Chester looking for his girlfriend, apparently

Helena asked me to drive her to her afternoon teaching job as the venue was changed for a special reason, a local Royal visiting the other premises, and it was further away than usual.  The morning's incessant rain had just about ceased when I picked her up at lunchtime from her morning job.  Once we got to the church at Brimscombe hill, where I dropped her off, I thought I might bring my camera when I returned at 4pm to collect Helena again.

I arrived a little early, parked by the church on the hillside and walked a few yards down to where the road from the Golden Valley up to Minchinhampton Common provides fabulous views.  Unfortunately it was hard to find a clear view unobstructed by trees on these very steep slopes.  

I only had a couple of minutes before Helena returned and was contemplating going into the drive of a house perched on the edge of the valley, when a car appeared and went into the drive. I was in two minds about asking the driver if I could come onto their property when she walked around the corner to shut their gate.  She immediately kindly asked if I wanted to come in and take a picture, my camera having given me away. She said that several people have asked them before, obviously because their garden provides the best viewpoint looking all way down the Golden Valley towards Stroud, about three miles away.

She took me round to their back garden and pointed out the best spot to take the picture (I have added the view as an 'Extra photo' below).  I only managed two shots before heading back towards the gate chatting all the while to the very friendly woman.  As we neared the gate back onto the road, 'Chester' leapt up onto this wall and I couldn't resist a quick shot, even though it was straight into the sun.  The owner said that he always jumps onto the wall as he looks for his girlfriend who lives near the wood just at the bottom of the valley.  She pointed out the path he has made across the field.

This view looks up Brimscombe valley towards Minchinhampton Common where there are springs which have formed this combe. Water Lane runs down beside their house into the valley bottom, and then up to Swells Hill on the right before running along the side of the valley to Bagpath and Stroud, at about the same height I was standing at.  This would have been the original lane for all traffic along the south side of the Golden Valley before it had a 'turnpike', and later a tarmac road, to get across the winding river and its associated clay and mud which would have been impassable for horses and carts.

Wherever you stand in these valleys you find these wonderful views which I can look at constantly. We are so lucky, which the owner of the dog agreed about.