At the western tip of Stinchcombe Hill, the land narrows to a grassy triangle ending at Drakestone Point, where a lone oak tree and a stone bench mark one of the finest viewpoints on the Cotswold Way. From here, the Severn Vale spreads out below — the river glinting silver on a clear day, the Forest of Dean beyond, and the faint blue line of the Malvern Hills on the horizon.
The bench commemorates Sir Stanley Tubbs, the industrialist and benefactor who saved the hill from development. In 1929, after years as a member of Stinchcombe Hill Golf Club, Tubbs purchased the entire promontory and placed it in trust for the inhabitants of Dursley, Cam, Stinchcombe, and North Nibley. His wish was simple: that golfers, walkers, and horse riders should share this dramatic hilltop in perpetuity.
The golf course itself dates back to 13th October 1889, when a small band of enthusiasts led by W. Lloyd Brown laid out nine holes on the rough limestone plateau. Extended to eighteen holes in 1906, the course was redesigned by Fred Hawtree in 1922, with further advice from the great James Braid between 1929 and 1936. Thanks to Tubbs's generosity, the club was granted a 99-year lease at a rental of just twenty pounds a year.
“The golf course itself dates back to 13th October 1889, when a small band of enthusiasts led by W.”
Since 1992, volunteers have cleared scrub from the hill's edges to restore the open views over the Severn Vale. The cleared areas are now visible from the M5 motorway far below, and the Cotswold Way has been rerouted around the hill to take full advantage of their work.
