You’ve probably all seen the Tyndale Monument at North Nibley at some point if you’ve driven along the M5 as it passes through Gloucestershire as it’s a very distinctive tower on the top of a hill.
When I was describing it to somebody once they said Oh, you mean the rocket!
The tower is 111ft high and if you have the energy and don’t mind a steep confined spiral staircase you can climb the 120 or so steps to the top. The tower used to be locked many years ago (unless you asked for the key) but is now open to the public all year round.
The tower was built built in the honor of William Tyndale who translated the New Testament as he was born nearby.
The views from the hill top are pretty spectacular, those from the top of the tower are even better.
If arriving by car there is parking on the main road beside the church. To get to the tower requires a hike up a fairly long track (wear wellies if it’s wet) and when you get to the top, the tower is to your right. There used to be a very steep shortcut up the side of the hillside but a landslide put paid to that.
Once on the hilltop there is a nice walk around the woods, and like most woodlands the best time to go is in the autumn. Just follow the edge of the hill from the tower to get to them. The track splits a couple of times but I keep to the right until it opens out into a clearing then take a left. This again splits near some wooden dens at which point take a right and you will end up back on the track you entered by.
If you’re on the right track there will be a long wide trench to your right. Somewhere on this hill is an old Iron Age fort known as the Brackenbury Ditches. I think this might be the long trench in the woods that the walk goes around.
