Barrow Wake is one of the finest viewpoints on the Cotswold Way, offering a panorama that few other spots can match. Looking west from the escarpment edge, the land drops away dramatically to the Severn Vale — a flat, green plain that was once a vast post-glacial lake. Directly below lies the city of Gloucester, its cathedral tower visible as a pale stone finger rising above the rooftops. Beyond the city, the River Severn winds through its floodplain, reflecting silver when the light is right. To the north-west, the Malvern Hills form a distinctive ridge on the horizon, 30 miles away. To the west, the Forest of Dean fills the view, and on the clearest days you can make out the Brecon Beacons of Wales beyond. The viewpoint sits on a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. The unimproved limestone grassland supports over 100 species of wildflower, including pyramidal orchids and horseshoe vetch. Twenty-two species of butterfly have been recorded here, including the nationally rare chalk hill blue and Duke of Burgundy. The "barrow" in Barrow Wake refers to the burial mound where the Birdlip Mirror was discovered in 1879 — you are standing on ground that has been significant to human communities for over 2,000 years.
“To the west, the Forest of Dean fills the view, and on the clearest days you can make out the Brecon Beacons of Wales beyond.”
