Distance - 8 Miles
Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine November 2005 Walk 20
Geocaches - 5
Pub - Beaufort Arms, Butcombe Chinook APA
After circumnavigating Birmingham for 27 miles, it was always going to be a countryside walk this weekend. I also thought it was time to start on the Top 10 County Pubs in Gloucestershire - and Number 1 looked as good a place as any to kick things off. I am off to Hawkesbury Upton but where to walk?
Library consulted and it's an 11 year old route from Country Walking Magazine.
 |
| The Classic "Down your way" Section |
I've been to Hawkesbury Upton before, as its on the Cotswold Way. For the life of me, I cannot remember a thing about it. And you would have thought Somerset Monument would have stirred some sort of memory.
 |
| First View of Somerset Monument - to be visited later in the walk. |
I drop down to Hawkesbury Church. This is where the village used to be centered but apparently the old Manor House went to rack and ruin when the Lord's daughter fell to her death waving at her lover through a window. The villagers moved up the hill, leaving a rather isolated church. I investigated but a locked door prevented a view inside.
 |
| Hawkesbury Church |
A bit of road walking as I head towards Horton. I'm glad to be out of the wet waist high grass that has left me both soaked and covered in pollen. I am not going to be at my sartorial best for the pub visit later. Decent views of the Severn Plains.
 |
| Views Over the Severn Plains. Raindrop on my lens |
Another Church - this time at Horton Court. Once owned by William Knight who negotiated with the Vatican for Henry VIII divorce from Katherine of Aragon. No doubt he came to a sticky end, as he failed.
 |
| Horton Manor Church |
Onto the Monarch's Way, uphill. There's nothing really represented on the map and this hold true on the ground. Bodkin Hazel Lane and Marshfield path having nowt to look at apart from crops. Pick up the Cotswold Way to have a look at Somerset Monument up close. A very well hidden geocache provides some entertainment in the undergrowth.
 |
| Somerset Monument |
 |
| Somerset Monument |
Before hitting the pub, it's a question of adapting the route to get the bounty for a multi cache, worked out in advance to save time in the field. This allows me to loop back into the village from the other side and have a nose at all items of interest.
 |
| Memorial to the Fallen |
 |
| An unvisited Italian Inspired Pub |
So, to Gloucestershire's best pub. It's in the Good Beer Guide (at least the 2003 version, which I really need to update).
One of my walking books refers to it as the Duke of Beaufort and there is evidence of rebranding on the sign at the back of the pub. Its an old converted farmhouse coming complete with its own well and resident ghost - who super naturally messes about with the gas in the Cellar. The locals are very talkative, instantly getting me into a multi person conversation about the history of the village and learning plenty about the white slave trade, the links with various monarchs and their patron saint - St Wulfston.
Rarely have been made more welcome. Especially in wet trousers covered in yellow rape seed pollen.
 |
| Beaufort Arms from the Front |
 |
| And evidence of hasty rebranding from the rear |
Beer wise, there's four real ales on and I plump for the unfortunately named, yet delicous Butcombe. They sell the Bitter in one of my locals but here, they have a never spotted before Chinook APA.
This Pale Ale is even better than the bitter.
 |
| Superb Pint |
But the beer adventures don't end here. On plotting the route, I noticed that I would be within 4 miles of Wickwar, home to the eponymous brewery. On Monday Evening, I was enjoying a pint of their Falling Star in Bearwood. It would have been rude not to pop over and get the Euro Ales in.
 |
| Wickwar Brewery - Opens as a pub on weekends |
No comments:
Post a Comment