Dowdeswell section - Cotswold way.

This section starts at the big layby on the Gloucester Road, and heads quite steeply downhill along the edge of Lineover Wood down to the valley of the River Chelt and the Dowdeswell reservoir. Across the A40, then up quite steeply along the edge of Dowdeswell Wood to Upper Colgate Farm where the gradient eases off and the Cotswold Way follows an old track for a distance. Follow the single track road to reach the Cleeve Hill section as described last week, and then double back to the beginning of Dowdeswell Wood to the junction with the path off to the right. The beginning of this path requires care as it goes straight down a steep and loose bank to the track below. Across the track and then a pasture to meet the Cheltenham Circular Footpath down to the Chelt Valley, across the A40 again and up the lane towards Ravensgate Hill. Part way up the lane you cross what used to be a railway bridge, but the railway cutting is now all filled in so the bridge now looks like it is just a pair of walls. To the top of the lane and then contour around below the steep slopes of Wistley Hill to meet the Cotswold Way again. Form this junction it is uphill to the Wistley Hill view point, and then return to the starting point along the edge of the escarpment.