A walk (close to) the Roman Villa at Great Witcombe
A walk to The Roman Villa at Great Witcombe
Unfortunately, English Heritage have closed the site, including the car park, until further notice, as the site is in need of repair and preservation. The site has now been closed for a couple of years, so it is unlikely to reopen soon. The site can still be seen from the path, which is a gateway to plenty of woodland walking.
Within about 2 miles of the Parish you can take a pleasant stroll to Witcombe Roman Country House as it is correctly known. The house was built in the first century and was probably always occupied until it was demolished in the fifth century.
You can look down to the ruins of the house and the spring that supported the building and occupation of the house.
There is a mosaic there that is within a building on the site but this is not accessible while the site is closed. English Heritage will announce any future reopening on their website (https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/great-witcombe-roman-villa/).
Once there the views back down the valley towards Cheltenham are tremendous and you can walk further on following marked paths into Coopers Hill and Buckholt Woods, which offer a wide range of woodland trails and a section of the Cotswold Way.
How to get there
The site is at the Birdlip end of Ermin Street. Go over the roundabout on the A46 (Past the Shell garage). 200 yards beyond this on the right is a signed single track road that is actually called “ Droys Court”, but there is no road sign saying this.
As the site and car park remain closed, the best parking option is the small lay-by on the right hand side just past the turning to the villa. You can walk up the road, through the working farm for about a mile to the small English Heritage car park (closed off) and up the last 100+ yards to the villa. It is uphill most of the way but the reward is that it’s downhill on the way back!
If you continue past the site along the marked path, you will skirt the edge of a field with more great views, and will reach a gate that leads up into the woods. Walking up the hill and turning onto the right hand path will take you towards the top of Coopers Hill, site of the (in)famous cheese rolling, where you can look down the terrifying slope and to broad views to the north. Following the path to the left places you on the Cotswold Way, with walks that continue for many miles, but follow the curve of the hill to the east and intersects with Birdlip Hill a little way below the top. It is possible to walk back to the lay-by down the road, but it isn't recommended, as the road is narrow, traffic is fast, and there are no pavements.