Snowshill Walk, Cotswolds

The mixture of farm tracks and footpaths is entirely good underfoot, with no steep gradients. Varied and extensive views.

Our walk starts at a car park located just before Snowshill Manor. Leave the car park through a little gate to join the public road. Turn right to descend to the village, passing the back of the Manor then the tiny village green, the church and the Snowshill Arms.

Just before the road starts to climb, turn right, down a concrete ramp with a ‘footpath’ sign. Continue the descent past a farm gate. At the next farm gate ‘private property, keep out’ follow the waymark, walking over grass with a fence on the right. Go over a waymarked stile and bear a little left, rising along the foot of woodland. Go over a waymarked stile at the top then cross a wide pasture, – you’re aiming to the left of the buildings of Great Bockhampton Farm. Go up a few steps to a signposted gate.

Turn right along a farm roadway, forking left at once to carry on above the farm buildings. The roadway continues for some distance, rising gently along the side of the valley, passing woodland with a sign that reads ‘Entrusted to the care of the Snows. No public right of way’. You’ll get views including Snowshill village and Broadway Tower on a hilltop to the right. The woodland on the left is well varied, including pine, ash and oak. At the top bear left to a gate and enjoy views over the Vale of Evesham from here.

Go through the gate and over a waymarked stile a few yards on the left. Rise over grass to a waymark on a post in less than 100 yards. Pass another waymarked post before angling down to join the now obvious Cotswold Way track at a farm gate.

Turn left to follow the Cotswold Way towards a farm gate, then a junction. Go straight ahead and stay with the Cotswold Way at the next junction. Laverton Hill Barn Farm is to the left. You’ll pass old quarry workings below on the left with a glimpse of Snowshill village as the track gains the top of the broad ridge. Go through a gateway, continuing to rise through an area of parkland.

At the top of the rise is a major junction. Take the second turning on the right, go over a cattle grid (Cotswold Way), continuing to rise, now along the top edge of woodland, directly to the Shenbarrow hill fort. At the near edge of the fort turn left, leaving the Cotswold Way, to follow a wide track (‘public bridleway’), over a cattle grid. Pass through the buildings of Shenbarrow Hill farm, then a gate before turning left at a ‘bridleway’ signpost. A broad track along the right edge of a big field leads to a gate and a lane.

Here we turn left. The top of Shenbarrow Hill (994ft (303m) is directly ahead but can you really be sure exactly where! After the wall ends at an electricity pole turn left and then in around 40 yards turn right at a waymarked post to take a well defined path descending diagonally across a large field to a waymarked gate in a wall. The path continues to a gate giving access to a surfaced farm road. Turn right to walk down this road, soon rising gently to join the public road.

Turn left to pass the end of the concrete ramp footpath, rejoining the outward route and rising at least as far as the Snowshill Arms before returning to the car park.