Jubilee Clump, Wotton Hill

Jubilee Clump is the walled ring of trees on Wotton Hill, the open grass on the Cotswold Edge above Wotton-under-Edge. Trees are said to have been first planted here to mark the victory at Waterloo in 1815; the clump was replanted and walled in 1888 for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. It is a landmark on the Edge, and listed Grade II.

History

The story goes that the first trees on Wotton Hill were planted in 1815 to celebrate Wellington's victory at Waterloo, and the Cotswold Way National Trail still describes the hill's walled enclosure as Waterloo trees. The record is Historic England's: the earlier trees were cut down in 1856, and in 1888 the clump was replanted, with reference to Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee of the year before, and the circular wall, railings and gate were built round it. The gate carries a plaque of 1952.

Historic England's listing, made in 1984, calls the clump an important visual entity and outlook point; it is the wall, railings and gate that are listed.

What to look for

• The wall: a circle of rubble stone with a tiled coping, about 2m high in part, and in part about 1.4m with cast-iron railings on top.
• The gate and its plaque of 1952.
• The trees: a tight ring that marks the hill from the vale below.
• The view: west over the Severn Vale, and north along the wooded Edge towards the Tyndale Monument on Nibley Knoll.
• The benches round the clump, and a history board beside it.

Visiting

Jubilee Clump is on open grass crossed by the Cotswold Way, and free at any time. The clump itself is walled, so you see the trees from outside the wall. The ground is sloping grass, and the paths up from the town are steep; from the parking on Old London Road it is a short walk on natural ground, muddy and loose underfoot in places. Keep dogs on a lead if livestock are grazing. Come late on a clear afternoon for the sun going down over the Severn.

Getting there

By car, walkers report a small parking area on Old London Road above the town, mapped as free roadside parking, where Wotton Hill and the Tyndale Monument starts. Otherwise use Wotton's council car parks at The Chipping and Potters Pond, for which Stroud District Council lists no charge, and walk up.

On foot, the Cotswold Way crosses the hill on its way down into Wotton from North Nibley. Wotton Hill and the Tyndale Monument passes the clump at the start and end of its ridge loop, and Wotton, the Tyndale Monument and Coombe Hill comes back across Wotton Hill a little east of it.

Nearby

North along the Edge, Brackenbury Ditches is a hill fort in Westridge Wood, scheduled by Historic England as Brackenbury Camp, and the Tyndale Monument stands on Nibley Knoll. Down in Wotton-under-Edge are St Mary's Church and the Hugh Perry Almshouses, and the Royal Oak on Haw Street is a pub, closed on Mondays.