Hidden Gems: Getting Lost in Google Maps and Finding a Beach in Gloucestershire

Every now and then, the internet throws you a gem. This one came courtesy of a late-night scroll through Google Maps, where I fell down a bit of a wormhole. Clicking through satellite views, following footpaths that lead to nowhere and spotting villages with weird names. That’s how I stumbled on Garden Cliff, a little beach tucked away near Westbury-on-Severn. It was the kind of find that makes you double check the map to make sure it’s real and not a misplaced location marker or a wind up. 

The following Saturday, Stace and I got in the car with our two mad terriers, Billy and Dottie. From Ledbury, it was a short half hour or so drive through Dymock, Newent and on to Westbury on Severn. 

We parked just outside the National Trust gardens at Westbury Court. There’s no proper parking at Garden Cliff itself, so this was the best option we could find. From there we walked back toward the church, slipping through the churchyard, where a footpath through the fields behind that led us towards the cliffs. 

When you arrive at Garden Gliff, you have to jump over a wall to get to the "beach". It was a strange experience. It wasn't exactly Koh Phi Phi. It looked like a tiny version of the Jurassic Coast cliffs at Exmouth, but it was still a pretty decent find. You could bring a bucket and spade if you wanted to, but you'd be building castles of mud rather than sand. We walked along the beach, enjoying a sunny afternoon and lay down on the more solid, rockier ground by the cliffs with a can of cider. 

It’s important to say this – the Severn bore can be genuinely dangerous. The tides here are no joke. If you’re heading down to Garden Cliff, check the bore times carefully. You don’t want to get caught out. And wear boots you’re not precious about. The mud will find you, one way or another.

We then headed back towards the lane, jumped back over the wall and followed another footpath which took us to the top of the cliffs. This gave us some great views of this wide section of the Severn winding through Gloucestershire. 

I’m not sure how long Garden Cliff will stay off the radar, but for now it feels like one of those rare finds. Not signposted, not obvious, just waiting for you to stumble across it in your own odd corner of the internet.