Elmore & Longney Gloucestershire | Walks, History & Pubs

Another of my favourite places for a walk in Gloucestershire is the countryside around the villages of Elmore and Longney. You can either walk along the country lanes or venture on many trails through the local farmland. It’s a good place for wildlife spotting, including birds of prey, pheasants, and foxes if you’re lucky.

Hockley Hill and the trails off Grove End are my favourite trails and are usually quiet. If you enjoy history, there are a few village churches in the area and Madams End Farm, where local tradition says Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn once stayed. A good walking route starts at the Anchor Inn in Epney and ends at the Pilot Inn in Hardwicke.

Walking Around Elmore & Longney

I enjoy this area mainly for the walking. It is very flat compared with the Cotswolds, but it offers a good mix of riverside paths, farmland, orchards, and quiet country lanes. Hockley Hill, Grove End and the paths towards Longney are usually much quieter than the better-known Gloucestershire walking spots.

One of the best areas is Weir Green and Elmore Back. The Severn Way follows the River Severn here, and you can continue towards Stonebench in one direction or Epney in the other. It can get very muddy, and parts of the riverside route are no use when the Severn floods.

For a longer walk, I like linking the villages together rather than following one formal route. Starting near Epney, you can use the lanes and public footpaths around Longney, Grove End and Elmore before finishing towards Hardwicke. Having a pub at either end makes this a particularly good option.

The path between the Gloucester Sharpness Canal and Longney Road is one of my favourite spots, especially during sunset. I found it to be good for bird spotting, including pheasants and wildfowl.

Elmore Village

Elmore is a small village just south of Gloucester, tucked between the River Severn and Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. Despite being close to Quedgeley and Hardwicke, it soon feels very rural once you get beyond the main roads.

Weir Green is one of my favourite parts of Elmore. Despite the name, there’s no weir here. The site was once a small river port where coal and other goods arrived from the Forest of Dean. Today it is a much quieter place and a good access point for walking beside the Severn.

Elmore Court

Elmore Court is the most prominent historic building in the village. The Guise family has been connected with the estate since the 13th century, while much of the present house dates from between 1564 and 1588. Later Georgian and Victorian additions give the building an interesting mix of styles.

It isn’t a traditional visitor attraction where you can just wander around the house and grounds, but you pass close to the estate on several of the local walking routes. It is now used for weddings, events and stays.

St John the Baptist Church

The parish church in Elmore is St John the Baptist, a Grade I listed building with parts dating from the 13th century. The church was altered over the centuries and restored in 1879 and 1880. Its old churchyard and setting beside Elmore Court make it worth a look if your walk passes through the village.

Longney

Longney is another small farming village in the Severn Vale and is even quieter than Elmore. The River Severn is to the west, and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal is to the east, so most routes into the village involve crossing one or the other.

The village has long been associated with farming and orchards. One interesting local variety is the Longney Russet, an apple first recorded in 1796 and traditionally used for cider as well as eating. Gloucestershire Orchard Trust now looks after a collection of old orchards in Longney containing many Gloucestershire fruit varieties.

The orchards are also very good for wildlife. This entire part of the Severn Vale can be rewarding for birdwatching, particularly around the river, old pasture and less intensively used farmland.

St Lawrence Church in Longney

St Lawrence Church is Longney’s main historic building. It is another Grade I listed church, dating mainly from the 13th century, with an early 14th-century tower and later additions.

The churchyard is interesting too. Several old tombs and groups of 17th and 18th-century headstones are individually listed, so it is worth having a wander around if you like local history.

Weir Green & The Severn Bore

Weir Green is also one of the quieter places to watch the Severn Bore. I’ve watched both daytime and night-time bores from here over the years. You don’t get the crowds found at some of the better-known viewing points, and there is a long stretch of riverbank to choose from.

I normally arrive well before the predicted time and have a walk while waiting. Bigger bores attract more people and the small parking area can fill up, so walking in from elsewhere is sometimes the better option.

Pubs Near Elmore & Longney

Neither Elmore nor Longney has many pubs, but two useful options sit on opposite sides of the area.

The Anchor Inn at Epney

The Anchor Inn at Epney is beside the River Severn and makes a good stop during a longer riverside walk. It serves food and has an outside area overlooking the river. It is also one of the better-known local places for watching the Severn Bore.

The Pilot Inn at Hardwicke

At the other end of the area is The Pilot Inn in Hardwicke. It is next to Sellars Bridge over the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal and is handy for walks heading into Elmore from Hardwicke and Quedgeley.

A walk between the Anchor and Pilot, taking in parts of Longney and Elmore on the way, makes a good day out if you don’t mind putting in a few miles.

Local Food & Shops

You won’t find a high street or much conventional shopping in either village. This is farming country, though there are a few places to buy locally produced food.

Wholly Gelato at Barhouse Farm in Elmore is well worth knowing about. They make gelato using milk from the farm and have a small retail hatch, drinks and a milk vending machine. It also makes a handy destination if you fancy adding a food stop to a walk around Elmore.

There is also a self-service dairy shop at Clarkes Farm on Longney Road towards Hardwicke, selling locally produced milk and other dairy products. For a conventional village shop, Frampton on Severn is the nearest useful option from much of the Longney side.

Wildlife & Countryside

This is good countryside for wildlife spotting simply because so much of it is farmland, orchard and riverbank. I’ve seen plenty of birds of prey around here, along with pheasants and the occasional fox. The River Severn also attracts lots of water birds year-round.

Spring and early summer are probably my favourite times for walking here. Weir Green can be full of buttercups, the orchards come into blossom and the paths are normally easier going than during the wettest parts of winter.

Is Elmore & Longney Worth Visiting?

Elmore and Longney aren’t places packed with tourist attractions, which is part of why I like them. They are good places for a quiet countryside walk, some local history and time beside the River Severn without travelling far from Gloucester.

If I’m choosing a route, I normally include Weir Green, some of the paths around Grove End or Longney and a pub stop at either Epney or Hardwicke. It is a simple part of Gloucestershire to explore and one I’ve walked many times.