Walking the Glevum Way in a Day So You Don’t Have to

A 27 mile hike circling the city of Gloucester. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure why

The Glevum Way and Robinswood Hill, Gloucester 

I’d been handed something rare. An entire Sunday with absolutely nothing required of me. My wife, Stace, was taking our daughter, Molly, to her mum and stepdad’s farm for the day when she casually said the words:

“So you can do what you like today.”

Most of my friends would hear that and then spend several hours in the pub doing nothing productive whatsoever. Instead, I decided to spend my Sunday walking all 24 miles of the Glevum Way around Gloucester. Well, it's supposed to be 24 miles. It would actually end up a few more than that. 

The route was created by Gloucestershire Council and the local Ramblers group in 1991 and it is split into 5 sections. I was going to do them all in one go. Something that could be considered as deeply unnecessary.

I do a lot of walking and the relatively local Glevum Way had been on my radar since joining the cool people at the Long Distance Walkers Association last year. With a mild weather forecast and a full day unexpectedly available, I decided I might as well just get it done. I’d recently walked nearly 23 miles from Ledbury to Worcester over the Malverns in a day, so 24 miles around Gloucester on a much flatter route sounded easy enough. This turned out to be optimistic.

I parked in Hempsted, a couple of miles south of the centre and decided to walk the route anti-clockwise. If I passed through the city towards the end of the walk, I could reward myself with a pint before finishing. This became the only thing keeping me going by the end.

The southern section actually started quite nicely. Fields, quiet lanes and a long stretch down the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal before heading through Hardwicke and Quedgeley.

I must have passed 150 anglers along the canal. I’d nod and throw out a cheerful “morning!”, and maybe three of them acknowledged I existed. Not that I was desperate for conversation, but I couldn’t help wondering what drives someone to spend thousands on fishing gear just to pull some slimy fish from a polluted canal. Then again, they’d probably ask why I was walking 24 miles on a route that barely left Gloucester.

There were some heavily overgrown stretches of footpaths, where thorny vines repeatedly attacked my legs. At that stage I still had the energy and patience to treat it as a minor annoyance rather than a fight to the death with mutant plants.

Some aggressive glove hanging

The Gloucester & Sharpness Canal

Welcome to the Glevum Way

There was also a slightly sketchy railway crossing with some unimaginative graffiti on the gates before the route became more rural around Whaddon and Robinswood Hill.

Over the railway line

A view of Robinswood Hill 

Whaddon, Gloucestershire

Then came the first issue. Approaching a crossing under the M5, the route suddenly vanished into a brand new housing estate that apparently existed in real life but not yet on Google Maps. I found myself wandering around fresh pavements and half-finished roads trying to work out where the public footpath had disappeared to. That became my first proper detour of the day. Sadly not the last.

This was not supposed to be there

Eventually I made it over the motorway and into Upton St Leonards which is a lovely village. By this point I’d done about 11 miles without stopping and was absolutely ready for a sit down and a cold drink. Before the walk I’d spotted The Kings Head online and seen it supposedly opened at 11am. Perfect. Except it wasn’t open. Doors locked. Opening at 12.

I briefly considered waiting half an hour because at that stage, somewhere comfortable to sit felt like one of the great prizes available in life. But I still had a long way to go, so instead I carried on and decided I’d stop somewhere more scenic for a break.

The pub I couldn't visit

Upton St Leonards

I love a good owl carving

 “Mate, you’ve got some pretty nasty scratches on your leg.”

I headed up towards Churchdown Hill, or Chosen Hill depending on who you ask. Apparently it has two names. A hill so good they named it twice.

On the climb I got chatting to a local bloke who walks up there daily for fitness. We talked further at the trig point before he glanced down and said “mate, you’ve got some pretty nasty scratches on your leg.”

I looked and he was absolutely right.

Somewhere back near Quedgeley I’d clearly walked through a particularly vicious section of thorn bushes without properly noticing the damage being done. My left leg looked like I’d been fighting a badger. Maybe I'd tell people I was attacked by a mountain lion on the wild hills around Gloucester. 

