DAY 4
Breakfast at St Anne’s B&B, Painswick with an American and a couple from Wiggin near Manchester who would have us in stitches for days – delicious strawberries, homemade yoghurt and freshly baked bread made up for the curdled milk and rubbery poached eggs and terrible coffee which we fear we might acquire a taste for.
Iris, the Queen of St Anne’s B&B who clearly had more important things to, convinced us of a preferable walkway to Stroud. Unable to buy a map in Painswick we headed out with only Iris’s sketchy directions.
We were lost more of the time, than not – this state of mild anxiety is quite familiar now.
Chatting to a ‘Lord of the Manor’ along the way afforded us a guided tour of the English Manor gardens – the manor house dated back to the 12th century.

He delighted in informing us that he shared his gardener with Prince Charles at Highgrove.
Eventually we scrambled into Stroud via some private gardens!!

Unlike at home, a pathway 5 meters away might as well be across a ravine of orks – thick briers, blackberries and giant thistles make any other deterrent unnecessary.
We walked along the canal at Stroud with a Portuguese Water Dog and his owner sharing stories of travel, family, life …
Unable to find the track to rejoin the Cotswolds Way a council advisor (in high heels) came to our assistance walking out the back, across the swamp, along the road, through the gate and way again …
Looked down on Kings Stanley nestled in the valley, up to Selsley Common, along through Stanley Wood and up to the skeletons in Nympsfield Long Barrow.
We allowed ourselves a brief pause at the lookout at Frocester Hill looking out to Bristol, the Severn River and Sugarloaf Mt in Wales
Up to Coaley Wood then up another steep hill to Cam Long Down – an isolated remnant of the Cotswold uplands side popped out at the highway – we should have followed the road into Uley – however not having been this way before we continued on the track down an endless steep track into the valley hoping to pop out at Uley
Occasionally we rediscovered internet connection – this was one of those times – and google maps informed us that we were miles off course and had started the next day’s walk.
We rang the hotel who suggested we try the cab company who said they probably could come but not for hours! We decided to turn back up the long hill, when we heard a car in the distance, ran back to the road just in time. The kind lady took pity on us, went right out of her way and took us into Uley right to the door of our pub.
We met up with our friends from breakfast had a great night of laughs.