This walk explores the Coln Valley and visits 5 historic Norman churches. The Coln Valley is the route of the River Coln, a pretty Cotswold river rising near Cheltenham and flowing through the Cotswolds to join the Thames near Lechlade. In the course of our walk we will cross the Coln several times.
Our path begins at Chedworth. There is a small car park for visitors of the church. Saint Andrew is the first of the 5 churches to be visited on this walk and it is a substantial church indeed. Whilst the impressive range of perpendicular windows on the south side are not Norman features, much of the visible church is. The lower 3 sections of the tower are from around 1100AD as is the arch from the tower to the nave. Enlargements to the tower and the chancel were made around 1200AD. Notable non-Norman features include the impressive 15th century pulpit and 3 carved heads in the nave.
After you have visited the church, head back towards the car park and along the footpath through Chedworth Woods. Once you are through the woods it is time to cross the Coln for the first time, the river flows swiftly past a house and through meadows visible from the road. Stay on the road as you walk into the village and head towards the church.
The church of Saint Michael at Yanworth is notable for many reasons including a number of Norman features. The doorways, north and south, are both Norman in origin. The tub font, which is now raised on a modern pedestal, would have originally stood directly on the floor so that it could be used for adults – baptism of children being then uncommon in favour of the receiving the baptism at adulthood. Other notable features are wall paintings and a civil war group burial of six Roundhead soldiers.
- Parking available? Yes. There is a small car park for visitors to the Church of Saint Andrew in Chedworth.