Cranham round the valley of the Painswick Stream

There is a small car park on the opposite side of the road to the Royal William or a larger one behind the pub. Follow the lane behind the pub north west then south west uphill through the woods to the end of the lane where the Cotswold Way continues straight ahead and a public bridleway bears slightly left after about 370 yards.

• Head north west climbing up the lane on the north side of the pub to where the Cotswold Way joins the lane from the right at SO 8774 1273.
• Bear left as the lane turns to head south west rising more gently to where the Cotswold Way continues straight ahead and a public bridleway bears slightly left at SO 8757 1264.

Take the bridleway to the left side of Painswick Golf course heading south west into the trees, mainly level then descending sharply to the lane just above the A46 after about 1,180 yards

• Take the bridleway to the left (not the Cotswold Way) to pass by the left hand side of the northernmost green of the Painswick Golf Club at SO 8749 1248.
• Continue south west to take the path into the trees to the left of the Golf Course to where the path joins a broader track with houses on the left (a particularly colourful example shown in the photograph) at SO 8728 1218.
• Continue south west along the track which descends quite sharply towards the lane just above its junction with the A46 at SO 8696 1178.

Turn right and climb the lane south west, then where the lane bends to the right, turn sharp left down the path south through the trees (signposted Wysis Way) to the A46 main road after about 500 yards.

• Turn right and climb up the lane heading south west to where the lane bends to the right at SO 8679 1166.
• Turn left on to the track then immediately left onto the path heading south quite steeply downhill through woods (signposted Wysis way) to the A46 main road.

The A46 road is busy and winding here. Cross over the road to the footpath turn left and head north for about 125 yards to steep footsteps leading down to the lane (signposted Wysis Way) leading to Paradise from the A46.

Cross over the lane and take the footpath heading south east, east then south east again mainly downhill across fields to the reach Damsells Farm after about 725 yards.

• Go straight over the lane and take the narrow footpath heading south east downhill over a stone stile to SO 8694 1148 where the path bears to the left to head east down a steeper slope. The photograph shows the view looking south east down the valley.
• At SO 8702 1147 go over a stile or through the gate and continue to descend east to cross a stream at SO 8706 1147.
• Continue east gently descending across a stream (may be dry) at the low point of the field, then start to climb to a gate at SO 8721 1145.
• Go through the gate onto a path with barbed wire fences on either side in a small wood, and then turn right over a stile at SO 8724 1145 quickly followed by another stile at SO 8727 1144 into an open field.
• Head south east downhill to go over a stile at SO 8739 1132 then bear right to a stile into Damsels Farm farmyard at SO 8744 1131.

Skirt round the south side of Damsels Farm then turn north east and join a track which leads down to a cottage and lake after about 670 yards with a stile in the hedge/fence after the cottage.

• Go over the stile into the farmyard heading south to go over a stile or through a wooden gate and bear left to head along the southern side of the farm buildings. Gently descend with the farmhouse visible to your left (see photograph) to a stile at SO 8755 1126.
• Bear left to head north east across the farm track/drive with the ornamental metal fence of the farmhouse (painted in shades of pink to blue when I did this walk) on the left hand side to go over a stile or through a wooden gate at SO 8760 1132.
• Continue north east now gently climbing. Go over a stream at SO 8766 1137 and through a wooden gate at SO 8773 1144 leading to a wide farm track.
• Turn right onto the track and descend north east as the track bears round left to reach a cottage on the left and a small lake on the right. Go past the cottage to a stile at SO 8791 1156.

The photograph shows the lake in front of the cottage. Turn right before the stile and head south east uphill to join the lane below Saltridge Wood after about 575 yards.

• Turn right before the stile and head east over an earth bridge over the stream, through a gate then start to climb heading south east.
• At SO 8815 1139 go through a gap in the hedge (gate missing) and continue to climb south east to go through a metal gate at SO 8828 1135.
• Continue uphill south east on a broad track between wooded hedges to join the lane at SO 8836 1132.

Turn right onto the lane and head south then south east round a bend to a crossroads with a track on the left and lane on the right after about 300 yards. The photograph show the view looking south west towards Painswick from the lane.

Go over the stile on the left just before the crossroads heading north east uphill, then turn right through a gate and cross over to a track to head east and climb into Lady's and Lord's Woods descending slightly later to a track crossroads after about 880 yards.

• Go over the stile on the left before the track (the stile has "Happy Day" carved on it) and head north east quite steeply uphill.
• At SO 8851 1107 turn right through a gate and head south east to join the track running east uphill towards the woods. The photograph looks south east from above the track.
• At SO 8889 1100 go over a stile or through a wooden gate and climb east quite steeply up a broad track into the woods.
• At SO 8900 1102 go straight over the track crossroads continuing to climb east.
• After a bit more climbing, the track then gently descends a little to meet a wide track running north south with a track continuing east opposite. A sign to the right shows welcome to Lord's and Lady's Wood.

