Didbrook, Hailes & Wood Stanway
by Jack Hawes

I have been interested in the GWR since I visited in 1993 to see the Flying Scotsman, and just recently have started work as a Trainee Ticket Inspector. Another activity I have great enthusiasm for is walking and rambling in the Cotswolds - especially when it involves catching the train as well! This is a suggestion for a walk from Toddington Station, which I and a number of friends did during Easter 2003, allowing you to combine a trip on the GWR with a leisurely stroll through the Cotswold Countryside - or even catch the train up to Toddington from Cheltenham or Winchcombe to spend the day walking the local area, like I did. In either case, it is not a “hike” as such - rather a (relatively) short and flat stroll, perfect for a picnic on a Weekend afternoon. Also, it takes in various local points of interest: Cruck Cottage, Hailes Abbey, Wood Stanway and so on. All in all (as I can attest) a pleasant and interesting day out for family and friends alike!

Start Point: Toddington Station
Total Walking Distance: 6km / 3¾ miles
Refreshments: Flag and Whistle at Toddington Station, The Pheasant Inn Public House at Toddington Roundabout, On Train Catering on GWR services.
Terrain/Relief: Completely flat throughout with no hill-climbing whatsoever - but be prepared for mud if it has rained recently. Note that if you have a dog with you, you will have to lift him or her over a few of the stiles.
Timing: You should be able to complete the walk at a fairly sedate pace and still be in time for one of the afternoon trains from Toddington, if you set off before midday. If you travel from Winchcombe or Cheltenham, so long as you take the first train of the day, you should easily be back at Toddington before the last return train (or even the second last train on peak timetabled days).

Click here for a printable version of these directions,
and a diagram of the route.

Start the walk by leaving Toddington Station by the small gate on Platform Two, next to the Waiting Room building and near the footbridge, leading out into the fields. (Note: if the gate is locked, you might have to go the long way round, over the road bridge and picking the footpath up just beyond). Turn right immediately and follow the railway boundary fence, making for a metal kissing gate. The footpath continues to hug the edge of the railway embankment - look out for diesel locomotives parked in Toddington yard - and passes through three other kissing gates. In the last field are some very pronounced examples of the medieval “ridge and furrow” system, caused by ploughing - each long, humped strip of land belonging to, and farmed by, a different peasant family.

The path then crosses a little wooden bridge over a stream, and carries on across the next field, reaching a narrow lane opposite the 500 year-old Didbrook ”Cruck Cottage”. Turn right and follow the lane for a short distance towards the railway bridge, and then turn left by the footpath sign. Looking left, you can see the original cruck framework at the end of Cruck Cottage. Follow the path through the trees to emerge in another field. The stile to aim for is just visible straight across the field.

Safely on the other side, you will now come to another lane, again leading down to a bridge under the railway. Here, do the same as before, turning right down the road, and then left up a steep footpath before you reach the bridge. Cross the stile into the next field, and follow the right-hand boundary beside the railway line as it drops down into a cutting. Incidentally, Hailes Abbey Halt was situated down on the right in the cutting, just before the bridge.

Eventually you will reach another gate and stile. Crossing this, you emerge onto the road leading over the metal bridge. Turn left up the road, away from the railway, passing the Cotswold stone-built ”Hailes Cottages”. Note that this lane leads to Hailes Abbey, and cars may be using it frequently, so take care. The road bends left opposite the entrance to Hailes farm, and then turns sharp right by a small car-parking area on the left. At the back of the area is a gate, through which you pass. (If you wish to visit Hailes Abbey, continue on the road right and follow the signposts)

The right-of-way follows a hedgerow on the left-hand side through two fields, before reaching a fork in the path. The left path leads straight on to Didbrook, and is a useful shortcut for those who are short of time. Just follow the path until you reach the lane leading into the village, using the red telephone box as a guiding landmark. You can pick up the walk again by the Acorn Smithy.

Your route, however, leads over the stile and stream on the right fork. Sheep are sometimes to be found grazing in the field beyond. The footpath sticks to the bottom, or left, side of the field, before turning up the hill in the corner, guided by the yellow arrows, to pass through a gate half-way up the field. Next, follow the path straight across the field to a second gate, from where you should be able to see the buildings in Wood Stanway ahead. Through the gate, now make for the left-hand end of the straggly hedgerow, and then follow the path across the bottom of the field to the drive leading into Wood Stanway.

Wood Stanway is a very pretty little hamlet, containing several 17th-century cottages, all built of the local honey-coloured Cotswold stone. Follow the driveway as it turns a sharp left to reach the lane out of Wood Stanway. A little way along this road, you come to a triangular junction with a bench and finger-post indicating the ways to Hailes Abbey, Stanway and Wood Stanway in the middle. If you are very hungry by now, you could have a packed lunch here, or you could hold on a little longer until you reach Didbrook.

The road to take is the one signposted to Hailes Abbey. Following the lane for a few hundred metres, you pass the tiny Didbrook village school on the right, and just beyond it is the quaint St. George’s Church. This interesting building is worth a look, with its timber-beam roof, small wicket door set into the main door, and a number of bullet holes visible on this entrance, perhaps from the time of the Wars of the Roses or the Civil War. A leaflet about the church is available inside in exchange for a small donation towards its upkeep.

A little way further down the road, you come to another triangular junction opposite the Acorn Smithy, in the middle of which is a large Horse Chestnut tree, surrounded by a triangular bench. This is a good place to stop for a while to have a picnic lunch and to take a look at the old forge.

When ready to set off again, head down the road leading off to the right of the Acorn Smithy, with the railway line visible once again in the distance. Past the houses on the left, the lane bends to the left before passing Didbrook farm on the right. Beyond this, you arrive back at Cruck Cottage. From here, it is a simple matter of following the route to the right that you took at the beginning, back alongside the embankment to Toddington Station.

Jack Hawes is one of our younger volunteers, being only 15 years old (as of Feb. 2004). He has, however, been a member of the railway since 1994. This walk description, and the accompanying map, were originally produced as part of his school ICT assignment.

Please note: GWSR plc can accept no responsibility for the accuracy or suitability of this walk. For further details of this route, we recommend purchasing Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Explorer OL series map, no.45 “The Cotswolds’. Please respect wildlife, livestock, and private property.