In hindsight, maybe shorts weren’t ideal. But then again, my legs will heal and my walking trousers would have been totally knackered. I also wasn't expecting a waymarked trail around a city to be so heavily overgrown in parts. Later in the afternoon, I'd properly wish I'd worn those sacrificial trousers though.

After saying goodbye to my new hill walking friend, I stopped near St Bartholomew’s Church to finally eat lunch at around the 15 mile mark. While sitting there eating a ham and cheese roll, I checked the route map and started becoming slightly concerned about the mileage.

The Glevum Way is supposedly around 24 miles long. Mine appeared to be becoming considerably more than that.

Churchdown/Chosen Hill, Gloucester 

St Bartholomew’s Church

This walk had been a battle so far

Morale improved fairly quickly though when I headed down Tinkers Hill and got incredible views of the Malverns nearer to home. You can spend ages, miserable, tired and questioning your decisions on a walk, before suddenly seeing one brilliant view that completely resets your mood.

The Malvern Hills from Tinkers Hill, Gloucester 

The route then went through Churchdown, past Gloucester Airport and through Brickhampton Court Golf Club before joining a long stretch beside Hatherley Brook. That section was actually lovely. Loads of dog walkers, easy paths and some genuinely peaceful countryside.

Footpath between Churchdown and Longford

Brickhampton Court Golf Club

A hidden stream

Unfortunately this was also where I completely lost concentration while messaging a mate about the route and wandered off in entirely the wrong direction.

Men really are awful at multitasking.

That earned me another detour through yet another housing estate before eventually rejoining the trail north of Longford.

By now the mileage was quietly creeping upwards and my enthusiasm for the Glevum Way’s route was beginning to wear a bit thin. Then came the nettles.

Rejoining the path alongside the Severn should really have been one of the nicest parts of the walk. Instead, the path was almost completely blocked by stinging nettles.

Earlier in the day I’d pushed through a few smaller patches and convinced myself it wasn’t too bad, so initially I carried on. This was a mistake. After a few metres my legs were absolutely on fire. I looked ahead and realised the entire path was exactly the same.

At that point I decided to turn around, meaning I then had to walk back through the nettles I’d just suffered through moments earlier. That almost finished me off. 

Pathetic footpath in Gloucester 

I was tired, scratched to bits, repeatedly stung and increasingly annoyed that such a well signposted long distance path had seemingly been left to become borderline impassable in places.

So I gave up on following the official route for the section along the Severn and headed into Gloucester along the roads in search of the pint I’d been thinking about for most of the day. I walked through Kingsholm past the rugby stadium, into town and straight into the pub.

Relief

That pint tasted properly good. I’d planned to get food as well, but by this point I was already around 25 miles into what was allegedly a 24 mile walk and still nowhere near my car. So I just carried on.

I rejoined the Glevum Way near Gloucester City’s fairly new stadium before almost immediately running into another overgrown nettle-covered section. At that point I officially surrendered.

I abandoned the trail completely and followed roads back down towards Hempsted and finally back to the car. I checked my watch and I'd walked just over 27 miles. 

Gloucester Docks 

Another dodgy footpath

Despite all the frustrations with scratches, stings, wrong turns and endless detours, I actually really enjoyed the day.

It’s pretty satisfying setting off in the morning with a backpack and managing to walk an entire loop around a city under your own steam. And the countryside around Gloucester is far nicer than people probably give it credit for. Sections like Churchdown Hill and the views across towards the Malverns made the effort worthwhile on their own.

Would I recommend the Glevum Way though?

Absolutely not. I enjoyed it overall and the chaos made it feel more of an adventure. Most people, however, probably just want a pleasant walk without being attacked by vegetation for several hours.

There are signs for the Glevum Way all around Gloucester which makes it even stranger that large sections seem so badly maintained. I had similar, although less severe, experiences on Poets Path 2 around Dymock, so perhaps Gloucestershire as a whole needs to have a proper look at the state of its footpaths.

As slightly chaotic Sundays go, I’ve definitely had worse. And that pint near the end felt properly earned.

My day on the Glevum Way