The photograph looks south down the track to the sign. Turn left to head north along the edge of the woods climbing for a while, then veering north east as the track levels out and undulates a little, before leaving the woods on the left and gently descending to go through two fences above Overtown after about 1,340 yards.

• Turn left on the wide track to climb north, with the woods on the left and a Cotswold stone wall on the left with fields beyond.
• The track veers to head more north east to reach a track crossroads at SO 8939 1158.
• Take the right hand track from the crossroads climbing north east keeping the woods on the left and the stone wall on the right. After a short way the track levels out then gently descends to a wooden gate at SO 8959 1173.
• At the gate is a sign "Welcome to Saltridge National Nature Reserve" (for the wood you are just leaving). The woods veer away to the left, the path continues north east gently descending across the valley with an old Cotswold stone wall on the left.
• At SO 8978 1189 go through a wooden gate and bear slightly left to another wooden gate at SO 8982 1195.

Head north descending down the valley, over the stream then turn to climb north west through woods up to Cranham Common, then descend to the hardcore track above the lane running south from Cranham after about 1,000 yards.

• Go through the gate and go north east downhill to another wooden gate at SO 8983 1206.
• Through the gate veer slightly left and continue north downhill on a quite steep descent. On the right hand side are the pleasant gardens of a largish house cascading down the hill.
• About halfway down the hill veer more right aiming for the bottom right hand corner of the field following the footpath posts across the field. The photograph looks west from the descent towards Brook Farm.
• At the bottom of the field (SO 8984 1237) turn right on a broad earth bridge over a stream, then turn sharp left to head north west up the quite steep hill through the woods.
• Go through a wooden gate at SO 8985 1241 and continue climbing through the trees to another wooden gate at SO 8964 1248 as you come out of the trees onto Cranham Common.
• Continue north west descending now to another wooden gate at SO 8956 1250 in an electric fence. (This fence and gate may be moved around depending on where the cattle are grazing on the common) Continue to descend to the track/hardcore lane at the bottom of the hill.

Turn left to head south west along the track/hardcore lane, continuing downhill through the woods where the track swings left to reach the drive of a large house above a lake after about 450 yards.

• Turn left along the track to head south west which turns into tarmac lane to SO 8936 1236 where the lane goes round a left hand bend heading down hill.
• Bear right of the lane onto a path continuing south west and downhill into trees.
• At SO 8935 1233 go through a wooden gate and continue downhill with a hedge/fence on the left and a lake becoming visible through the trees in front and to the left. (see photograph)
• At the bottom of the slope pass behind a large house and join the hardcore drive to the house.

The next section of the walk goes round a loop which comes out 160 yards further south west down the drive and can be cut out if desired. Go over the drive downhill past the lake and head southwest and south up the hill opposite, west along a track by a cottage then north east to rejoin the house drive.

• Bear left on to the drive towards the footpath sign visible pointing downhill towards the lake.
• The path descends quite steeply and bears right to go west of the lake and through a metal gate at SO 8923 1213 and over a stream via a wooden footbridge shortly after.
• Head south gently uphill across the field which can be quite boggy to go through a metal gate at SO 8921 1197.
• Bear right to head west through the second metal gate towards the cottage visible at the top of the short rise beyond the gate.
• By the cottage go through another metal gate at SO 8916 1194 onto a hard core track heading west and through another metal gate at SO 8907 1191.
• At SO 8804 1192 turn sharp right of the track through a metal gate to head north east downhill to another metal gate at SO 8901 1200.
• Continue descending north east to cross a stream by a wooden footbridge in trees along the stream (see photograph) at SO 8906 1206.
• Climb steeply north east through trees and join the drive to the house at the start of this section.

Head west along the drive for 370 yards to the lane at the drive entrance.

Head generally north west down and then up the lane past a junctions first on the right and second on the left to a path leaving on the left just below the A46 main road after about 1,200 yards.

• Go straight along the lane ahead of you heading west down a gentle descent.
• At SO 8859 1236 the lane starts to climb quite steeply then bears round a left hand bend at with another lane on the right.
• The lane turns a ninety degree left hand corner to head south then turns sharp right to head north west again still climbing. The photograph looks east from high up on the lane.
• On the right you pass a house with what looks like small private observatory at SO 8834 1238 followed by a lane junction joining from the left.

Turn left off the lane and head west through the woods uphill to the A46 and the Royal William after about 250 yards