5/11/11 - The Shooting Party

Distance 9.91 Miles
Inspiration - Julie Royals Worcestershire Walks
Geocaches - There are none.

Clifton Upon Teme

The week started with a 6am leave for Hatfield on Monday and ended with an 8pm return from Bradford on Friday.  To say I look forward to the weekend is an understatement.  But where to walk?

As it is the first weekend of the month, it is a walk from Julie Royals Worcestershire Walks - 50 of which I am working through in order.  Not that I have OCD.

Plot the walk into the map and it looks like its more interesting to the East, where there is a castle, the river Teme 0.5 miles away (stop bigging yourself up Clifton) and some good looking woodland.  However, this walk heads West.  Still looks like there are some things of interest to investigate.

Park up in Clifton and find my bearings.  The dog plays with a huge chocolate labrador, who is also on a lead and ends up going between my legs.  This turns into an event from the generation game as the larador owner and myself try and untangle ourselves.  She says that she hasn't seen me in the village before.  I say that if I had known that the pub is also the chip shop, there would have been a good chance she would have.  I wonder if they do loyalty cards.

Next encounter with a local is when I have tied the dog to a tree whilst I tidy up after her.  An octogenerian bike rider thinks that Molly has been abandoned and comes to her rescue, starting to untie her.  I am not sure whether she is an old age chav or someone with a concern for dogs in bondage.

The walk gets going.  We are heading west and I can see its going to be stunning views and high stiles all the way.  Its getting to be an obstacle course for the dog and makes me wonder how much longer she can leap 5ft or crawl under.

Mud and Rural Vistas

We are heading our way down to Lower Sapey.  My map shows that there is an abandoned church and I have high hopes of being able to regail you with spooky tales.  On arrival, its in really good condition and there is a sign that says "although this church is no longer for worship, it is maintained for future generations".  On investigation, its been here since the 12th Century.

Not Scary

Continue directly west through more fields, styles and a distinct lack of humans.  The walk writer wants us to continue west for some stunning views at the turning point, which stretch out to some distant mountains - presumably the brecons.

In Goal.

 
Walk down to the lake and turn back, heading more north to the medieval village of Wolferlow.  Another Norman Church and not a lot else.

The headstone belongs to John Knill d.1799

And thats the oldest one.  There are older ones that are unreadable.  I did take a photo for the details and this is where the battery ran out in the camera.  If anything had happened to me on the walk, then a blair witch style investigation from the evidence on the memory card would have ensued.

Heading back East now and all the way around I have been able to hear shooting but have not seen anyone since the old age dognapper from 2 hours ago.  As I approach Barton Court, I meet my first human of the day and engage in conversation.  There's plenty to talk about.  For a start, she is wearing a body warmer made entirely of dead partridges.  Her dog comes running out of the bushes with another one, and she calmly clips its carcass to her bodice.

Country folk with their country ways.

When I get around the corner, I meet the rest of the party - around twenty of them.  I can see them eying me up to work out how my head would look mounted above their fireplace.

From this point on, its uphill through muddy fields.  Spy a farmer who would never make it onto one man and his dog, as he is rounding up his sheep with a tractor.

Not long before we are back at the road into Clifton.  Unfortunately, its too early for beer and chips, so I head off home via Martley.