The bear, the wasp and twenty six dogs

Working at Pixelfridge comes with many perks.

The most eagerly anticipated one is the yearly ramble, an opportunity for the team to enjoy each other’s company away from screens and reconnect with the beautiful English countryside. This year, Laura and Chris picked Rodborough in the Cotswolds as an ideal strolling destination, famous for its rolling hills and expansive views.

With parties travelling from Manchester, Exeter and London, the Fridgelets (including Aggie the dog) congregated at the hotel, an imposing former coaching inn built in the 17th century on the Rodborough Common. A huge bear greeted us in the lobby – a taxidermied one mind you, but pretty impressive all the same. Unbeknown to the group, the Himalayan brown bear happens to be the focal point of numerous eerie tales and mysterious happenings that have endured for many years…

Back to the Fridgelets…

With sweeping views across the Stroud valley, the hotel gardens offered a great opportunity for a quick team photo before we set off for the afternoon.

Unfortunately, it’s at this point a fearless wasp found its way up Gaelle’s sleeve whilst she wasn’t looking and the pesky insect stung her on the forearm, causing much squealing, flapping and cursing. But fear not: the Fridgelets came prepared and an impressive array of antihistamine tablets, creams and gels were swiftly produced. The ailment was carefully treated and we were soon on our way, setting off on a 16.8km adventure through some of the most enchanting countryside, beginning near the charming area of Bowbridge.

Minchinhampton Common

The heart of the walk crossed the magnificent Minchinhampton Common, with breathtaking panoramic views of the Stroud Valleys. This ancient common land, managed by the National Trust, spreads across 600 acres of rolling hills, lush grasslands, and rugged terrain. The common offers glorious views of surrounding valleys and beyond, making it a perfect spot for a delicious picnic.

Woodland and valley views

We explored some of the area’s characteristic beech woodlands, well known for their dramatic autumn leaf colour and swathes of bluebells in the spring. The trail’s 321m of elevation gain allowed constantly changing vistas as we climbed and descended through this beautiful archaeological landscape.

The ramble in numbers

• Distance: 16,85km
• Elevation: 321m
• Maximum temperature: 25ºC
• Dogs: 26 (Maddie convincingly won the ‘how-many-dogs-can-I-spy-on-the-ramble’ game)
• Pubs: 2
• Drinks: undisclosed

The after-party

We wrapped up the day around a table full of food, drink and laughter. The evening stretched on, plates forgotten as elbows settled on the table and stories flowed as freely as the wine/amaretto/cider/drink of choice. Bring on the next ramble.