A famously steep Cotswold escarpment slope near Brockworth, home of the annual cheese-rolling and wide Severn Vale views - passed on Stage 8 of the Cotswold Way between Birdlip and Painswick.
Cooper's Hill is one of the steepest pitches on the Cotswold escarpment, rising above Brockworth with a slope of about one in two. From the crest the view opens across the Severn Vale toward Gloucester and the distant hills; woodland frames the drop, and the Cotswold Way threads the top of the scarp on Stage 8 between Birdlip and Painswick. The open grass face is fenced where erosion is severe - stick to signed paths rather than cutting straight down the slope.
The hill is best known for the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake, held on the Spring Bank Holiday. A wheel of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled from the top and competitors chase it down the slope; the first to the bottom usually keeps the cheese. The event draws crowds from around the world and can be chaotic and dangerous - injuries are common, and the hillside is closed or heavily managed on race day. On ordinary walking days the same viewpoint is a quiet pause with far-reaching views.
