Andoversford - Whittington - Dowdeswell - Andoversford

Sean Meek

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Andoversford - Whittington - Dowdeswell Reservoir and Nature Reserve - Andoversford

A walk in the Cotswolds in the shadow of its highest point at Cleeve Hill. The walk starts at Andoversford, a fairly large and more modern village compared to others in the area, heading across fields to Whittington, an attractive and much older village, epitomizing what you expect from the Cotswolds. Before arriving at the village, the walk passes through a humpy, bumpy field, which is all that is left of the even older medieval village of the original Whittington.

From Whittington, the walk heads through woodland and begins a gentle ascent up the side of Cleeve Hill. The top of the hill is never reached, but even so, there are some great views after emerging from the woodland. Joining the Cotswold Way, the walk descends back again and heads for the Dowdesell Reservoir, one of the few lakes in the Cotswolds. The water treatment works were closed a long time ago and the lake now serves as a flood storage reservoir to protect Cheltenham.

The lake and the woodland to the north of the lake, which the walk passes through, has been established as a nature reserve. Many resident and wintering wildfowl are supported by the lake and it is also a major spawning ground for the common toad.
After leaving the nature reserve, the walk starts climbing again to Dowdeswell Village, then returns to Andoversford across fields.

England - South West England - Gloucestershire - Cotswolds

Features

Birds, Church, Flowers, Food Shop, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Lake/Loch, Nature Trail, Public Transport, Wildlife, Woodland

8/27/2019 - Julie White

Instruction No.2 says continue to the way mark post. This post is totally covered up and very difficult to see even when you know where it is. From the road the turning is after the second field so just turn after that, and you can look for the way marker post if you want confirmation. Instruction 24 When you turn left after the couch, this is about 100yds, the track goes past some houses on the left then through a back garden of a house on the right. The track then goes through some woodland for about 200yds before you get to the kissing gate. Good walk and views.