This is a moderate, scenic and historic five-mile circle following a spur of the South Cotswolds not far from Chipping Sodbury, going across two hill forts. It's an ideal Christmas and new year holiday walk.

It's about 5.25 miles, 2.5 hours walking. Use the map OS Explorer 167 map, Thornbury, Dursley & Yate ref: 757 844.

Park in Horton village, South Gloucestershire. Park in the lower part of the village in the spacious village hall car park. Park at the far end (please find alternative parking if it is full for any reason). Horton is a small village about 2.5 miles North East of Chipping Sodbury It can easily be reached from the A46 on a turning about 1.5 miles south of Dunkirk.

T his modest circle in South Gloucestershire is a step back in time – to Iron Age hill forts used by the Romans, the Saxon army and Henry VII and to William Tyndale, the famous 16th-century martyr who first translated the Bible into English.

Tyndale lived for a time at Little Sodbury Manor, where he first began his translation of the Bible. Our walk passes the church where he used to preach, rebuilt in its present spot.

The hill forts perched on the very southern spur of the Cotswolds give wonderful views across to the Severn.

There is an old coaching inn at Old Sodbury, about an hour and a half from the start and the return is below the Cotswolds hill on the fringe of the Bristol Plain.

The going should be reasonably dry underfoot. There is a climb up to one hill fort at the start and a short, steep climb near the end, but otherwise it is more or less flat.

START

Turn left from the car park and walk uphill through the village. When the pavement ends, there is a Tarmac path on the left which winds up at the back of cottages and rejoins the road. Continue on to the first turning left and the school.

1. SCHOOL

Turn left and at the side of the school take the Cotswold Way (CW). Go up the field with the school on the right and then soon turn right through a gate, still on the CW. The path goes above the school and gently climbs up and around the outer edge of the Iron Age hill fort, Horton Camp.

Curve gently around and reach a picturesque round stone tower where a plaque informs you that this is a swallow and owl house – a millennium project to encourage the nesting of both species of bird.

Continue past it and then turn left through a gate and enter the hill fort. Ignore the left path and instead walk parallel with the right fence and then go right through the hill fort bank. Head across, bearing right and leave through a gate in the right corner coming on to a road.

2. ROAD

Turn right. After a few minutes, at a junction, continue towards Horton and soon after come down to another junction at Hall Lane. Go straight on, leaving the lane to Horton. The next leg is an easy, flat stretch on this quiet lane with great views across to the Severn.

3. FIELD

At a T-junction, go ahead on the footpath into a field. Head across, aiming to the right of trees and buildings on the far side. Again, the views are spectacular. In the far right corner go through a gate and ahead through a garden towards the buildings.

We are now above Little Sodbury Manor, which is invisible down on the right. Also here was the church of St Aveline's where William Tyndale preached. The church was destroyed in Victorian times and rebuilt lower down – we pass it later.

Little Sodbury Manor was the home of Sir John Walsh who employed William Tyndale as chaplain and tutor in about 1521; by tradition he began his controversial translation of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek – the first ever into English – in his bedroom at the manor. Later he was forced to flee abroad because of his work and he was strangled and hung for heresy in Brussels. The manor house, with its outstanding Great Hall, played host at one time to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

Turn right through a gate marked with a footpath arrow and then left in the same direction as before, passing the buildings on your left. Go up through a gate and reach the 11-acre hill fort.

4. HILL FORT

Don't turn right immediately. Instead, go ahead a few yards and then turn right through the outer bank and enter the fort.

Picture the scene here in May 1471 when Edward IV arrived with his troops seeking battle with the Lancastrians under Queen Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI's wife. They were further west at Berkeley. Henry set up camp in this hill fort for the night and then headed off after Margaret, finally going into battle on May 4 near Tewkesbury, where Edward was killed.

Earlier, the Saxon army used the fort as a camp before the battle of Dyrham, and in Roman times it was strengthened to support the Roman army's western frontier.

Walk straight through the fort and on the far side go over a bank, ditch and another bank and maintain direction. Go through a metal gate ahead.

5. TRACK

Turn right downhill on the Cotswold Way sunken track. Bend round left at the end and an ornate metal gate leads into a field. Go along the top edge below the hill and at the end in the corner another gate brings you onto a path. Follow this on all the way to a lane on the edge of Old Sodbury.

6. OLD SODBURY

There are choices here. For the pub, go ahead down the lane (not left) for just a few minutes and come to the main road with the Dog Inn, a 500- year-old pub, opposite.

You may wish to visit the church first as you don't return here. If so, from the Dog re-cross the main road and take the Cotswold Way to the left of the lane you came down. Follow this through a gate and a farmyard and then bear right across the field and through another gate. Up ahead is the church. Go up a few yards and then left down the length of the field. Here the non- pubbers join (see ✬ below).

For the shorter, non-pub route, go through the churchyard. The lychgate roof acts as a war memorial, with the names of the fallen carved underneath. In the churchyard are a number of old bale-tombs which were for rich merchants.

Continue on past the church door and go out into a field.

Here on the hillside is a topograph, a large stone with an engraving that shows Old Sodbury in relation to its geographical surroundings.

Go down the field nearly to the bottom and then turn right on a path along the length of the field and here both routes join.

✬ Cross a stile and continue through fields with the hedge on the right and in the last field find a stile in the far right corner and cross on to a lane.

7. LANE

Cross to the footpath opposite. Continue on in this large field and bear across to the far right corner.

Note the hummocks here. These are the remains of early pillow mounds created to encourage rabbits in order to provide food. Cross a stile on to a lane and turn left into pretty Little Sodbury.

8. LITTLE SODBURY

Reach the chapel dedicated to St Aveline which was rebuilt in 1859 using stone from the original chapel where Tyndale preached, and modelled on the same design.

Just past the church, turn right on a lane and shortly, past cottages, turn left on the Cotswold Way towards Horton.

Pass close by a cottage and cross right over a stile, then turn left and continue on with the hedge on the left through fields until you reach a pond on the right.

9. POND

Drop down into a valley and then steeply climb up the other side. Go over a stile at the top and ahead on a wide grassy fenced track towards the village.

Cross a stile and a path takes you to the road in Horton. Turn left retracing your steps back down to the hall, using the side-path to stay off the road.

The Dog Inn, Badminton Road, Old Sodbury BS37 6LZ. Tel: 01454 312006. Open daily for lunch including New Year's Day.