Discover Horsley

Horsley lies in the southern part of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and combines two distinct landscape characters: Settled Valley and High Wold. For your travel planning, this means a varied local landscape with small valleys, open spaces, woodland paths and traces of history. Families can combine nature observation, exercise and culture according to their plans for the day.

Between valley, stream and the Cotswold landscape

The valleys around the settlements of Horsley are small-scale and tightly confined. Energetic tributary streams flow towards the valley in the lower-lying town. Downend Meadow is a particularly characteristic natural area. It contains a natural spring-fed stream with tufa deposits considered important from a geological and biological perspective. The meadow is used for walking, dog walking, picnics, exploring the stream, sledding, and bird and nature watching.

Downend Meadow also offers views of a typical Cotswold valley, including Downend Valley as well as the upper valley slopes and Wolds. Open land extends from the south into the centre of the settlement of Horsley. It allows wildlife to move through the area and separates the very old hamlet of Nupend in the west from the centre of the village of Horsley.

Footpaths, views and woodland routes

Several named routes are available for walks and longer explorations. Footpath 51 leads into The Slips, also known as Boscombe Valley. There you will find an unspoilt valley with numerous wildflowers and butterflies. Footpath 57 reaches the upper part of The Slips and offers views of The Slips and Horsley Woods. Downend Meadow is crossed by footpaths 62, 71 and 75 and can be reached via footpath 70.

Horsley Woods can also be included in your route planning: Bridleway 54 runs through the woodland and offers views through gaps in the tree cover. The Horsley Cycling and Walking Project improved the local footpath network with better surfaces and accessible gates. It also created connections between the hamlets, the village of Horsley and Nailsworth. As part of this project, a cycling hub with a bicycle rack, covered shelter and repair station was established at Horsley Village Hall.

Church and traces of local history

The Church of St Martin combines several eras. A church had already been built in Horsley by 1105; the dedication to St Martin recalls Horsley's earliest monastic owners. The west tower dates from the 15th century and is the only surviving example of a medieval building in Horsley. The main body of the church was rebuilt in 1838–1839 by Thomas Rickman.

Early evidence of industry survives in the form of wool mills, mill ponds and sheep washes. Together with the church, these traces give the landscape a historical dimension that can be combined easily with a walk. For regional produce, Horsley Community Shop offers Duchy Organic vegetables, Hobbs bread, Godsells cheese and other locally made products.

The right accommodation for your travel plans

When looking for a holiday apartment in Horsley, it is worth first deciding what you want to focus on. If walks, nature observation and views are the priority, you can include Downend Meadow, The Slips and Horsley Woods in your plans for the day. If you are more interested in architectural history and local traditions, the Church of St Martin and the surviving evidence of wool processing complement the itinerary. Families can take different interests into account: a picnic, a walk, birdwatching or exploring a stream each provides a different focus.

More local pages: Flaxley, Cutsdean, Blockley, Longborough, Clearwell, St Marys, Soudley and Littledean.

To the higher-level travel overview: Gloucestershire.