Besbury and Upper Hyde Walk

Countryside Code:
Fasten all gates
Take your litter home
Keep to public footpaths
Keep dogs under proper control
Guard against starting fires
Protect wildlife, wild plants and trees
Avoid damaging fences, hedges or walls
Minchinhampton
Parish Walks
2
Besbury and
Upper Hyde
Length: 4.0 km (2½miles)
Based on O.S. Explorer Map 168
Numbers refer to places of interest outlined in the text
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved
Licence no. 100042185
Published by
Minchinhampton Local History Group
in conjunction with
Minchinhampton Parish Council
The Trap House, West End
2006
Besbury and Upper Hyde
Strong footwear is advisable for this walk, which includes some field walking.
From the War Memorial in the centre of Minchinhampton walk up Bell
Lane to the edge of the Great Park. At the car park follow a rough path to
the northwest, siting a white house in the distance, and cross the main
Stroud – Cirencester road.
1. The Great Park was first enclosed in the C12th, to provide wood
and meat through hunting. It was demesne (or private) land
belonging to the Lord of the Manor – first the religious houses, then
the Sheppard family and lastly the Ricardos. In 1907 it was sold
Minchinhampton Golf Club, the enclosing wall was removed and
thirty acres of grazing land were added to that on the Common.
Finally, in 1981 a public appeal was launched to buy it and the land
finally passed into public ownership.
Enter Besbury Lane, going downhill turn right at the small green triangle
and bear right onto Besbury Common on the footpath at the edge of the
open land. Continue until a lane is reached, cross this, go up some steps
and continue in an easterly direction.
Continue up the hill to the main road. Cross this, climb the steps in the
wall and follow the footpath through the riding school. A permissive
footpath has been set up to skirt the dressage arena. Walking diagonally
across the large paddock to the east of the main buildings another footpath
is reached, beside a wall, near a small barn. Turn right here, cross two
stone slab stiles and as the wall finishes, veer diagonally left.
4. Woefuldane Farm lies to the south, and beyond are the trees of
Gatcombe Park, the home of the Sheppard family from the C17th, and
now owned by H.R.H. The Princess Royal. Every August the horse
trials are held in these grounds.
The path crosses three fields, via a stile with a handpost, a gap in the
hedge and a stone stile. Follow along the right of the next field to just
around the bend, then cross diagonally left towards a house with a
chimney on the gable end. Three more stiles and a gate lead onto a tarmac
road (Tobacconist Road) and by keeping right, past the allotments and
down Friday Street, the centre of Minchinhampton is again reached.
2. There are many views over the Golden Valley, which contains the
River Frome, the Thames and Severn Canal and both the road and
railway. The steeple is that of Christchurch, Chalford and the
settlement of Bussage is on the hilltop.
The path continues over several paddocks, until, just past the Hyde
television mast, a stone slab stile is reached. At this junction of footpaths
turn right, up the field above the wood, across a stile with a lifting top
pole, and aim diagonally across the field.
3. The hamlet of Hyde lies to the north, a scattering of houses of
various sizes and ages. Several farms still exist in the area, and the
name comes from the old measure of farmland – a hide.
At the top cross another stile, a small paddock, a further stile and take the
path beside the hedge. The gate at the end opens on to a lane (Hyde Hill).
Free public car parks are located on the Great Park and in Friday
Street. Regular buses from Stroud set down by the Market House.
There is a selection of restaurants, cafes and a public house in the
town, as well as a variety of shops.