Sponsored by
Hotels. com - Exceptional 9.4/10 Airbnb Superhost
Book direct for discounts www.5va.co.uk/book/
15 Self-catering apartments in Stroud - ideal for a couple of nights, a few days or longer. Providing a home from home and a great base for your visit.
Walk the canal or the hills. Bring your bike for road, mtb or something in between, we have a bike store.
It's a 15 minute amble to the train station and coach.
With 5 dog friendly apartments you can bring your pooch, but do message first to check availability.
Free parking. Free wifi. A bike store too...
134 Cainscross Road, Stroud, GL5 4HN
Housed in a stunning mill between the canal and the river in a beautiful Golden Valley we supply bikes from leading brands to suit all budgets. mtb, gravel, road, hybrid and e-bike versions of all shapes and sizes, to suit you, with accessories fitted to customise your bike and make it ready to ride.
All of our road and gravel bikes come with a free bike fit. Mountain bike suspension is adjusted to your weight including customising the forks.
Kids bikes available too!
Come and take a test ride.
All aboard the ark
Formerly Noah's Cycles
London Road, Stroud, GL5 2TA
A family cycle business since 2009 promoting biking for everyone. For sport, fitness, fun and an eco friendly way to get out an go places. Just off the A46 and next to Sustrans Route 45.
Servicing and repairs of course and for those new to cycling, don’t worry, no intimidation, you will be in safe hands. Electric bikes to racing machines, mountain bikes to road. Keep those joints moving – motion is lotion!
Brands include Marin, Bergamont, De Rosa, Basso, Cinelli, Orro, Tifosi and Frog for kids and youth.
Frogmarsh Mill, South Woodchester, GL5 5ET
a traditional free house pub lying in the heart of 'Cider With Rosie' country in the Sheepscombe valley near Painswick. Still very much a village pub the area is a magnet for walkers, cyclists and tourists, so come and drink in the panoramic scenery from the garden terrace.
Check out the circular walks on their web site too....
Sheepscombe, Stroud, GL6 7RH
Providing quality electric bike rental and tours of the Cotswolds. Cycling the lanes and trails (inc 2 Sustrans routes) around the Heart of the Cotswolds is made a whole lot easier with ebike hire and delivery to your accommodation. The best way to explore this beautiful part of the world. Slow enough to take in the sights and sounds yet fast enough to cover some serious ground.
Abbey Home Farm, Cirencester, GL7 5HF
The mission: “The preservation, maintenance in good order and improvement of canals, navigable rivers and inland waterways for the use of the public” with the objective to restore the canals from Saul Junction at the western end to Lechlade in the east so linking the two great rivers of Thames and Severn. This will provide navigable links to the wider UK canal network”.
You can volunteer, donate, support, take a boat ride or just walk, jog or cycle the tow path and marvel in the engineering, countryside and beauty of the route.
There are lots of videos about the canal, try this one from 2015. What's interesting is how much work has been done since then.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSPUZTgjxhU&feature=emb_rel_end
Wallbridge Lock, Stroud, GL5 3JS
Mountain biking in the Cotswolds, it's as simple and dramatic as that! Based on the Cotswold Edge, Tim will guide you along some of the best wild trails around without having to go "into the wilds". Build this mtb cycling adventure into your weekend or holiday, you might even rent an e-mountain bike too.
Ham Lane, Coaley, GL115AS
The Cotswolds aonb web site contains lots of interesting information including self -guided walks, information on places to visit and history of the area too.
The Cotswolds was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966. Covering 790 sq miles, stretching from Bath in the south to Banbury in the north. AONBs together with the 15 National Parks cover around 25% of our countryside.
Staying at 5VA and want to hire a bike to explore the Five Valleys or just to find a route to ride? Very good idea!! Give us a ring or you can hire an ebike at @fivevalleycycles in Nailsworth. His details are also on here.
Sustrans trail 45 runs right through Nailsworth and on and up to Minchinhampton. I'd suggest you turn left and explore the Common, all the way to Rodborough, it's flat across the top, or try the quiet lane that goes round the hill. A copy of the map is on this listing, but I can email it to you too, or ask Rob.
You can find lots of cafes, pubs and Winstones ice-cream of course before dropping down onto the canal towpath for a pint @stroudbrewery at its canal side tap bar.
Head to the centre of Stroud west along the canal and then rejoin the 45 for the very pleasant return to Nailsworth. Perhaps finish The anteen in Nailsworth though the choices are many.
Result: fresh air, exercise, exploration, fab Cotswold Villages and views = smiles and memories. AND come and stay @5vastroud of course! Almost forgot. What's not to love.
We specialise in keeping your bikes on the road, trail or hills for locals and visitors alike.
What we do: General service, A full strip-down service, Repairs (what do you need to get you back on two wheels).
Drop off the bike at the shop anytime during opening hours for an assessment and we also offer a pick-up and drop-off service so do get in touch.
5 Cossack Square, Nailsworth, GL6 0DB
Opened in the 1860’s as a freight line to shift goods being produced in the Nailsworth Valley such as cloth, timber, dyes, arms and ammunition to name but a few. It was abandoned in the 1960’s.
The route from Nailsworth begins in a lovely wooded valley and follows the delightful Nailsworth stream, it makes a very pleasant easy walk or cycle. It links Nailsworth, Stroud and Stonehouse and is part of Sustrans route 45. A good place to start is the ex goods yard, now the car park for Egypt Mill hotel.
