to refuel, rest up and
refresh yourself. Open most days (closed Tuesdays), the
friendly tearooms are quintessentially British.
Water bottles topped up, spin your way down the narrow
single-tracked lanes. The roads from Halmore to Leonard
Stanley are classic of the Cotswolds. Rolling green fields,
farms and small streams litter the landscape as you
pedal inland and birds swoop overhead as you meander
towards Stonehouse. Cutting directly through the
historical town, follow the Gloucester Road as you skirt
past the Cotswold Commons and National Park. Known
for being the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
in the UK, the heart of Gloucestershire is full of life.
until you can take the left on to Main Street and into the
village of Epperstone. The road surface here can be a
little patchy, with heavy farm machinery in use on the
fields, but easy enough to ilot a clean route through until
you hit the tiny village of Gonalston. After the two sharp
right handers, eel off right onto an unnamed road on the
Regardless of your choice, the roads form up at
Brockworth on the edges of Gloucester. From here you
can ride home knowing Cheltenham is a stone’s throw
away. Round off the ride by cruising down into town
spinning out tired legs.
At the end of your Gloucestershire adventure
you can put your feet up in the knowledge you
will sleep well tonight.
Part of
New Brew
ery
Craft exhib Arts.
itions,
studios, co
urses
workshop
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and shop.
The Barrel Store
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A great base to explore the Cotswolds
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