Straight out of Wickwar, we take a right onto Chase Lane. Carrying straight on would have taken us past the old Wickwar brewery, which has unfortunately had to stop making beer as a result of the pandemic. Their shop is still open however. 

The Commons

Anyway, onto chase Lane and we soon reach the commons. You can tell where these begin and end because of the cattle grids, preventing the escape of animals grazing the common land.  First, there’s Ingleston common with open land to your left and ancient woodland to your right.

Lower Woods

There’s a rough path down into Lower Woods – OK if you have a sturdy bicycle. The woods are a nature reserve and SSSi managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust 

Assley, Hareley, Hawkesbury and Inglestone Commons are ancient landscape features which have survived unchanged for a millennium. They have a typical settlement pattern with small groups of cottages and farms around the edges. They are managed traditionally, farmed by local farmers who have grazing rights.

Take a right onto Kings lane – the Horton Road (signposted as 2.5 miles to Horton). After a short ride through the trees, the land opens up again as you cross Hawksbury Common. You may have to navigate through a herd a cows here and there – it is commons land after all.

A cattle grid marks the southern end of the commons.   Continue for two and a half miles across country past an occasional farm until reaching Horton.

Take a right onto Horton Road (Horton Hill is on your left) and right again onto Mapleridge Lane.

Across the B4060 Wickwar Rd onto Bury Hill Lane, right onto Tanhouse Lane and left onto Engine Common Lane. Turn right at Broad lane, go across the intersection with North Road into Lodge Road, marked as a dead end. Go to the end, through the bollards and find the cyclepath, cross over Yate Road and continue on the cyclepath and over Yate Road again into Bridge Road. Yate Road seems to twist around all over the place.  Bridge Road turns into Hope Road and then straight away you hit Nibley Lane.

Take a right and continue through the attractive countryside until Iron Acton. Take a left at High Street and continue to the end. The White hart Inn is to your right