Day 6: Upton St Leonards to Gloucester

Today was an intentionally short walk (5.7 miles) so we can have a bit of a rest. Not a nice day for walking; we left the hotel as the rain started, looking happier than the tour party whose coach had broken down.

The Wysis Way again wasn’t easy to find or follow, which is slowing us down considerably. After we’d crossed the M5, Ian went into giant-killing mode against some enormous brambles while I cowered behind, trying to avoid both the stick and the rebounding stems. We should have gone right to the top of Robinswood Hill on the way into Gloucester but we kept getting lost and, as there was not much chance of a view, we eventually stuck to paths on the flank – still steep enough for Ian to slip and sledge a little way down the hill on his waterproofs.

It was a rather boring couple of miles to the city centre and the Travelodge, where we were too early to check in so left our bags and boots and went for a wander. The Quays have been redeveloped but the area around the Cathedral is a building site. Returning to the Travelodge, we discovered it is above a retail outlet centre, so Ian has been able to replace a pair of inner socks which had been left behind somewhere along the way.

I resisted the temptation to buy anything as my bag is quite heavy enough, but I’m pleased that what I’ve got is adequate (contents photographed). An early start tomorrow so we won’t be staying up for this year’s Portillo moment.

Gloucester Quays

Not the cathedral

M5

Contents of my bag