Cleeve Hill
For Helen’s latest visit, we didn’t find such interesting churches: in fact, the first turned out to be a relatively modern Chapel of Remembrance in the public graveyard in Winchcombe. Juliet liked the pulpit in the little church at Gretton.
As it was fine day, we
went on to the expansive area of common land at the Cheltenham end of the
Cotswold escarpment – Cleeve Hill.
Without going too high, there are magnificent views over the vale of
Evesham to the Malvern Hills, and, beyond them, the Black Mountains in the
west.
Recently provided seats were a welcome relief for some of the party.
The old ones were certainly long due for replacement.
The common land is still used by local farmers for their sheep
and another traditional use, the exercising of horses, continues. It was on Cleeve Hill, apparently, that the Cheltenham races first became popular, before the development of the current course at the bottom of the hill, Prestbury Park.