Haresfield Beacon

About trip

There is a lot packed into this relatively short walk with plenty of beautiful scenery to capture your attention. Allow extra time to admire the views and to linger in the lovely woodland, especially in the spring when parts of the wood are carpeted in bluebells. Standish Wood and Haresfield Beacon stand on westerly facing promontories overlooking the Severn valley. The defensive virtues of the sites appealed to people from very early times, and Randwick Long Barrow, hidden within the wood, is dated at 3000 to 2500BC. There are also three Bronze Age tumuli built around 1000BC and there is the hillfort on Ring Hill constructed during the Iron Age. Standish Wood is very old, first recorded in 1297 as belonging to Gloucester Abbey. In fact, the whole area used to be much more heavily wooded but it was extensively cleared during World War I. There was a further threat in 1930 from developers but local people managed to raise the funds to buy 327 acres (132ha), which they then gave to the National Trust. The Trust has since planted a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees and extended its ownership to over 420 acres (170ha). Directions: a Use the Shortwood car park just off the Haresfield Road. Walk back towards the road and go through the gap in the wall on the right. Take the leftmost of the three paths, signposted ‘Cotswold Way’. Stay on the path until it splits into four. Take the second path on the left and follow it to the road. b Turn left onto the road and at the next road junction turn left. Cross the road to a stile to the left of Stoneridge Farm. Bear left and cross the field heading towards the stile to the right of the two radio masts. c Cross the road and turn right. After a few yards cross a stile and head downhill on the path ignoring crossing paths. Walk down the steep path to the track in the valley (Cotswold Way). d Turn left onto the track and walk through the wood staying on the track until you meet a road. Turn right and head downhill for ¼ mile (400m) to a bridleway on the left signposted to ‘Haresfield Beacon’. e Follow the path uphill at first, past Cromwell’s Stone and on to meet a road. Turn left onto the road and walk 30yds (27m) to a path signposted ‘Cotswold Way’ on the right. f Turn right onto the path, go through two metal gates and up a steep slope. Cross a stile on the left where the path carries straight on to the right of the fence and bear right towards the triangulation point. g Turn sharp left and walk along the ridge keeping the valley to your right. Cross the stile and walk along the narrow path with a fence to your left. Pass through a gate and head down towards the road. h Just before the road turn right down steps and follow the path until it opens out into an open field. Bear half right across the open countryside to the topograph. Turn and head back to the car park. Places of Interest: 1 This stone is known locally as Cromwell's Stone, erected to commemorate the success of the Parliamentarians in raising the siege of Gloucester in 1643. In July of that year Prince Rupert captured Bristol, leaving Gloucester as an isolated Parliamentarian stronghold in the west of England. King Charles also wanted to open up the River Severn as a supply artery and he surrounded the city on 5th August. It held out for a month, however, until reinforcements arrived under the Earl of Essex – around 15,000 men in all. The King decided it prudent to withdraw and gave the Roundheads one of their few successes in the early part of the Civil War. Why the stone was placed here is not known for certain but, if the trees behind were cleared, there would be an excellent view of Gloucester. 2 The site of the hillfort utilized the natural defences of the promontory. The outlook is excellent with steep slopes on three sides and the fourth closed off by a rampart and ditch across the neck of land to the east. It covers about 16 acres (6.5ha) in all and is so well sited that the Romans made use of it in their military campaigns. Numerous Roman artifacts have been uncovered, including a collection of 3000 coins. 3 From the triangulation point at the end of Ring Hill there is a superb view of the escarpment, and probably the best outlook over the Berkeley Vale. Several outliers are visible, including Churchdown, Robin Wood's Hill, and Stinchcombe Hill. In the distance is the Forest of Dean, forming a backdrop to the Severn below, and in good conditions it is possible to see the Severn Bridge.