Eleven ramblers and 2 guests on a cold but dry morning set forth on Minchinhampton Common behind the Holy Trinity Church, which has a brass plaque commemorating James Bradley, Astronaut Royal in 1742, who was the discoverer of the aberration of fixed stars.

Minchinhampton Common was used for grazing livestock as far back as Norman times, now in part a golf course. We take the path marked private road and following the stone wall on the left, after a short time the path petered out onto grass. The wall remains on our left continuing we reached a mound and sunken lane which feeds the main. Crossing over this the wall still to our left heading forth the wall turns quite sharply leftwards. Now the common is fairly flat and has become a golf course. We continue ahead crossing a road skirting round the golf course on our right and parallel to the road on the left for half a mile going under power lines we come down to the road for Amberley.

Bearing right along the road turning left at the fork to pass Rose Cottage where Mrs. Craik was staying when she wrote John Halifax Gentleman in 1857, a true Victorian story of perseverance in the face of adversity.

Continuing on until the grave yard wall where we stopped for refreshments and then headed up to the road. After a short distance we came to a junction near Holy Trinity Church, Amberley, crossing over with a monument to Queen Victoria on our right heading back up onto the common, we made our way back to the starting point