The Laurie Lee Way, Cotswolds Sunday Coach walk on 28 June 2026

P LEASE NOTE THAT THE DURATION OF THIS EVENT SHOWN ABOVE IS ONLY APPROXIMATE AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED; IT WILL DEPEND ON FACTORS SUCH AS THE WEATHER AND THE WALKING PACE OF THE GROUP.

Our Sunday rambles usually have three levels of walk, strenuous (A), moderate (B) or leisurely (C), led by Birmingham Ramblers group leaders. Join us and enjoy a great day of social walking with our friendly members.

Please note: Our walks are often on rough tracks and rights of way through fields, woodland and hills. Walkers should preferably wear walking boots and other clothing suitable for the weather. Unless otherwise described, please bring a packed lunch and refreshments for the day.

This Sunday walk has 3 levels of walk:

• A Walk: Details of distance and ascent will be added when available
• B Walk: 8 miles, 1450 ft elevation gain.
• C Walk: Details of distance and ascent will be added when available

Walk leaders:

• A Walk: Colin Hayson
• B Walk: Eva Hyde
• C Walk: Jane Collins

Walk details:

• A Walk: Walk details will be added when available
• B Walk: Laurie Lee wildlife trail, 8 miles, 1450 ft elevation gain.
  Although relatively short, this route has many short uphill and downhill sections, some quite steep, with an overall 1450 ft elevation gain. It mainly follows the Laurie Lee trail, passing through several woods and wildflower meadows. Laurie Lee was an author, born in 1914, who grew up in Slad and wrote ‘Cider with Rosie’ about his boyhood there. Starting at the Bull’s cross (630 ft), near Slad, we go down, through a Beech wood and then a conifer plantation, to Slad brook, and then steeply up a short way in Longridge Wood, before going downhill across a limestone wildflower meadow, with fine views. and up again in Downs wood. We continue within the wood before going down steeply to Dillay Brook. We cross the brook near Dillay farm and go up again into another wood, descending to cross a side branch of the brook and ascending across more open land through another wood towards Driftcombe Farm, by a spring. We continue upwards through Cats wood, an ancient woodland, and Redding wood to a minor road. Another uphill section brings us to Swift’s Hill nature reserve, near the highest point of the walk (750 ft), from where there are fine views across as far as the river Severn. Here there is a long downhill path in a wildflower meadow to a minor road, where we cross the Slad brook again, at 265 ft, the lowest point of the walk, and reach the B road towards Slad, where there is a pub. From the pub, we continue uphill along roads, and enter Frith wood nature reserve arriving back at the Bull’s cross.
• C Walk: Walk details will be added when available

There are a limited number of total places for the walks, which is set by the capacity of the coach. Whilst we hope that everyone will be able to be accommodated on their walk of choice, the allocation of places for each walk will have to be done on the day. No-one will be expected to walk at a higher grade than they prefer - thus, for example, if you prefer the B walk you will not be asked to join the A walk but may be asked to join the C walk. The booking form allows you to specify your preferred walk.

Joining instructions

It will only be possible to join the walk by coach, which will be picking up at 09.00 at the layby at the side of St. Chad’s Cathedral, Queensway, Birmingham B4 6EU. Note that this is not the Cathedral car park in Shadwell Street, which has postcode B4 6EY.

The coach fare will be £15 with 3 options for payment:

• Cash on the day in an envelope with your name and the date of the walk. We are unable to give change for cash payments
• Cheque on the day, made payable to COBRA, in an envelope with your name and the date of the walk.
• Bank transfer in advance of the walk

For payment by bank transfer the walk coordinator will contact you about a week in advance of the walk with bank details. For payments on the day, please put the exact fare in an envelope with your name and date of the walk on it, which will be collected on the coach - unfortunately we are unable to give change for the coach fare.

Note that you cannot pay the coach fare through our Eventbrite account. Your booking for the walk will still show £0.00 but you do have to pay the £15 coach fare on or before the day of the walk

Bookings for this walk will close at 06.00 on Monday 22 June. If you would like to join this walk after the bookings have closed please email [email protected] to enquire about any late availability for the walk.

===================================================================

If you have a confirmed ticket:

Shortly after bookings have closed the walk coordinator will contact you by email to confirm that you will still be joining us on this walk; this is needed since there are limited seats on the coach and we like to release any unused places to others who may be on a waiting list. The coordinator will also give you our bank details if you have chosen to pay the coach fare by bank transfer. Please check your email, including Spam and/or Junk folders, shortly after bookings have closed for this walk and reply to let us know whether or not you will be still joining the walk.

If you have a waiting list ticket:

The walk coordinator will contact you by email shortly before the walk date to let you know if we are able to offer you a place. Please check your email, including Spam and/or Junk folders, shortly before the walk date and, if we are able to offer you a place, reply to let us know whether or not you will be joining the walk.

If you find that you are unable to join us after booking a ticket it would be helpful if you let us know by sending an email to [email protected] - this will be passed on to the walk leader and will prevent any delay to the start of the walk should the leader be waiting for you. Please note that some walks have a waiting list so tickets are NOT TRANSFERABLE; if you are unable to join us then please cancel your place to free it up for someone who may be on the waiting list rather than sending someone else in your place.

General Information

This is one of several walks and activities offered by the Birmingham Ramblers. If you have found this page through a web search or other means and would like to find out more about the group then please visit the Birmingham Ramblers web site; new members are always welcome.