50 Shades of Green

A beautiful walk on an overcast day. Short - only 6 miles and 3 hours - with a 1,054 ft ascent, a brief stop at Bella’s Knap Long Barrow, an appreciation of Postlip Hall from afar and time in Cleve Common.

We left Winchcombe at 8 AM, passed by a flowery field, then quickly started climbing.

Bella’s Knap Long Barrow, a 180 feet long and 18 feet high burial ground, dates back to 3,000 BCE. You can see the layers of stone used in its construction.

The walk continued up and down through the woods.

Eight families live together as a “village under one roof” in this stunning manor.

Cleve Common is lumpy and one of the largest areas of unimproved grassland in the region. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, privately owned. Sheep are everywhere. If they didn’t graze as they do, the grasses, hawthorn, and gorse would crowd out the wildflowers.

Today was the last of the short walks for awhile.

Tomorrow, 17 miles.

Wish us luck!