Coombe Hill, The Leigh, Norton 14 May 2010

I have a bit of a special treat for you, my loyal followers.  From this blog onwards, and possibly some backwards if I get round to it, you will be able to click on the route link to see the route and the terrain.

So to today's ride.  This is a sort of extension of my Staverton route, the outward part of the journey being very similar.  Passing Gloucestershire airport to Cheltenham Road East where I cross straight over.  Rather than turning towards Staverton Village I carry straight on through Hayden and eventually on to A4019 Tewkesbury Road, turning left away from Cheltenham.  This is a long, wide, largely straight and flat road providing a good couple of miles to stretch your legs and keep a reasonable pace for the length of the road.  So to my first stop at Uckington where we find Moat Lane which, you'll be surprised to hear, leads to a moat.  The moat is medieval in origin although none of the original buildings exist but there are a bunch of more modern properties inside, access is via a Victorian cast bridge.

A little further along Tewkesbury Road, we arrive at the junction with the A38 between Gloucester and Tewkesbury.  Also affectionately known as Tewkesbury Road.  This also is a flattish, straight road but in my experience it always seems to channel something of a headwind.   Right on the junction is the hamlet of Coombe Hill which is home to two disused chapel buildings.  The first is a former Methodist Chapel with a separate community building, dating back to the turn of the twentieth century with commemorative stones laid by some of the alderman and dignitaries of the day.  This has a small graveyard alongside but is now out of use and empty although there is a sign in the window indicating that planning permission has been sought to convert the properties into dwellings.  This led me to think.  The buildings are very nice indeed and will, I'm sure, make jolly nice dwellings, but what do you do with the graveyard?  Any property developers that know the answer, I'd love to hear it.

The second chapel, South of this one is more obscure.  A wooden framed building with absolutely no identification on it whatsoever.  Quite obviously it hasn't been in use for many years.  There is a fair amount of rubble, and undergrowth.  I have tried a bit of a Google search but can't find anything.  Again, if anyone can fill me in?

Between the two chapels and down a small lane running back from the main road is the terminus of a disused canal that runs from here to the river near Wainlode hill, a distance of just under 3 miles.  I understand that this was commissioned at the end of the 18th century with the intention of carrying goods to Cheltenham but local geography made this impossible so it quickly became redundant.  Here, it is now a nature reserve; in 1954 the canal was registered as a Site of special scientific interest.  It is the home of a number of rare and uncommon beetle species and two species of fly that have not been found anywhere else within the UK.

Back on the bike and heading South once more, we reach The Leighs.  A small village that loops off the main road.  The heart of the village, as one might expect is a church.  This is The Church of St Catherine and the first place in today's list of visits that is still in use for its original purpose.  The church belongs to the Seven Towers Benefice which also includes Boddington, Staverton, Down Hatherley, Norton (a bit further down), Sandhurst and Twigworth.  This is a mid thirteenth century church although it is suspected that the foundation may date back another 500 years.  The church is grade one listed and in constant need of maintenance.  Some of this has been funded by English Heritage as well as some sterling efforts on the part of the parishoners and local events.

I was fortunate in that when I arrived, there were stonemasons working on the fabric of the building and it was open so I took the opportunity to take a quick shufty inside. 

 The next little village / hamlet as we travel South is Norton, and not the British motorcycle marque.  Prior's Norton is on a bit of an uphill East of Norton and its rather delightful church of St Mary is easily visible from a bit of a distance on the main road.  Although much more difficult to see from the village itself, lending itself to the nickname 'The Disappearing Church'.  Most of the church was built between the thirteenth and fifteenth century and is Grade 2 listed.  It underwent a fair amount of renovation around 2000.  The church and its significant grounds and graveyard present themselves as immaculately kept and the views from the grounds across the Severn Valley.

The journey back takes us through Down Hatherley where there is another of the churches of the in the Seven Towers Benefice as well as a couple of other interesting sights but time is short so its a bit of a blinkered ride through to Cheltenham Road East and on through Churchdown, passing St Andrew's before returning to Hucclecote.

Total distance - 38Km

Average Speed - 28 KM/h

Weather - about 14C, Dry, Light southerly wind.  Overcast so it did feel a little muggy