If proposals to close Stroud's mental health unit Weavers Croft go ahead, the families of elderly patients will be forced to travel to Cheltenham to visit them.

Many will not have cars and will rely on public transport. Paganhill pensioner Pamela Harper likes to pop into Weavers Croft in Stroud twice a week to see her husband Ken, who suffers from Alzheimer's. Ken cannot cope with long visits so she usually spends about half an hour with him.

Pamela does not drive so on Thursday, SNJ reporter ALLI PYRAH joined her on a trial run of the journey she will face Weavers Croft closes.

10am I arrive at Pamela's home in Marling Crescent, Paganhill, armed with handfuls of bus timetables and a page of hastily scribbled instructions from the internet. As we talk about the route, it quickly becomes apparent that we are going to be in for a long ride. The journey involves taking two buses and a coach, with plenty of walking and waiting around in between.

10.15am To begin with, we need to get to Merrywalks, where we can catch the bus to Cheltenham. Luckily, it's only a five-minute walk from Pamela's house to the closest bus stop.

"Fortunately I live near a bus stop but for people who live in Bisley or Chalford, getting into Stroud might be a half hour journey," she says.

Given that the bus from Stroud to Cheltenham only comes once an hour, they may also be in for a long wait at Merrywalks.

10.24am We catch the bus from Paganhill to Stroud. The journey takes six minutes and costs £1.50 for a return ticket. Like all over-60s in Stroud district, Pamela has a free bus pass but travel costs might be an issue for younger relatives making the journey.

10.30am We arrive at Merrywalks 10 minutes before the bus to Cheltenham is due to leave and make our way to Stand D.

10.40am During the 40-minute journey to Cheltenham, which costs £4.50 for a return ticket, Pamela tells me about her husband, Ken, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's three years ago.

"People think it's just loss of memory but it's much more than that," she says.

"Ken was having hallucinations and he got violent at times. He'd see his reflection in the mirror and punch the mirror because he didn't recognise himself.

"The consultant has told me they need short, frequent visits. Ken doesn't recognise me as his wife but seeing a familiar face helps.

"Also, it's hard for carers to cope with it for much longer than that. Seeing someone you love like that is very distressing.

"If they close Weavers Croft, I don't know how I'm going to do this journey twice a week."

11.20am Arriving at The Promenade in Cheltenham, we are starting to feel the effects of the scorching hot sun. Sitting in a stuffy bus for 40 minutes in the heat was bad enough, but it's a 10-minute walk to North Street and a 10-minute wait before we can catch the bus to the Charlton Lane unit.

11.40am We get on the coach to Charlton Lane, which costs £1.60 for a return ticket. By now the midday sun is glaring through the windows and I feel like I'm going to pass out. Pamela is made of stronger stuff but she says: "It would be worse than this if you did the trip in winter.

"Imagine having to wait around in the rain and the snow."

11.52am We pull up outside the Charlton Lane unit, where Ken will be moved if the proposals go ahead. By now we are desperate for a cold drink, but the hospital is in the middle of a residential area and there's not a cafe in sight.

We make our way to the main building and ask if there's a canteen. We are told there is nothing but a vending machine.

Pamela is looking around anxiously.

"There don't seem to be many facilities and it doesn't have those wonderful views over the common that are so familiar and comforting to people like my husband," she says.

I'm inclined to agree. The place looks clean and adequate, but it has an institutional feel to it.

Feeling glum, we trek up the road to the Delancey unit, where we enjoy a sandwich and soft drink before starting the journey back.

12.52pm We've been waiting at the bus stop for about 20 minutes when the coach arrives to take us back to Cheltenham town centre.

"I don't see how anybody who was really elderly or couldn't get about easily could do this," says Pamela.

"I'm in my 70s and I'm quite fit and healthy but some people who have relatives at Weavers Croft are in their 80s."

1.20pm After what feels like a very long walk down North Street, across the High Street and down the Promenade, we arrive just in time for the 1.25pm bus that will take us back to Merrywalks.

By now we are both feeling weary and we spend most of the 40-minute ride in silence.

2.05pm We arrive back at Merrywalks and wait for the 2.20pm bus from Stroud to Paganhill.

2.30pm Four-and-a-half hours after we set out, we finally arrive back at Pamela's house and collapse on the sofa.

"For us it was a 10am start," says Pamela.

"For people from the outlying areas it would be even earlier.

"It's a straightforward trip, but it's tiring.

"I don't think I could do it twice a week."