Newnham-on-Severn, Gloucestershire (C walk, BOOKING ESSENTIAL)

C WALK DESCRIPTION: 7.5 miles, Total ascent 908 ft, mainly gently up, but one 1 steeper ascent of 330 ft in 0.17 miles. Starting at a layby near Bullo, about 2 miles south of Newnham on Severn, the path goes southeast, up a paved track, past Oaklands Park mansion. At the top of a field, it turns briefly through woodland and down through fields to a minor road to Ayleford. The road turns into a partially wooded track, beside Soudley Brook, and then returns to being a road in the direction of Soudley. At 3 miles from the start, we pass the Dean Heritage centre, a former mill by a large pond, home to a museum relating to the Forest of Dean and a coffee shop. This also has picnic tables and is a good place to stop for lunch. Continuing across the road bridge we turn northwards besides Soudley ponds, after which we ascend more steeply on a woodland track to arrive at the Blaize Bailey viewpoint (4.6 miles, 658 ft). Resting to admire the view over a horse-shoe bend in the River Severn, we then make our way downhill through the wood, past Blaize Bailey farm. We continue downhill through fields with good views of the River Severn, reaching a paved track and then a road through the attractive village of Newnham on Severn (6.5 miles). We will arrive at a viewpoint by the river, from where there is a walkway beside the river to a pub at Broadoak. The coach will pick us up at a bus stop and pull-off near there on its way back to Birmingham, having collected the other groups.