We left Cheltenham on the Cheltenham Circular route, initially on pavements and then into fields and woodland. We crossed the Cotswold Way and left it behind as we climbed steeply to Cleeve Common, which is the highest part of the Cotswolds at 330 meters. It was surprisingly noisy – very few people but plenty of sheep! It was a truly glorious landscape. We found a grassy knoll to picnic, as no pubs en route.

After descending from the Common, the route was varied but mainly farmland and we followed the Winchcombe Way to our destination, Dumbleton Hall hotel – a bit of luxury for the night – and enjoyed a lovely evening meal. Arriving in Dumbleton, we have crossed from Gloucestershire into Worcestershire (the county where I was born) and so have now reached the Midlands!

A Backward Glance

Walking out of Cheltenham was again one steep muddy climb, but I knew that we had now made the same cumulative height as Edmond Hillary (Carol) and Tenzing Norgay (The Sherpa) when they conquered Everest’s 29028 feet, seventy years ago minus one week. What’s more, we’ve done it more quickly (normally takes about 40 days) and without oxygen! I regretted not packing my Union Jack flag as we climbed over the final ridge and onto the summit ‘Cleeve Common’. Same windiness as at the top of Everest but less snow and more sheep. We could not stay for too long because, like those other two great mountaineers, we had to make base camp quickly (I was needing the loo). It was mainly downhill to start then gently undulating paths around large fields of corn and across long grassy meadows all the way to the gates into Dumbleton Hall. We’ve arrived I gasped, believing I was going to make it after all; then I saw the mile long uphill driveway to the Manor House itself and my bladder wept.