You can join it all along it's route of course, but in the Centre of Stroud it starts just South West of the "double roundabouts" or via a tunnel on the other side of the Sainsburys roundabout, near the Cotswold Way.
Stroud Rd, Nailsworth, GL6 0AE
This is a top 5 favourite of ours and it's free. You can drive to within a short slight uphill walk and be rewarded by fabulous 360 degree views across the Severn Vale to the Forest of Dean and north beyond Gloucester. It's about 283m or 920ft above sea level.
The Painswick Golf Course uses the hill fort and people walk, cycle, horse ride and picnic here. near the King Charles 1st, who on seeing the beautiful valley to the east, said "This must be Paradise". We won't argue with that.
The Wysis Way, linking Offa's Dyke Path National Trail at Monmouth to the beginning of the Thames Path National Trail in Gloucestershire, meets the Cotswold Way at Painswick Beacon.
It is also called Painswick Hill, Castle Godwin and Kimsbury Hill Fort. It has a long history, being first inhabited in the Iron Age as a hill fort between 500 and 100 BC. It is an impressive sight.
Also known as the Ship Graveyard. Ships, barges and other craft were sunk on the river bank between the Severn and the Ship canal between 1909 and 1965 to protect the shipping route to Gloucester. Now an important historical site and an easy flat walk, though beware going in poor weather and the trail can get muddy.
Please don't try to park over the bridge, there isn't room and it's not fair on those who live here. Please use the Purton Car Park (the postcode will take you to it) and then walk over the bridge and turn left to the Hulks.
It can be a there and back walk or perhaps a loop too. Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer OL14
Purton, BERKELEY, GL13 9HS
AUGUST 2021:: THIS VENUE HAS NOW CLOSED DUE TO REDEVELOPMENT OF THEIR SITE.
THEY ARE PLANNING A NEW BUILDING, BUT THIS MAY TAKE SOME TIME.
THANK YOU RUSH FOR BEING AMAZING!
It’s jaw dropping! For riders of scooters, in line and boards this is a dream come true. When Jerry and Michelle couldn’t find a perfect park (their son dragged them round the country in search) they just went and built it instead! It’s award winning, it’s amazing. Discover.
Unit 3 Brimscombe Port, Brimscombe, GL5 2QQ
If Carlsberg made locations to watch the sunset over the River Severn then this would be the best.....probably. It's easy to park and walk (beware peak times can be busy so walking up is an option). The Cotswold Way passes along the edge for stunning views of the Malvern Hills and the Black Mountains. The Sugar Loaf near Abergaveny is easy to pick out on a clear day.
It's an internationally significant grassland home to a breathtaking array of wildflowers, birds and invertebrates and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It also features a Bronze Age burial mound, 'the Toots'.
Bike, cycle, parascending, dog walk, mtb or just look. Great in the snow too :)
The Stroudwater canal walk from the Royal Geographical Society, along the towpath from Stroud to Stonehouse, tells the story of the Stroud Valley - from the past, present to the future. With plenty to observe along the way including mills, locks, bridges, warehouses, beautiful scenery and wildlife.
GL5 4LH
Rising above the Severn Vale to about 220m, Westridge has become popular with walkers, trail runners, mountain bike riders and horse riders, and is crossed by the Cotswold Way.
Timing: walking from Wotton to Tyndale Monument and back, allow 2hrs. It's quite a stiff climb to the top and then basically flat from there. You can park up on Old London Road too and miss out the climb!!
With the Tyndale Monument at the most westerly point and the Jubilee Clump above Wotton at the other, it's a great place to explore. But be a little careful as it's also fairly easy to get lost, so follow the signs and way markers.
The Cotswold Way passes Brackenbury Ditches, an Iron Age fort over 2,000 yrs old and perched on the Cotswold Edge. Take a walk round it's ramparts. (what three words: designs.sunflower.squabbles)
From the meadow by the monument it's easy to see the futuristic Swinhay House, home of Renishaw plc founder Sir David McMurtry, designed by eco-architect David Austin. In 2014 it featured in the final episode of the third series of BBC One's Sherlock. It is opened to the public on occasions too.
Check out Wotton Trails on this site too....
Old London Road, Wotton Under Edge, GL12 7PS
Set in the fields of the historic Chavenage House, Wild Carrot is Glampsite bell tents, a hut and a lodge and has everything you need for the perfect escape. There is also a cracking cafe, a venue and guided cycling and a repair shop too. From brilliant adventures to romantic log fires beneath the stars, Wild Carrot is the place to make memories.
Manor Farm Barn, Chavenage, GL8 XW
Whether you are road riding, cycling with a group for fun, using the Sustran Trails, using a guide or self guiding, there is a lot of cycling and mountain biking around here.
Head out into the Severn Vale on your road bike or tackle the hills and lanes of the Edge. Explore the woodland, meadow and trails on a mountain bike for a trails that are great for beginners and still testing for the experienced.
Try our local trail centre, Flyup417 or book a half day with Tim of Cotswold Mountain Biking.
This 100 acre farm on Crickley Hill on the Cotswold edge is the biggest privately owned mountain bike facility in England offering a variety of riding disciplines within one cycling venue. Pump tracks, to dirt jumping, blue, red and black trails too, a kids club and a coaching programme. Right below the Air Balloon Pub at Birdlip on the A417!!!
Crickley Hill Farm, Witcombe,, GL3 4SS