This is a direct walk, mostly on field paths of varying quality - either well marked or across open pasture land, but the owners of Field Farm at Coaley seem determined to make life difficult for walkers by putting electric fences across rights of way and their own lanes - these are avoidable but the detour lines are not well marked or obvious on the ground. Careful navigation should bring you out on Springhill Old Court, which we follow out to Springhill, then continue on a well marked field path which starts just to the right. The field paths are open to start with, but beyond the junction we are forced by electric fences onto the farm lane. We turn left past the pub down Bath Road, where our path right is hard to spot until you have walked past it. We continue up Regent Street, then go a short distance (past a convenience store) left to reach the pelican crossing on High Street, then go right, then left up Burdett Road to reach the meeting point by Stonehouse railway station....

Hugh Hudson

We ignore Gipsy Lane and continue uphill, reaching the Cotswold Way at a gate with a bench. Just beyond what may be an old quarry we join a path that slants up from our right and climb to a viewpoint with a bench, then continue downhill, following the Cotswold Way through another holloway and a farm track, then a short road section. Beyond the farm lane we continue on a surfaced lane parallel to the stream, going a short distance right along Farfield before continuing on a well used path along the stream and across fields. A short section of the route down is not a right of way, but it is clearly marked as a permissive path, and has stiles. It soon joins another right of way, descending steeply down steps through a little wood before we follow the edge of the wood to the edge of Dursley, then follow Long Street up to the meeting point (Castle Street can be crossed at a pelican crossing)....

Hugh Hudson

This should be a 5* route but it is badly let down by lazy GPX plotting, especially the point where the track up from Kings Stanley meets the Cotswold Way, where there are several options none of which are near the straight line. I have submitted a better one (DURSTO two) and will post a more detailed review with pictures there. I have flagged this one for inaccuracy....

Hugh Hudson

This is a solid Slow Way with lots to enjoy, especially along the green and heritage rich canal....

danravenellison

We then cross fields, a few more stiles and follow an obvious path back to Stroud Road. We follow Stroud Road, which has a good pavement on the west side, over the M4, then take the signposted path right through the churchyard. Once again there is little waymarking, but a series of stiles takes you across horse paddocks onto more open fields, where the path onwards to Colethrop Lane has no difficulties other than more slightly constricted stiles. A little path takes us over the railway to Haresfield Lane, which we follow south to find a lane crossing the railway on a bridge. We follow the lane right past a farmhouse to more fields, with more overgrown stiles, then take the lane right past Arlebrook to emerge at a T junction. I suspect that this path once passed straight through the farmyards ahead, and its line is now a little strange - having crossed a bridge into a large pasture, we cross right to the far side of a hedge and follow another field to the edge of the farm, where a little bridge should take us back into the field we just left....

Hugh Hudson

The main problem for me is that the GPX plotting is too loose for navigation purposes, and I found a couple of places where short sections of path were obstructed to the point of inaccessibility, so I will submit what I was actually able to walk as STOGLO 2, and attach a more detailed review and pictures there....

Hugh Hudson

A pleasant, flat route with lots of information about the history of the canal and it's buildings. Some bits might be tricky for wheelchair users although we saw people with buggies on the path....

Karen Phimister

Some road noise as close to main road (and small amount of road side walking into Stonehouse)....

Neil Phimister

Tricky turn in woods beyond Coaley Peak off Cotswold Way to get to Blackbird Cottage - bear half left at junction of paths down bridleway - wooden bench on right....

JD