- On trail 7.0 mi 11.3 km
- Walking time 3–4 h
- Ascent 240 m 800 ft
- Descent 330 m 1,100 ft
- Difficulty Moderate
Beech woods, Cooper's Hill, and the ramparts above the mid-point.
Section 8: Birdlip to Painswick map
Example stay Painswick Hotel (opens in a new tab)
Cross-check: National Trails route description . Opened 22 October 2026. The distance at the top of this page is measured on the imported line. The route page's miles, and the climb it prints for the section, stay in the answers below.
The walk
From Birdlip the path goes through beech woods and on to Cooper's Hill, where the cheese-rolling is held on the Spring Bank Holiday Monday. It then comes out onto the common and the golf course at Painswick Beacon. The ramparts of an Iron Age fort are clear on the ground. Painswick is the end, and the route page calls it the mid-point of the Way. The 4-day, the 8-day and the 9-day sleep here. The 5-day and the 7-day walk through.
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Start of section
Birdlip
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Cooper's Hill
The cheese-rolling hill, after the beech woods. The event is the Spring Bank Holiday Monday, not every day. The slope is the walk whether or not the cheeses are out.
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Painswick Beacon
Common and golf course, with the ramparts of an Iron Age fort still readable. The town is in the valley after the beacon.
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Mid-point
Painswick
The route page calls the town the mid-point, and names the Rococo Garden. Stop here on the 4-day, the 8-day and the 9-day. Walk through on the 5-day and the 7-day.
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End of section
Painswick
Section 8: Birdlip to Painswick overview
The ground
- Beech woods
- Beacon
- Hill fort
Beech woods and a beacon. You descend further than you climb. The escarpment before Birdlip is the high ground. After Painswick the Way drops into the Stroud valleys and climbs to Haresfield Beacon.
Stops
Refreshments
- Painswick at the end. The town is the place to eat. Birdlip
- behind you
- is small
Toilets
- The route page does not name a public toilet on this section
Before you go
Opposite direction
Painswick to Birdlip
You climb out of the mid-point to the ramparts on Painswick Beacon, so Cooper's Hill is a pull in the morning. The beech woods bring you into Birdlip, and the diversion is the end of the walk.
End of section
Birdlip
Birdlip to Painswick FAQ
How long is Birdlip to Painswick?
The route page lists 8.6 miles (13.9 km), with 590 feet (180 m) of ascent and 1,066 feet (325 m) of descent. You go down about twice as far as you climb. The distance at the top of this page is measured between these ends.
Is Painswick a night?
On the 4-day, the 8-day and the 9-day, yes. It is the mid-point, and on the 9-day it is the short day after the escarpment. On the 5-day and the 7-day, Painswick is lunch and the night is King's Stanley.
Can I download a GPX for Birdlip to Painswick?
Yes. Use the GPX button at the top of this page. It is this section's line, for Garmin, Komoot, or your phone. Open the planner if you want a file built around your overnight stops.
Walk this as a day
Used as Day 4 on the 9-day. Open the planner on that preset, then export a full-trip or per-day GPX.
Open in planner Read the 9-day itinerary
Full-trip and per-day GPX files. Free, no account.
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