Some of the Commoner's horses roaming

When I set off to drive home from Nailsworth village, which lies in the valley bottom, I was surprised to find a ‘Road Closed’ sign blocking the way up the switchback road to the common, locally called the ‘W’. Closures have become commonplace as there have been a series of road surface improvements in the five valleys around Stroud. I made my own diversionary route rather than follow the mob, and drove up through the narrow single track lanes along the side of the Nailsworth valley through Watledge, Theescombe and on up to Amberley. The valley sides are very steep with many small traditional Cotswold stone cottages perched on the hillsides, which would have been used by workers and weavers in the cloth industry in former centuries. The bigger houses were owned by their bosses the ‘clothiers’.

Once I reached the top of the hill I turned up through Amberley village past the pub and onto the edge of Minchinhampton Common. As soon as I reached the common I saw these horses and a spreadeagled herd of cattle, including many calves. I pulled off the road and grabbed my camera and managed to catch this group of horses at the bus stop, grazing on lush grass before wandering off again. They have the whole common to roam over, as all these animals are owned by people who have old properties on the boundary of the common whose deeds entitle them to ancient Commoner’s Rights to Graze, dating back many hundreds of years.

I thought I’d record them here as the setting sun was shining across the valley. Before long it would set behind the hill and the light would completely change.