Birdlip sits at the point where the ancient Ermin Way — the Roman road from Gloucester (Glevum) to Cirencester (Corinium) — crosses the Cotswold escarpment. The name Birdlip may derive from the Old English "bride's leap," though the exact origin is disputed. The steep descent of Birdlip Hill, dropping over 200 metres in less than a mile, has been both a challenge and a landmark for travellers for two millennia. Before the modern A417 was built, the old road through the village was the main route between Gloucester and London. Horse-drawn coaches struggled with the gradient, and a team of extra horses was kept at the top of the hill to help vehicles reach the summit. The village pub, the Royal George Hotel, served these travellers for centuries. During both World Wars, the surrounding woodland was used for military training, and concrete structures from this period can still be found among the trees. Today Birdlip is a quiet village of around 200 people, but its position on the escarpment edge gives it a strategic significance that has been recognised since the Iron Age — the hillforts at Crickley Hill and Barrow Wake, both within walking distance, controlled this crossing point for centuries before the Romans arrived.
“Horse-drawn coaches struggled with the gradient, and a team of extra horses was kept at the top of the hill to help vehicles reach the summit.”
