City of Bath Athletic Club

Cotswold Way Relay

Stage

Start Point

End Point

Distance

Ascent

Start Time

5

Royal William, Cranham Corner

Ebley Mill

12.5 miles

284 metres

11:45 hrs

Click here to view map

Description

Section 1

From the Royal William, run up the tarmac track, and by the Lodge carry on forwards on the path between fairways. Onwards, beneath the fort, quarry and beacon. On reaching a road, do a quick left then right, taking the track beneath the quarry. Continue, past the cemetary, over the next road, and soon the track becomes road.

Section 2

Turn left into Painswick down Gloucester Street, turn right on the main road (New Street) and finally right on Edge Road. (Do not do the small detour around the church yard). After 150m, exit left through the gate into a narrow field. Skirt the buildings through a gap, keep to the edge of the next field, cross in the far corner, then diagonally towards the line of tress fading right as you cross. When you find the farm cross the stream beyond it, and come back around. Exit via a stile and follow above the course of the stream. Into the next field, then hard left down to the road. Turn right. There is a very minor Route Improvement in Edge. Click here for details.

Section 3

Up across Edge Common, and through the Common. Up the steps to the road and cross. Now bearing left, descending into the wood, finding the track at the bottom and contining left for 1000m. Onto the road, maintaining your forward direction, until after 30 metres, a sharp left turn takes you back into the undulating woods on Haresfield Hill. Cross the next road, rising up to Haresfield Beacon. Go to the end - NO short-cuts. Back along the south-side edge, to the road but staying on the path through the woods. Where it opens up after 300m, turn right with the field edge to head out to the topograph. Again - NO short-cuts - penalties freely distributed for wimps. Water station teams will be watching! Back to the Cripplegate car park. into the woods, staying on the upper path in the reverse direction to the use of this path in Stroud's 'Standish Woodland Chase'.

Section 4

Join the lane in the woods, and out of the car park when it emerges from the wood. Gently descend Maiden Hill in the same direction, bearing slightly left at the lane end , down to the small wood. Bias slightly left on the road crossing, then sectioning two fields down to the small hamlet. Go right on the road for 75 metres, to descend down and round Doverow Hill. Over the railway, down to the main road, a quick right then left turn. Immediately after the first bridge over the canal, we leave the Cotswold Way. Follow the footpath sign-post east along the canal path. 1 mile later Ebley Mill looms large in-front of you. 100 metres before the first buildings of Ebley Mill, look for the finish on the 1 acre grass space beneath the new houses across the canal on the left, where the large oak tree stands proud. Cross over the canal on the scrappy land bridge. There's the finish on the grass.