20/01/18 - Heart of England Way Stage 10 - Whitacre Heath

Distance - 8 Miles
Geocaches - 6
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9


Grim day in the West Midlands but the monthly leg on the Heart of England Way is calling.

Check out the route and there are four pubs, although its hard to tell if the White Swan in Kingsbury is a pub or a Chinese restaurant.  Through on line reviews, the Swan in Whitacre Heath looks the best of the bunch and is chosen as the starting point.

It's the sort of weather that requires head to toe goretex.  The camera needs to be protected from the sleet but there's really not much worth photographing until reaching Kingsbury Water Park.  Even that looks desolate in this weather but the geese do put on a show.

A Water Park in the Rain

And the Native Residents

All six of today's Geocaches are in the water park and I make a clean sweep, even mistaking a log replacement for a potential First to Find.

Kingsbury has a large church, the remains of a medieval castle and a couple of pubs (one potentially a Chinese - confirmation not possible even after walking past).  The short high street is navigated before heading back out into the wilds.

Coming out of the Water Park and into Kingsbury

Not much else to report until the end.   I pass our second MOD firing range of the HOEW, which is being used for live practice today and the weather deteriorates.  The last three miles are a grim mud fest of rambling agony, which makes me question exactly why I am out today.  The map warned me.... Foul End.

HOEW at the Firing Range

Walking through muddy cabbage fields in the Snow to get to Foul End

Off with the Goretex, change of footwear and into the Swan at Whitacre Heath.   Its cask marque accredited, has half a dozen punters gathered around a central bar and a log burner that pumps the smoke into the pub, rather than out the chimney.

Beer wise, it fits in with the day.   A downbeat and dull choice of Doombar or Old Golden Hen but at least the DB was in excellent condition.

Its all over.  Sanctuary awaits

2 Minutes till Cyrille's Minutes Applause

Next leg in Feb.  Shustoke better be good.