Stinchcombe Hill is a nearly detached spur of the Cotswold escarpment west of Dursley, rising above the village of Stinchcombe with limestone grassland and a long western horizon. From Drakestone Point on the rim - about 219 metres (719 feet) - clear days open across the Severn Vale toward the River Severn, the Forest of Dean, and the Welsh hills beyond. Much of the hilltop is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its calcareous grassland flora, and benches along the scarp edge make natural pauses for through-walkers.
Stinchcombe Hill Golf Club occupies the plateau. The Cotswold Way does not cut straight across the fairways: National Trail guidance follows a longer perimeter around the hill, which gives broader views than the short neck near the clubhouse. Keep to signed paths, watch for flying balls, and treat the course as active land rather than open picnic ground. Sir Stanley Tubbs gave the hill in trust for public recreation; a stone seat and memorial shelter on the circuit mark that gift.
Leaving Dursley on Stage 11, a steep climb brings you onto the hill before the trail continues toward North Nibley and the Tyndale Monument. There is no ticket or set opening hour for the paths - access on foot is free. A public car park on the hill serves day visitors; a stile-free circular is described on the Cotswolds National Landscape Sir Stanley Tubbs walk. Paths can be exposed and muddy after rain.
